Kālidāsa (English spelling)

An ancient Indian poet and playwright active in the 4th and 5th centuries. According to legend, he was one of the nine poets known as the Nine Jewels of Ujjaini, as a court poet to King Vikramaditya. This king is said to be Chandragupta II (reigned 385-413) of the Gupta dynasty, so he is thought to have lived around that time. Reflecting the literary fortunes of the Gupta dynasty at its height, he left behind masterpieces with sound thought, delicate sensibility, elegant writing, and ingenious rhetorical techniques. Classical Sanskrit literature reached a state of perfection with his appearance, and over the next few hundred years many successors emerged, ushering in a golden age. As the greatest master in the history of Indian literature, he was given the title of "the greatest poet" or "the greatest poet," and when "Shakuntala" was introduced to Europe, the European literary world unanimously praised him, calling him the "Shakespeare of India."

Many works are said to be his, but the only ones that are recognized as genuine are the three plays "Shakuntala," "Vikramoulvasiya," which tells the story of the extraordinary love between the heavenly maiden Urvasi and King Pururavas, and "Malabikagnimitra," which tells the story of the marriage of King Agnimitra and Princess Malavika. The two epics are "Kumarasambhava" (The Birth of Kumara, the God of War), which beautifully depicts the love story between Lord Shiva and Uma, the daughter of the Himalayan mountain god, and the scenery of the Himalayas, and "Raghubhansha" (The Royal Lineage of Raghu), which tells the story of King Rama and is considered the most excellent work in the Maha-Kabya style defined by Sanskrit rhetoric. His lyric poems include "Meghaduta" (The Messenger of the Clouds), in which a man sends a love message to his far-away wife via the clouds, and "Ritusanhara" (The Cycle of the Seasons), in which the six seasons of the year are described in simple terms using a variety of rhythms, interweaving delicate romantic emotions with detailed descriptions of nature. Both poems demonstrate the highest level of Sanskrit literature.

[Tanaka Otoya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

4～5世紀に活躍した古代インドの詩人、劇作家。伝承によれば、ウッジャイニーのビクラマーディティヤ王の宮廷詩人として、その九宝といわれた9人の詩人の1人。この王はグプタ朝のチャンドラグプタ2世（在位385～413）をさすといわれるから、このころの人と思われる。グプタ朝最盛時の文運を反映し、健全な思想、繊細な感覚、流麗な筆致、巧妙な修辞的技巧によって傑作を残した。古典サンスクリット文学は、彼の出現で完成の域に達し、その後数百年にわたり多くの継承者が出て黄金時代を現出した。インド文学史上最大の巨匠として、「詩人の随一」あるいは「大詩人」の名を冠せられ、『シャクンタラー』が欧州に紹介されると、欧州文壇はこぞって絶賛の辞を惜しまず、「インドのシェークスピア」とよんだ。

　彼の作品と称せられるものは多いが、真作と認められるのは、戯曲に『シャクンタラー』、天女ウルバシーとプルーラバス王の数奇な恋愛物語を主題とする『ビクラモールバシーヤ』、アグニミトラ王とマーラビカー姫の結婚を題材とした『マーラビカーグニミトラ』の3編。叙事詩に、シバ神とヒマラヤ山神の娘ウマーの恋愛やヒマラヤの情景を美しく描写した『クマーラサンババ』（軍神クマーラの誕生）と、ラーマ王の事績を主題とし、サンスクリット修辞学の規定するマハー・カービヤ体のもっとも優れた作品とされる『ラグバンシャ』（ラグの王統）の2編がある。叙情詩には、雲に託して遠く離れた妻に愛の便りを送る『メーガドゥータ』（雲の使者）と、1年の六つの季節を精細な自然の描写に繊細な恋愛の情緒を織り混ぜ、種々の韻律を用いて平易に述べている『リトゥサンハーラ』（季節のめぐり）があり、いずれもサンスクリット文学の最高水準を示す。

［田中於莵弥］

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