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Kalidasa Raghuvamsham
The Raghuvamsham,the largest of Kalidasa's work in both scope and size,is not just a mythological story of Raghu's dynasty;it is a magnificient edifice of fact,mythology,political morality and ethics in ancient India.While reading through the poem one marvels at the insight of Kalidasa-inarguably one of the greatest poets of all times-into diverse fields and issues. With a modern translation of the same,Raghuvamsham invites you to the world of Raghu and Rama,Indumati and Sita-a world ruled by principles and ethics. As with all the writings of Kalidasa,Raghuvamsham is rich in unique poetic images of nature,sringara,viraha and of moral values.Kalidasa weaves deep religious and ethical issues into the rich tapestry of the life of several kings of the dynasty.
893 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2010
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March 21, 2021
Kalidasa is one of the most acclaimed classical Indian poets. He loves nature, women, city-life and royalty. Raghuvamsam delivers all of them in spades. It is a history of Rama's ancestors starting from Dilipa and ending with a descendant who dies before giving birth to a son.- one of his wives appear pregnant who is crowned the queen.
Cant say much about the quality of translation since I don't know Sanskrit. Kalidasa is effusive about the beauty of forests, mountains, rivers and the like. He often compares them with feminine beauty of course. He also gives individual characters to the kings whom he describes. Although all of them are ideal, they are not copy-paste characters. Even the minor characters like the princes in Indumati's swayamvara have their own behaviors. This speaks to the observation skills of Kalidasa. Even Agnivarna, the sexual debauch and the last king, is believably characterized without judgement.
Overall, a good book. A bit lengthy, but then this is an epic. As it is a romantic poem, it is full of love and life. These is only one canto dealing with grief. Even though it is about kings, there are not many war scenes. They are perfunctorily described just to show that the army is huge and undefeatable. Once memorable section is the tour of India, from UP to Assam, Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Arabian Coast, then Persia, Kailasa mountain and back to Ayodhya.
Cant say much about the quality of translation since I don't know Sanskrit. Kalidasa is effusive about the beauty of forests, mountains, rivers and the like. He often compares them with feminine beauty of course. He also gives individual characters to the kings whom he describes. Although all of them are ideal, they are not copy-paste characters. Even the minor characters like the princes in Indumati's swayamvara have their own behaviors. This speaks to the observation skills of Kalidasa. Even Agnivarna, the sexual debauch and the last king, is believably characterized without judgement.
Overall, a good book. A bit lengthy, but then this is an epic. As it is a romantic poem, it is full of love and life. These is only one canto dealing with grief. Even though it is about kings, there are not many war scenes. They are perfunctorily described just to show that the army is huge and undefeatable. Once memorable section is the tour of India, from UP to Assam, Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Arabian Coast, then Persia, Kailasa mountain and back to Ayodhya.
Displaying 1 of 1 review