The Cloud Messenger: Decoding Maha Kavi Kalidas Through Meghdoot

आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे मेघ माश्लिष्टसानूं

वप्रक्रीडापरिणतगजप्रेक्षयणीयं ददर्श ॥

These are the lines from the famous long-poem classic (mahakavya), Meghdoot, written by Mahakavi Kalidasa. Broadly translated they mean – On the first day of Aashadh, when I saw the cloud in the shape of elephant and a playful mood.

These lines, actually, are from the second verse of the poem. However, popularly, considered to be the beginning of the poem. Why?

These lines are often mistaken to be the start of the poem because of the first two words – Aashadhasya Prathamdivase – which literally mean first day of Aashadh, the fourth month of Hindu calendar that officially announces the onset of monsoon.

These words have, sort of, defined Kalidasa and Meghdoot. It is thanks to these lines that the first day of Aashadh is called ‘Maha Kavi Kalidasa Divas’ (Kalidasa day).

Today, July 7, is the first day of Aashadh - आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे. And Kalidasa Day.

Who is Kalidasa? And why is he considered to be so great that there’s a day dedicated to him?

For the uninitiated, Kalidasa was a poet who wrote Sanskrit plays, novels, and poems that are still considered to be classics. However, Kalidasa was not born intelligent. He was a dimwit that the court pandits of the kingdom he stayed in used to get even with their arrogant princess. The princess wanted to marry someone more intelligent than her and she often made fun of the noblemen of the court. They told Kalidasa to communicate with gestures. He did and the court pandits came up with witty and clever answers that impressed the princess. However, she soon got to know that her husband is a nincompoop and dumb. She threw him out of the kingdom. It was after this that Kalidasa spent years learning at varied ashrams and gathering knowledge of scriptures and Sanskrit.

Soon Kalidasa was one of the most revered writers and also one of the nine gems of the court of Vikramaditya of Ujjain.

Some anecdotes say that he was a ghar jamai of a well-to-do jamindar. And his wife threw him out because she was tired of his stupidity.

Kumarsambhava based on birth of Kartikey, the son of Shiva and Parvati, Abhigyan Shakuntalam based on Shakuntala, Raghuvansham based on Lord Rama and his family are the more known works of Kalidasa; and of course, the Meghdoot.

Meghdoot is a classic example of romance and long-distance relationships. It is often believed that this long-poem was his own yearning for his wife, who, unfortunately, never loved him as much. But the Meghdoot heroine, as per the poem, is equally in pain and longs for the company of her husband.

Meghdoot is in two parts – Purva Megh and Uttar Megh. 

Purva Megh which has 66 quadruplets, is a beautiful, exquisite description of India. The hero, Yaksha, who is banished from Alka, the city in Himalayas, is currently in the South. He requests this huge playful cloud that he sees on the first day of Aashadh to travel all the way to Himalayas and deliver a message to his wife that he is okay.

Kalidasa has taken poetic liberty and described parts of India like parts of a woman. The detailed description of varied regions, plateaus, rivers, and mountain ranges tells us how much the poet has travelled and about his in depth knowledge of the country.

Uttar Megh starts with the description of city of Alka and goes on to describe his own house which is tastefully decorated by his wife. It then talks about the state of his wife, who, according to him, must be lonely and devastated. The Yaksha (in Kalidasa’s words) requests the cloud to take shape of baby elephant and other playful shapes to cheer her up and convey his love and well-being to her. The sheer intensity of the descriptions is fascinating. 

It ends with the Yaksha wishing that cloud is never separated from his love, the lightening.

Meghdoot, in any language, can bewitch its reader with its simplicity and romantic symbolism. The original Sanskrit can be a little cryptic, but some translations do bring out the best of Meghdoot.

Equally enticing are Kalidasa’s other works which, again, boast of his comprehensive observations and writings.

Takeaways for today’s generation

Long distance relationships can work: In a world where communication options are too many, relationships fizzle out with distance. But here, in Meghdoot, the protagonist keeps his love alive by sending messages with a cloud. The cloud is just a symbol. The takeaway is that if you want, you can, with the help of your memories, keep the relationship and love alive. Distance doesn’t matter.

Age no bar for knowledge: Kalidasa worked hard to attain knowledge at a much older age. It was just the passion and perseverance that made him the respected poet that he became in later years of his life.

Friendship has no language: The protagonist refers to the cloud as ‘a friend’ in Purva Megh and wishes that he is never separated from his love. Despite being in agony himself, the protagonist wishes the best for his friend.

Love has no language: The romantic symbolism in Meghdoot is mesmeric. The poet has used so many things from everyday life and converted them into romantic tools with his terminology that one can feel the passion rising inside when you read it.