KALIDASA
‘The human meaning of his works
by
WALTER RUBEN
1957
AKADEMIE-VERLAG-+-BERLINsigna te:
KALIDASA Dia mentee Bedeutung miner Werke
‘Translated by Joan Bosker
Copyrigt 1087 by Akademe-Verg 6:
2A sehte reervod
‘Fobbubed by the Akadomie-Vetg GmbH, Beta W 8, Mohrestrase 92
Toner No, 202 300/8/52
‘rised snd bound by: TV//14-VEB Werkdrack Grierhamnichen-714
Order and Pubuners Number: S857
Pristad in Germany‘Kalidasa is the great Indian classical poet of love, who created
unfading Visions of loving women, especially very young, almost
childlike brides. These remind us of Goethe's Gretchen, who loved
her Faust more than words could tell; of the fourteen-year-cld
Juliet and her Romeo—in Shakespeare's lines or in Ulenova’s
graceful and stirring dances; of Raphael's Sixtine Madonna, that
‘good and deeply touching virgin mother; of Michael Angelo's Eve
peeping from behind Jehovah's robes at the newly created Adam
who is to be her mate; of Prindess Nausicaa and her love for
Odysseus, or the Greek Psyche and her beloved Amor. But all
this would not suffice if we did not learn to love Kalidasa’s Sakun-
talé, Parvati and Malavika.
On October 12th 1955 the World Peaoe Council in Vienna called
‘on all peoples to pay tribute to Kalidasa too in 1956. This little
book is intended as a modest contribution to his memory. It lays
no claim to deal with all the relevant historical and philological
problems,1 but is an effort to inspire readers for the human beauty
‘of the works and characters created by this great poet who lived,
loved and wrote more than thousand years ago, far away under
India’s warm sun,