A History of Sanskrit Literature: Classical Period, Vol. I c4.32

c4.32

Rabindranath in his criticism of the drama has interpreted it as embodying the conception of Kālidāsa that mere carnal love has a natural curse with it, unless it is chastened by self-mortification and *tapasyā*. I would supplement it with a further additional idea that this was probably Kālidāas's view in the case of such weddings as are to produce great sons like Bharata and Kārttikeya. He is not loyal to this view either in *Vikramorvaśī* or in *Mālavikāgnimitra*. In *Śakuntalā*, however, it may rightly be argued that the conception had taken place through passionate love and Śakuntalā was in fairly advanced state of pregnancy when she was repulsed from Duṣyanta's court. It may further be added that there was no wilful self-mortification and attempt to rouse purity through a sense of value for a great love, as was the case of Pārvatī's *tapasyā* in *Kumārasambhava*, for Śakuntalā lived with her mother in heaven and was nrturally pining through sorrow of separatian from Duṣyanta and wearing garment for lonely ladies as prescribed by the Śāstras. Strictly speaking there was no *tapasyā* for love; it was merely a suffering for separation and as such we cannot apply the norm of *Kumārasambhava* to the drama *Śakuntalā*. From this standpoint Rabindranath's view cannot be strictly justified. For suffering through mere separation may chasten the mind and improve the sterner qualities of love, but it cannot fully affect the nature of the original worth and such occasions of suffering may arise even in normal curcumstances. We cannot also hold that Kālidāsa believed that suffering through separation chastens love, for we do not find it in the case of *Vikramorvaśī* and the *Meghadūta*. It seems therefore more pertinent to hold that the veil of unreality of a heavenly journey and meeting the son there were conceived as improvements on the *Mahābhārata* story because the *gāndharva* form of marriage had become obsolete and to make the issue of such a wedlock a great emperor like Bharata might not have pleased Kālidāsa's audience.