Abhijnana Sakuntalam (Shakuntala) by Kalidasa

by Kalidasa Ramesh Chandra (Ed.) and A.H. Edgren (Tr.)

Abhijnana-Sakuntalam, a drama composed in seven Acts by Kalidasa, is one of the best not only in Sanskrit literature, but in the literature of the world. The story was already in Mahabharata in the form of a dull narrative; but, Kalidasa turned the same into an elegant work of art with a lot of innovations. Love in union and love in separation are both depicted in this drama with a greater degree of perfection. The dramatic power and poetic beauty of this unique work have elicited the highest praise and admiration from the scholars all over the world.

About the Author:

Kalidasa is one of the greatest classical Sanskrit poets and dramatists of ancient India, but very little is known about his life and time. The writings of Kalidasa reveal that he was a pious Brahmana of Ujjain, and had acquired a knowledge of the various branches of Brahmanical learning. His versatile genius, his acquaintance with court etiquette, his shrewdness, his modesty, not without a due sense of self-respect, and his poetic talent are very well reflected in all his works, which are: Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiya, Abhijnana-Sakuntala (dramas) and poems like Raghuvamsa, Kumarasambhava and Meghaduta. Both in drama and poetry, Kalidasa stands not only unsurpassed but even unrivalled.

Dr. Ramesh Chandra is currently Principal Scientist & Head. Crop Improvement & Production Division at Central Institute for Sub Tropical Horticulture, Lucknow. He has over 30 years of experience in micropropagation, in vitro conservation & molecular biology of potato, mango, guava, papaya, litchi etc. he was instrumental in initiating & shaping potato biotechnology at Central Potato Research Institute. Shimla and initiated biotechnology research at CISH, Lucknow. Dr. Chandra has undergone tissue culture and molecular biology training at Peru, Phillippines and China as visiting scientist. He worked with John Dodds, Tissue Culture Specialist of International Potato Centre, Lima, Peru on potato micropropagation and in vitro germplasm management. He has almost 125 research publications including a book on Comprehensive Potato Biotechnology to his credit. Dr. Chandra has traveled widely and participated in various national and international conference. He is a life member of many scientific societies and fellow of Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding. He has successfully completed research projects funded by DBT, UPDASP, NATP and running five research projects funded by different agencies.