The Seasons : p. 209 p. 210 p. 211 THE SEASONS "The Seasons" is an unpretentious poem, describing in six short cantos the six seasons into which the Hindus divide the year. The title is perhaps a little misleading, as the description is not objective, but deals with the feelings awakened by each seas...
Introduction : p. vii INTRODUCTION KALIDASA--HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS I KALIDASA probably lived in the fifth century of the Christian era. This date, approximate as it is, must yet be given with considerable hesitation, and is by no means certain. No truly biographical data are preserved about the author, who...
Shakuntala. Act Vii : p. 81 ACT VII ("Enter, in a chariot that flies through the air, the king and" MATALI.) "King". Matali, though I have done what Indra commanded, I think myself an unprofitable servant, when I remember his most gracious welcome. "Matali". O King, know that each considers himself the other's debt...
Shakuntala. Act Iv. Shakuntala's Departure : p. 39 ACT IV SHAKUNTALA'S DEPARTURE SCENE I ("Enter the two friends, gathering flowers".) "Anusuya". Priyamvada, dear Shakuntala has been properly married by the voluntary ceremony and she has a husband worthy of her. And yet I am not quite satisfied. "Priyamvada". Why not? "Anusuya"...
Title Page : KALIDASA TRANSLATIONS OF SHAKUNTALA, AND OTHER WORKS By ARTHUR W. RYDER London, J.M. Dent And Sons; New York, E.P. Dutton & Co. [1914] NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION Scanned , April, 2005. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain in the US because it was published prior to 1923. These...
The Cloud Messenger : p. 181 p. 182 p. 183 THE CLOUD-MESSENGER IN "The Cloud-Messenger" Kalidasa created a new genre in Sanskrit literature. Hindu critics class the poem with "The Dynasty of Raghu" and "The Birth of the War-god" as a "kavya", or learned epic. This it obviously is not. It is fair enough to call it...
Shakuntala. Prologue : p. 3 SHAKUNTALA PROLOGUE BENEDICTION UPON THE AUDIENCE EIGHT forms has Shiva, lord of all and king: And these are water, first created thing; And fire, which speeds the sacrifice begun; The priest; and time's dividers, moon and sun; The all-embracing ether, path of sound; The earth, wherein all...
The Dynasty Of Raghu : p. 121 p. 122 p. 123 THE DYNASTY OF RAGHU "The Dynasty of Raghu" is an epic poem in nineteen cantos. It consists of 1564 stanzas, or something over six thousand lines of verse. The subject is that great line of kings who traced their origin to the sun, the famous "solar line" of Indian story...
The Two Minor Dramas. I. Malavika And Agnimitra : p. 106 p. 107 p. 109 THE TWO MINOR DRAMAS I.--"MALAVIKA AND AGNIMITRA" "Malavika and Agnimitra" is the earliest of Kalidasa's three dramas, and probably his earliest work. This conclusion would be almost certain from the character of the play, but is put beyond doubt by the following speeches...
Shakuntala. Act Ii. The Secret : p. 17 ACT II THE SECRET ("Enter the clown".) "Clown" ("sighing"). Damn! Damn! Damn! I'm tired of being friends with this sporting king. "There's a deer!" he shouts, "There's a boar!" And off he chases on a summer noon through woods where shade is few and far between. We drink hot, stinking water...
The Two Minor Dramas. Ii. Urvashi : p. 115 II.--"URVASHI" The second of the two inferior dramas may be conveniently called Urvashi, though the full title is "The Tale of Urvashi won by Valour". When and where the play was first produced we do not know, for the prologue is silent as to these matters. It has been thought that it w...
Untitled : KALIDASA TRANSLATIONS OF SHAKUNTALA, AND OTHER WORKS BY ARTHUR W. RYDER [1914] Title Page Contents Introduction SHAKUNTALA Dramatis Person Prologue Act I. The Hunt Act II. The Secret Act III. The Love-Making Act IV. Shakuntala's Departure Act V. Shakuntala's Rejection Act VI. Separati...
Shakuntala. Act I. The Hunt : p. 5 ACT I THE HUNT ("Enter, in a chariot, pursuing a deer", KING DUSHYANTA, "bow and arrow in hand; and a charioteer".) "Charioteer" ("looking at the king and the deer"). Your Majesty, I see you hunt the spotted deer With shafts to end his race, As though God Shiva should appear In his immortal...
The Birth Of The War God : p. 154 p. 155 p. 156 p. 157 THE BIRTH OF THE WAR-GOD "The Birth of the War-god" is an epic poem in seventeen cantos. It consists of 1096 stanzas, or about 4400 lines of verse. The subject is the marriage of the god Shiva, the birth of his son, and the victory of this son over a powerful dem...
Shakuntala. Act Vi. Separation From Shakuntala : p. 63 ACT VI SEPARATION FROM SHAKUNTALA SCENE I.--"In The Street Before The Palace". ("Enter the chief of police, two policemen, and a man with his hands bound behind his back".) "The two policemen" ("striking the man"). Now, pickpocket, tell us where you found this ring. It is the king's ring...
Shakuntala. Dramatis Personae : p. 1 SHAKUNTALA AND OTHER WRITINGS SHAKUNTALA A PLAY IN SEVEN ACTS p. 2 DRAMATIS PERSON KING DUSHYANTA. BHARATA, "nicknamed" All-tamer, "his son". MADHAVYA, "a clown, his companion". His charioteer. RAIVATAKA, "a door-keeper". BHADRASENA, "a general". KARABHAKA, "a servant". PARVATAYANA, "...
Shakuntala. Act Iii. The Love Making : p. 26 ACT III THE LOVE-MAKING ("Enter a pupil, with sacred grass for the sacrifice".) "Pupil" ("with meditative astonishment"). How great is the power of King Dushyanta! Since his arrival our rites have been undisturbed. He does not need to bend the bow; For every evil thing, Awaiting not...
The Story Of Shakuntala : p. 95 p. 96 p. 97 THE STORY OF SHAKUNTALA IN the first book of the vast epic poem Mahabharata, Kalidasa found the story of Shakuntala. The story has a natural place there, for Bharata, Shakuntala's son, is the eponymous ancestor of the princes who play the leading part in the epic. With no little...
Shakuntala. Act V. Shakuntala's Rejection : p. 51 ACT V SHAKUNTALA'S REJECTION ("Enter a chamberlain".) "Chamberlain" ("sighing"). Alas! To what a state am I reduced! I once assumed the staff of reed For custom's sake alone, As officer to guard at need The ladies round the throne. But years have passed away and made It serve, my tottering...