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Back in Bombay after a refreshing vacation at Calicut. A high point of the visit was that I read Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa in original (with Malayalam translation of course!). Kalidasa doesn't need my endorsing it, still, ... brilliant work, and I'm happy that I read it.
posted by Anand @ 6/30/2005
4 comments
4 Comments:
I second your opinion on Raghuvamsha-I was amazed by the sixth canto. Would never have guessed that a boring event like a swayamvara could be described in a way as to make it so engrossing!
P.S: I have been reading this blog lately and find it very interesting. Congrats!
That's one of my favourites too. The most touching one for me was the eighth one -- aja-vilaapa.
Thanks for the nice words.
great!
i too am tempted to add a favorite from 'raghuvamsam': the flight from lanka to ayodhya - in some ways it scores over the guide to the cloud messanger. this sargam has the best kalidasan nature metaphor i have seen - while crossing over from lanka, rama describes the vast ocean below as an immense disc of polished steel and when the southern coast of the indian landmass - dark with vegetation - just appears on the horizon, it is likened to a speck of rust clinging on to the rim of the disc!
to self, kalidasa, the master of classicism is also often a 'dasa' to classicistic conventions. this is one instance where he breaks those self-imposed shackles and comes up with a stunningly earthy poetic vision.
Good. I didn't like one canto much though, the last but one, where he quickly takes us through twenty or so kings.
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