The Lineage of the Raghus

A new English translation of Raghuvaa by the celebrated Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, who inspired such modern writers as Goethe and Tagore.

For a millennium and a half, Kalidasas worksfrom The Cloud Messenger to The Recognition of Shakuntalahave delighted audiences in India and beyond. Although the renowned poet and dramatist inspired many literary works over the centuries, little is known about his life. He likely lived in central India in the late fourth or early fifth century.

Kalidasas The Lineage of the Raghus, or Raghuvaa, belongs to the Sanskrit literary tradition of mahkvya, or court poem. It recounts the lives of ancient kings in the sryavaa, the Solar Dynasty who ruled from the capital city of Ayodhya. The poem describes, among other episodes, the quest for offspring by Dilipa, a descendant of the primordial king Manu; the world conquest of his son Raghu, which offers a panorama of the Indian subcontinent; the exploits of the famous Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu; and the debaucheries of Agnivarna, which jeopardize the future of the lineage.

This volume presents a new edition of the Sanskrit text in the Devanagari script alongside a fresh English translation of this enduring epic.