KALIDASA ‘The human meaning of his works by WALTER RUBEN 1957 AKADEMIE-VERLAG-+-BERLINsigna te: KALIDASA Dia mentee Bedeutung miner Werke ‘Translated by Joan Bosker Copyrigt 1087 by Akademe-Verg 6: 2A sehte reervod ‘Fobbubed by the Akadomie-Vetg GmbH, Beta W 8, Mohrestrase 92 Toner No, 202 300/8/52 ‘rised snd bound by: TV//14-VEB Werkdrack Grierhamnichen-714 Order and Pubuners Number: S857 Pristad in Germany‘Kalidasa is the great Indian classical poet of love, who created unfading Visions of loving women, especially very young, almost childlike brides. These remind us of Goethe's Gretchen, who loved her Faust more than words could tell; of the fourteen-year-cld Juliet and her Romeo—in Shakespeare's lines or in Ulenova’s graceful and stirring dances; of Raphael's Sixtine Madonna, that ‘good and deeply touching virgin mother; of Michael Angelo's Eve peeping from behind Jehovah's robes at the newly created Adam who is to be her mate; of Prindess Nausicaa and her love for Odysseus, or the Greek Psyche and her beloved Amor. But all this would not suffice if we did not learn to love Kalidasa’s Sakun- talé, Parvati and Malavika. On October 12th 1955 the World Peaoe Council in Vienna called ‘on all peoples to pay tribute to Kalidasa too in 1956. This little book is intended as a modest contribution to his memory. It lays no claim to deal with all the relevant historical and philological problems,1 but is an effort to inspire readers for the human beauty ‘of the works and characters created by this great poet who lived, loved and wrote more than thousand years ago, far away under India’s warm sun,