Kalidasa in China
By Louis Finot
Summary
The article recounts the discovery of a palm-leaf manuscript in a Buddhist monastery in the province of Che-kiang, China that contains references to Kalidasa and his works. The manuscript, found by Dr. A.O. Franke and later examined by Kielhorn and others, includes fragments of Sanskrit texts such as Paramārtha's poem Paramārthasena and various tantric rituals. The leaf designated "D" contains verses from Kalidasa’s Mahakavyas: Kumārasambhava, Meghadūta and Raghuvaṃśa. The article traces the history of the manuscript’s discovery, the scholars involved and the significance of finding Kalidasa’s verses in China. It discusses the Chinese tradition of preserving Indian Buddhist texts and notes that the manuscript likely dates from the thirteenth century but reflects much older literary transmissions. The author points out that China received many Buddhist texts in Sanskrit but only a few remain extant; the scarcity of such documents gives importance to the leaf containing Kalidasa’s verses. He discusses the paleographical features of the script and suggests that it belongs to a Bengal variant of the Nāgarī script. The manuscript also contains works on painting and tantric rituals, which indicates the eclectic nature of the library from which it came. The author emphasises that the discovery shows the far-reaching influence of Sanskrit literature beyond India and calls for further study and preservation of such manuscripts, as they can shed light on cultural exchanges between India and China.
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Conclusion
The discovery of a single palm-leaf containing verses from Kalidasa’s great poems among Buddhist manuscripts in China underscores how Indian literature travelled across Asia. Although the fragment is small and the manuscript incomplete, it provides tangible evidence that Kalidasa’s poetry was known and valued in Chinese Buddhist circles. The article highlights the importance of preserving and studying such material to understand the historical spread of Sanskrit literature and encourages further collaboration between scholars to trace other Indian works preserved in foreign archives.