The Plays and Poetry of Kalidasa

RELS 3115
Instructor: Dr. Christopher Austin

Winter 2025
Thur. 08:35-11:25am

Kalidasa is the most celebrated poet and playwright in Indian history. This course examines four of his best-known works of Sanskrit poetry and drama (in English translation) as an entry point into a classical articulation of Hindu values, and provides a deep reading of the larger religious, mythological, social, ritual and political contexts of Kalidasa's time.

We will read two plays: the Malavikagnimitra and Abhijnanasakuntala, and two poems: the Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava. Students will develop a keen sense of the religious, cultural and social significance of Kalidasa's work as a site of articulation for some of Hinduism's most enduring ideals. Additionally, we will treat related issues such as the history of the Gupta and Vakataka empires, gender values and ideals, and the priorities and strategies of Sanskrit poetics and drama theory.