The best productions of the Indian drama are nearly a dozen in number, and dae from a period about the beginning of the fifth to the end of the eighth century A.D., embracing something like four hundred years. these plays are the compositions of the great dramatists. The greatest among them is Kalidasa. Three of his plays have been preserved, Abhijnana Sakuntalam, Vikramorvasiyam and Malavikagnimitram. The richness of creative fancy which he displays in these, and his skill in the expression of tender feeling, assign him a unique place among the dramatists of the world. The harmony of the poetic sentiment is nowhere disturbed by anything violent or terrifying. Every passion is softened without being enfeebled. The ardour of love never goes beyond aesthetic bounds; it never maddens to wild jealousy or hate. The torments of sorrow are toned down to a profound and touching melancholy. The present volume comprises these three famous plays. Each of the plays open with an Introduction. This is followed by the text in original. Then the translation of the text appears. Elaborate critical explanatory notes form the last section of each play. The volume is intended for students of the university level. General readers of Sanskrit literature will also find it interesting.
There are no reviews yet.