Vikramorvashiyam
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Vikramorvashiyam is a Sanskrit play by Kalidasa, the greatest poet linked with the Gupta court circles (c. 4th–5th century CE). It tells the love story of King Pururavas, a human king, and Urvashi, an apsara (a celestial nymph who lives in heaven). The story is very old: a hymn in the Rig Veda already has a conversation between Pururavas and Urvashi. The play shows how Gupta-age writers retold Vedic and epic stories in polished classical Sanskrit.
Example
In the play, Pururavas rescues Urvashi from a demon and they fall in love. After curses and separation, the lovers are finally united. Kalidasa turns a short, sad Vedic dialogue into a romance with a happy ending.
Don't confuse with
- Vikramaditya: a title of the Gupta king Chandragupta II. The "Vikrama" in the play's name means "valour" and points to the hero Pururavas. The play is not about Chandragupta II.
- Abhijnanashakuntalam: Kalidasa's more famous play, about King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, not Pururavas and Urvashi.
Related concepts
- Aryabhata
- Aryabhatiya
- Hindu-Arabic numerals
- Bakhshali manuscript
- Surya Siddhanta
- Varahamihira
- Bhaskara I
- Virahanka
- Kalidasa
- Abhijnanashakuntalam