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Kalidasa
Classical Sanskrit poet and playwright / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the author. For the insect genus, see Kalidasa (planthopper).
"Kalidas" redirects here. For other uses, see Kalidas (disambiguation).
Kālidāsa (Sanskrit: कालिदास, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright.[1][2] His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems.
Quick Facts Occupation, Language ...
Kalidasa | |
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![]() A 20th-century artist's impression of Kālidāsa composing the Meghadūta | |
Occupation | Poet, Dramatist |
Language | Sanskrit, Prakrit |
Period | c. 4th-5th century CE |
Genre | Sanskrit drama, Classical literature |
Subject | Epic poetry, Puranas |
Notable works | Kumārasambhavam, Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Raghuvaṃśa, Meghadūta, Vikramōrvaśīyam |
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Much about his life is unknown except what can be inferred from his poetry and plays.[3] His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE during the Gupta era.