Kalidasa And Sanskrit Literature

Exam-Oriented Q&A

Q1: Which Kalidasa play was first translated into European languages?
Answer: Abhijñānaśākuntalam, reaching Latin and then English, profoundly influencing Goethe.

Q2: Name two epic poems composed by Kalidasa.
Answer: Raghuvaṃśa and Kumārasambhavam.

Q3: What region is celebrated in Meghadūta?
Answer: The city of Ujjain and the surrounding Vindhya landscapes.

Q4: Which literary device is Kalidasa renowned for?
Answer: Alamkāras, especially elaborate similes and metaphors.

Q5: How did Kalidasa’s works impact European literature?
Answer: His Shakuntala spurred 18th–19th-century European Romantic revival after its translation.