मेघदूतम्: Meghaduta

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MEGHADUTA OF KALIDASA

The MeghadOta. the cloud- messenger. is widely acclaimed as Kalidaso's greatest poem. In this poem of 120 verses a Yaksha. exiled from his home. implores a cloud to carry a messoge to his beloved from his place of banishment to his home in the for north. The pining Yaksha whose intense longing. stirred ct the sight of the gathering clouds is a symbol of the eternal love.

Humanity recognises itself in the works of Kolidaso though they deal with Indian themes. Kalidasa is the great representative of Indio's spirit grace and genius. To this great poet. nature is in tune with the joys and sorrows the hopes and disappointments of human beings.

A special attraction of this edition is its line-drawings for each and every verse by a world-renowned artist. Shri Vasudea Smart. a retired Professor of Fine Arts. Benaras Hindu University. Varanasi. India. He has painted different types of clouds on the top and other line-drawings of various figures from the caves like Ajanta Ellora. Badami etc.

Mr. Vinod Patel has prepared miniature paintings of Meghaduta following the different schools of Indian paintings. The Meghaduta has directly or indirectly inspired many artists in India to paint or to carve sculptures or to cost bronze statues keeping its subject matter in view. Some of them are reproduced in coloured plates in this book for the first time.

Dr. GAUTAM VADILAL PATEL Dr. Gautam Vadilal Patel, born on 4th August, 1936, is the Chairman of Sanskrit Sahitya Akademi, Gu jarat State and the President of Sanskrit Seva Samiti. He was the head of the Sanskrit Dept., St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He. is the blessed desciple of Brahmalina Swami Shri Gangeshwaranandji Maharaja, Udasin, the versetile genius of the Sanskrit Language and literature in general and that of the Vedas in particular.

He has attended notional and international seminars and visited universities or places of interest at Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Windsor, Chicago, Oxford, Cambridge, London, Paris, lieden, Viena, Rome, Nairobi. Nepal. etc. He has keen interest in sub- jects like Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Bhagavata, Adi Shankaracharya, Bhasa, Kolidasa, Bhavabhuti, Jagannatha etc. He has published more than eighty works in Gujarati. English, Hindi or Sanskrit.

His works like the commentary of Vallabhadeva on the Kumarasambhavam of Kolidose. Sayana-bhashya on Chhandogyopanishad (edited for the first time), History of Vedic literature and culture, Adi Shankaracharya,VedanoVarasaVaibhava, Ruk-Sukta-Manjusha, Yogeshwar Gurugangeshwar etc. deserves special mention. He was the president of literature section in the 8th world Sanskrit Conference at Viena, Austria, and elected President of the Philosophy and Religion section of the 38th All Indio Oriental Conference, Jadavpur University, Calcutta.

'Meghadiita' - A Book of National Integration

India is the land of agriculture. The fate of the people of India mainly depends on the nectar which is showered from the heaven by the 'CLOUD'. When such a cloud becomes the messenger of love, emotion, feelings and hope from a person to a person, the cloud will occupy a special corner in the heart of each and every Indian. In one sense the very selection of the cloud as the messenger, in his widely acclaimed poem Meghduta ,Kalidasa, the bird nightingale of Indian poets, the uncrowned king of the literary world of India, has captured the love and admiration of all the Indians at a time and that too once and forever. This little poem of 120 verses has occupied, by and large, right from its inception, the undisputable and unshakable foothold in the hearts of each and every lover of literature on the Indian soil. Thus this book has successfully contributed in the emotional integration of the Indian nation.

The Meghaduta, the cloud-messanger, has started a worthy tradition of 'Duta-Kavyas'not only in Sanskrit but in almost all the languages of India. Many poems, imitating the Meghaduta of Kalidasa were written in the past, numerous are being written at present and I am sure, the future generation will also continue the same trend by contributing countless poems in all the languages of India. This shows how Meghaduta has proved a golden string in binding the diversified pearls of languages in this vast land of India.

Kalidasa, the worthy writer of this poem, has not only influenced the poetic genius but has also inspired numerous artists to carve in stone, to paint on canvas or to cast in bronze many images or instances. Some scholars like Late C. Sivaramamurti has pointed out successfully these facts in detail but no one has tried to bring out the text of Kalidasa's Meghaduta along with such pictures of paintings, sculptures or bronze. It is for the first time in the history of publications of the Sanskrit text that the Sanskrit Seva Samiti has ventured to publish the text of Meghaduta with such colourful pictures to make the subject interesting as well as to provide the people of the world the idea of unity in the field of art, literature and sculpture in India.

Sanskrit is the the divine language. English is the International (contact) language. Hindi is the National language. Marathi is the language of the neighbouring state (Love thy neighbour as thyself.) and Gujarati is the language of our state. Hence all these five languages are included in this edition. Paintings or pictures are widely acclaimed as the visual media to convey the idea easily. Hence the language of pictures is also adopted here to communicate the original ideas of the renowned writer Kalidasa.

The simple dignity of language, classical taste, intense poetic imagery, cultivated judgement in expression, a precision of phrase, a perfect fusion of words and thoughts, a complete harmony of feelings and expressions have bestowed upon the works of Kalidasa a unique place not only in Sanskrit but in world literature also; and in my humble but firm opinion the place is not undeserved. The worthy contributors of various articles to this volume deserve most hearty thanks for their cooperation. Dr. R. K. Sharma, the President of the World Sanskrit Conference, was kind enough to contribute an article in most simple, lucid and pleasing Sanskrit. He deserves 'agra-tambula' because it is he whose help has made this volume possible to see the day-light. Dr. K. K. Mishra, the worthy director of Rastriya Sanskrit Samsthan, New Delhi, deserves special thanks for his sympathetic guidance and active cooperation. The most worthy scholar of national and international repute Dr. S. V. Sohoni, the recipient of 'Certificate of Honour from the President of India' and former Vice-Chancellor of T. M. Vidyapeetha, Pune, has contributed an article on Meghaduta in English. Prof. G. C. Jhala's article in English is reproduced from his book 'Kalidasa-s-A Study' published by Sanskrit Seva Samiti. Dr. Sitanshu Yashashchandra, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Saurashtra University, Rajkot, has written on our request the most original criticism in Gujarati. Prof. V. J. Trivedi the former Principal of the Gujarat College, the well-known Professor of English and a media critic was kind enough to prepare for us the English translation. Prof. Shrinivas Rath, the former Director of Kalidasa Akademi, Ujjain, has translated the poem in the most poetic manner in Hindi. Dr. K. P. Jog, the former Professor of Sanskrit Dept., Deccan College, Pune, has most willingly given his Marathi translation. Prof. Kapilray Dave, former Principal at various colleges in Gujarat and the most renowned professor of Mathematics has rendered meticulous service in translating the poem in Gujarati and making the whole work worthy to print. Prof. Vasudeo Smart, the retired Professor of Fine Arts, Benaras Hindu University has prepared line drawings and Shri Vinod Patel, the miniature paintings of Meghaduta on our request. Dr. S. K. Andhare, the former director, L. D. Museum, Ahmedabad, has rendered a great service in acquiring permissions from various institutions in India or providing various photographs and slides to print from his personal collections. Smt. Jayashree Sanjayabhai Lalbhai has kindly permitted us to reproduce some of the paintings from the private collection of Late Sheth Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai. Smt. Sheela Rajan Harivallabhdas, my most worthy student, has rendered the best service as the coordinator. Acharya Jayanand Dave has rendered a commendable service in bringing out this volume. I thank all of them for their most worthy contribution in bringing out this artistic edition of Meghaduta of Kalidasa.

I would be ungrateful if I do not mention the name of Late Shri Suryakantbhai Jhaveri, my worthy friend, philosopher and guide and the ardent lover of Sanskrit and culture in general and that of Meghaduta in particular. His love and admiration for Meghaduta has inspired us to venture for such a grand project. His worthy sons Suketu, Shirish and Subahu were always favouring and encouraging us in bringing out this volume in best possible manner. I take this opportunity to thank them all.

The Typesetting in this book was a task but the complete service has been rendered with love and admiration by Shri Hasmukhbhai Dave, Shri Milind Dave and the young artist Shri Naushil. I cannot but thank them wholeheartedly.

Shri Gopalbhai Patel and Shri Pravinbhai Patel of Pravin Prakashan Private Ltd. Rajkot, have come in picture like the timely shower of rain from the heaven and they have not only shouldered the responsibility to guide in printing but have willingly accepted to be the distributors of this volume. I thank them on behalf of all the trustees and members of Sanskrit Seva Samiti, It is a well-known fact that in this world no scholar or artist can achieve any desired goal without finance. The Rastriya Sanskrit Samsthan has considered our proposal and given us financial assistance. I thank them on behalf of the trustees of Sanskrit Seva Samiti.

Last but not the least our thanks to almightly without whose grace none of us is able to acquire any desired object in this world.

**Contents and Sample Pages**