Raghuvamsham
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"
Meaning
Raghuvamsham ("The Dynasty of Raghu") is a long epic poem in Sanskrit by Kalidasa. It tells the stories of the kings of Raghu's line, the solar dynasty to which Rama belonged. Through these stories, it shows Kalidasa's idea of a good king. Such a king rules with wisdom, learning and self-control, and not only with force or love of luxury. It is one of the high points of classical Sanskrit poetry from the Gupta age.
Example
The poem praises King Raghu for his conquests. It also praises him for giving away all his wealth in a great sacrifice. It then follows his descendants: Aja, Dasharatha, Rama and later kings. The poem shows that both good and weak rulers shaped the dynasty's fate.
Don't confuse with
- Kumarasambhava: Kalidasa's other epic poem, about the birth of Kumara (Kartikeya), son of Shiva and Parvati. The Raghuvamsham is about human kings.
Related concepts
- Aryabhata
- Aryabhatiya
- Hindu-Arabic numerals
- Bakhshali manuscript
- Surya Siddhanta
- Varahamihira
- Bhaskara I
- Virahanka
- Kalidasa
- Abhijnanashakuntalam