The Date of Kalidasa
Summary
**Summary:** The paper systematically examines conflicting evidence to establish Kalidasa's date. It confirms he lived before 600 CE through references in Harsavardhana's court poet Bana (620 CE) and Subandhu's *Vasavadatta*, which allude to Kalidasa's *Shakuntala* (absent in the *Mahabharata*). Further evidence places him in the 6th century CE: the *Aihole inscription* (556–634 CE), the *Rajavali* (c. 1550 CE), and the *Pwamavali* (1311 CE) link him to contemporaries like Dinnaga and Kumara Dhatusena. The *Jyotirvid-@bkarane* (1242 CE) associates him with Varahamihira and Amarasimha, both 6th-century scholars. However, Kalidasa's identification of Yaksha with Guhyaka (contrary to Amarasimha) suggests he predates the 6th century. The *d
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Conclusion
This study synthesizes diverse textual and inscriptional evidence to establish Kalidasa's placement within the 6th century CE, reconciling conflicting traditions through rigorous analysis of contemporary references, astronomical data, and literary contexts. By examining the Aihole inscription, court records of Harsavardhana, and scholarly commentaries, the research demonstrates that Kalidasa predates the 7th-century figures associated with him in later traditions. The identification of discrepancies—such as his theological distinctions from Amarasimha and the anachronistic references in the *Dyotirvid-abkarane*—further refines his chronology, distinguishing him from later homonyms. The findings underscore the importance of disentangling historical evidence from mythmaking, offering a precise framework for understanding Kalidasa's role in classical Sanskrit literature and his temporal proximity to key figures like Varahamihira and Amarasimha. This conclusion advances scholarly consensus by prioritizing verifiable data over speculative theories, anchoring Kalidasa's legacy in a historically coherent period.