Meghaduta was written by which poet of ancient India?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CHSL Tier-I Exam 2022 Official Paper (Held On: 15 March, 2023 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Kalidasa.

Key Points

Kalidasa wrote two khandakavyas (minor poems):
- Ṛitusaṃhara describes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in each of the seasons.
- Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger), is the story of a Yaksha trying to send a message to his lover through a cloud.

Additional Information

Kalidasa also wrote three plays:
- Malavikagnimitram (Pertaining to Malavika and Agnimitra) tells the story of King Agnimitra, who falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant girl named Malavika.
- Abhijnanasakuntalam (Of the recollection of Shakuntala) tells the story of King Dushyanta who, while on a hunting trip, meets Shakuntala, the adopted daughter of a sage, and marries her.
- Vikramorvasiyam (Urvashi Won by Valour) tells the story of mortal King Pururavas and celestial nymph Urvashi who fall in love.
Kalidasa is also the author of two epic poems:
- Raghuvaṃsa is an epic poem about the kings of the Raghu dynasty.
- Kumarasambhava describes the birth and adolescence of the goddess Parvati, and her marriage with Lord Shiva.