Unveiling Abhijῆānaśākuntala: Exploring Kingship, Love, and Asceticism

Kālidāsa (4th – fifth century CE) has always been known for his exquisite poetic style and a deep sense of natural imageries. His works have been celebrated and extensively talked about; however, only a few scholars have embarked upon the journey to talk about the significance of ideas and the ideal world he represents. Kāvyas have been stigmatized as a source of history for a very long time, but historical perspectives have changed a lot over the past few decades. Kāvyas are now seen as one of the vital sources of history that can help historians to understand the emotional, social, cultural, and psychological aspects of the past. The present paper attempts to use kāvya as a source to explore some socio-psychological themes, which are hardly delineated in normative texts or inscriptions. The paper charts the playing of binaries in Kālidāsa’s Abhijῆānaśākuntala in the domains of kingship, women, love, and asceticism, among other areas. The present effort has been to capture their changing forms in all their complexities, and concurrent playing out in the text. It will also try to understand the worldview of Kālidāsa which seeks balance between kāma and tapas.