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The Mangalastaka of Kālidāsa

By V. V. Gokhale

Vol. 1 · No. 4December - 1925pp. 739–742English, Sanskrit
Sanskrit Textual Analysis

Summary

This article analyses the ‘mangalastaka’ (auspicious stanza) attributed to Kālidāsa. The author examines the verse’s meter, imagery and theological themes, noting how it invokes various deities to consecrate a work of poetry. Comparisons are drawn with other prefatory verses in Sanskrit literature, and the author discusses commentarial interpretations that link the stanza to Kālidāsa’s wider oeuvre. The essay also considers whether the mangalastaka is genuinely by Kālidāsa or a later attribution. Linguistic and stylistic features are assessed to argue for authenticity.

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Conclusion

Through close reading, the article suggests that the mangalastaka exhibits stylistic hallmarks of Kālidāsa, though questions of attribution remain open. The stanza’s devotional tone reflects the importance of invoking auspiciousness at the start of literary compositions in Sanskrit tradition.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “Here ends the first Ahnika in the first Pada [section] of the first Chapter of the Mahibhisya composed by the venerable Patafijali”
  • “The Tibetan translation of Mangalasiaka, composed according to the translator, by Aryadesasthapandita makikave Kilidica may છક regacd- ed as an important means of research”
  • “It will thus be seen that excepting the fitth and the tenth verse from the above text (there are some grounds for regarding them as interpolations), the remaining nine verses form the common text of all the Mss”

Works cited in this article

  1. Mahibhisya
  2. Raghuvaméa
  3. Sakunials

Discussed in this article

People

Places

  • Adyar Library
  • Government Oriental Manuscripts Library at Madras

Texts & works

  • Mangalastaka

Dynasties, sects & groups

  • Indian Trinity

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Article order

In this issue

Vol. 1 · No. 4
599–622Hindu Kingdoms in IndochinaLouis Finot623–642Ministers in Ancient India IIRadha Govinda Basak643–652A Problem of Ancient South Indian History IIK, G. Shesha Iyer653–656Persian Inscriptions in the Gwalior StateRam Singh Saksena657–676Aspects of the History of Hindu AstronomySukumar Ranjan Das677–679DharmasamuccayaDharmaditya Dharmacharya679–689Kingdoms of the Deccan (mentioned in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta)G. Ramadas689–692SalihotraGirindranath Mukherji693–696The Trade of India (continued)P. T. Srinivas Iyengar696–702Principles of Hindu TaxationJ. N. C. Ganguly703–739The MahabhāṣyaPrabhat Chandra Chakravarti739–742The Mangalastaka of KālidāsaV. V. GokhaleCurrent article743–759Hindu Politics in Italian IIBenoy Kumar Sarkar759–760The Mangalaśloka of the ŚlokavārttikaN. Aiyaswami Sastri761–769Indian Literature Abroad (In China) IIPrabhat Kumar Mukherji769–771BhadrāyanaHariprasad G. Shastri772–776Trivandrum Sanskrit SeriesG. Harihara Sastri776–779On the Materials for the History of RajputanaRam Sharma779–781Tradition about Vānāras and RākṣasasChintaharan Chakravarti781–783Sanskṛta Sāhitya Pariṣad SeriesChintaharan Chakravarti783–786A Review Reviewed786–786Kauṭalya or Kauṭilya – NoteD. B. Diskalkar786–787The Vedic Jahaka and the Avestic DahakaVidhushekhara Bhattacharya787–787Indian BalladsS. N. RUDRA788–789Obituary – The Late Mr. L. D. Swamikannu PillaiK. G. Sesha Aiyar790–792Select Contents of Oriental Journals793–794Bibliographical Notes

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