A Critical Study of Indian Myths in the Poetry of Kalidasa

• Ganesh Narasimha Rao Reddy

  Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya

  Author

This paper critically examines Indian myths (legendary stories) contained in the poetry of the great poet Kalidasa. The poet has been described as a visionary, creating a supernatural world through his imagination and ingenuity. Indian myths, a vast collection of religious, philosophical, and ethical beliefs, define the universe, human values, and the mysteries of life.

The present research analyzes the mythical elements used in seven of Kalidasa's major works—Kumarsambhavamsa, Raghuvamsa, Meghaduta (skhand/short poems), Ritusamhara (short poems), and Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiya, and Abhijnana Shakuntalam (visual poems). Studying the concept of myth, the research explores the ethical, universal, and cultural values ​​expressed through the supernatural elements (such as gods, yakshas, ​​nymphs, curses, boons) and metaphorical allegories embedded in mythological narratives.

Kalidasa creatively reimagined these myths from the Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas. For example, the curse of Surabhidhenu in Raghuvamsa, the supernatural love of Pururavas and Urvashi in Vikramorvasiya, and the loss of memory due to a curse in Abhijnana Shakuntalam. This research concludes that Kalidasa's poetry profoundly enriches Indian art and literature by expressing human thought in the literary language of myths.

1. Ganesh Narasimha Rao Reddy, Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya

   Research Scholar, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

• A Critical Study of Indian Myths in the Poetry of Kalidasa (Hindi)