Sanskrit Essay on Kalidasa - with Translation

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कालिदासः।

कविकुलगुरूः महाकविः कालिदासः कविकुलशिरोमणिः वर्तते।  सः नृपतेः विक्रमादित्यस्य सभायांविद्यमानेषु नवरत्नेषु एकतमः आसीत्। सःकालिमातुः भक्तः आसीत्। कालिमातुः प्रसादेन सः महाकविः अभवत् इति आख्यायिका प्रसिद्धा ।कालिदासस्य साहित्यं प्रसिद्धम् ।तेन कुमारसम्भवम् ,रघुवंशम् च द्वे महाकाव्ये ,ऋतुसंहार-मेघदूते इति द्वे खण्डकाव्ये,मालविकाग्निमित्र-विक्रमोर्वशीय-अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलानि च त्रीणि नाटकानि विरचितानि। तस्य शाकुन्तलंपठित्वा गटेनामा जर्मनकविः तद् नाटकम् मस्तके धृत्वा सानन्दम् अनृत्यत्|सः उपमालङ्कार-रचने निपुणः आसीत् |अतः ‘उपमा कालिदासस्य’ इति उक्तिः प्रचलिता अभवत्|

kālidāsaḥ।

          kavikulagurūḥ mahākaviḥ kālidāsaḥ kavikulaśiromaṇiḥ vartate। saḥ nr̥pateḥ vikramādityasya sabhāyāṁ vidyamāneṣu navaratneṣu ekatamaḥ āsīt। saḥ kālimātuḥ bhaktaḥ āsīt। kālimātuḥ prasādena saḥ mahākaviḥ abhavat iti ākhyāyikā prasiddhā। kālidāsasya sāhityaṁ prasiddham| tena kumārasambhavam ,raghuvaṁśam ca dve mahākāvye ,r̥tusaṁhāra-meghadūte iti dve khaṇḍakāvye,mālavikāgnimitra-vikramorvaśīya-abhijñānaśākuntalāni ca trīṇi nāṭakāni viracitāni। tasya śākuntalaṁ paṭhitvā gaṭenāmā jarmanakaviḥ tad nāṭakam mastake dhr̥tvā sānandam anr̥tyat| saḥ upamālaṅkāra-racane nipuṇaḥ āsīt |ataḥ ‘upamā kālidāsasya' iti uktiḥ pracalitā abhavat|
 
Kalidasa

       Kalidasa is one of the greatest known Sanskrit dramatist and poet. Kalidasa was one of the Navratnas (9 gems or the most accomplished men of their times) at the court of King Vikramaditya. He was a devotee of the goddess kaalimata. According to the famous fable, Kalidasa became a great poet by the grace of Kaalimata. Kalidasa's literature is very well known. Kumarsambhavam and Raghuvansham (two epics), Rutusanharam and Meghdootam (two mini-epics), Malvikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiyam, and Abhidnyan-shakuntalam (three plays) - these are the compositions by Kalidasa. After reading his play shakuntala, German poet Goethe went crazy and danced happily while holding that book on his head. He was adept at composing ‘Simile’(figure of speech). Therefore ‘Upama Kalidasasya' is a famous phrase named after him.