Book review
Kalidasa, the Sanskrit poet and dramatist is the author of Vikramorvashiam, the Sanskrit drama from which this book has been adapted. Kalidasa elaborated on the Vedic and post-vedic versions of the tale of Pururavas and Urvashi. In Kalidasa’s drama, she emerges as a soft, tender woman who even forgets at times her celestial origin and is guilty of human tensions and misgivings. He has introduced characters and situations which add to the credibility of the tale and its universal appeal. Kalidasa is considered one of the greatest poets and dramatists of India. He was one of the ‘nine gems’ that adorned the court of King Vikramaditya of Ujjaini. Though many still hold the view that this was the Vikramaditya whose era begins in 57 B.C., modern research scholars are of the opinion that he was in the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty. It is also believed that more than one poet bore this name as an honorary title. Kalidasa wrote a number of poems of which Raghuvamsha, Kumara-Sambhava and Meghaduta are well known.