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{{Short description|Sanskrit lyric poem by Kalidasa}}
[[File:Stamp of India - 1960 - Colnect 141770 - 1 - Yaksha pleading with the cloud from the - Meghaduta.jpeg|thumb|A scene from Meghaduta with the yaksha and the cloud messenger, with the first verse of the poem - on an Indian stamp (1960)]]
[[File:Kalidasa inditing the cloud Messenger, A.D. 375.jpg|thumb|Artist's impression of Kalidasa composing the ''Meghaduta'']]
'''''Meghadūta''''' ({{lang-sa|मेघदूत}} literally '''''Cloud Messenger''''')<ref name="Meghdutam">{{cite web|title=Meghdutam|url=http://www.akgupta.com/Poems/Meghdutam.htm|access-date=28 February 2012}}</ref> is a [[lyric poem]] written by [[Kalidasa|Kālidāsa]] (c. 4th–5th century CE), considered to be one of the greatest [[Sanskrit]] poets. It describes how a ''[[yaksha|yakṣa]]'' (or nature spirit), who had been banished by his master to a remote region for a year, asked a cloud to take a message of love to his wife. The poem become well-known in Sanskrit literature and inspired other poets to write similar poems (known as "messenger-poems", or [[Sandesha Kavya]]) on similar themes.

==About the poem==
A poem of 120<ref>Pathak, K. B. (1916), [https://archive.org/details/KalidasasMeghadutaSktEngKBPathak1916_201803/page/n21 Kalidasa's Meghaduta], pp. xxi–xxvii.</ref> [[stanzas]], it is one of Kālidāsa's most famous works. The work is divided into two parts, Purva-megha and Uttara-megha. It recounts how a [[yaksha|yakṣa]], a subject of King [[Kubera]] (the god of wealth), after being [[exile]]d for a year to [[Central India]] for neglecting his duties, convinces a passing [[cloud]] to take a message to his wife at [[Alaka]] on [[Kailasa|Mount Kailāsa]] in the [[Himalaya|Himālaya mountains]].<ref>Wilson (1813), page xxi.</ref> The {{IAST|yakṣa}} accomplishes this by describing the many beautiful sights the cloud will see on its northward course to the city of [[Alaka|Alakā]], where his wife awaits his return.

In Sanskrit literature, the poetic conceit used in the ''Meghaduta'' spawned the genre of ''[[Sandesa Kavya]]'' or messenger poems, most of which are modeled on the Meghaduta (and are often written in the ''Meghaduta''{{'}}s [[Mandākrāntā metre]]). Examples include the [[Hamsa-sandesha]], in which [[Rama]] asks a [[Hansa Bird]] to carry a message to [[Sita]], describing sights along the journey.

In 1813, the poem was first translated into [[English language|English]] by [[Horace Hayman Wilson]]. Since then, it has been translated several times into various languages. As with the other major works of Sanskrit literature, the most famous traditional commentary on the poem is by [[Mallinātha]].

The great scholar of Sanskrit literature, [[Arthur Berriedale Keith]], wrote of this poem: "It is difficult to praise too highly either the brilliance of the description of the cloud’s progress or the pathos of the picture of the wife sorrowful and alone. Indian criticism has ranked it highest among Kalidasa’s poems for brevity of expression, richness of content, and power to elicit sentiment, and the praise is not undeserved."<ref>Keith, A. B. (1928). ''A History of Sanskrit Literature'', p. 86.</ref>

An excerpt is quoted in Canadian director [[Deepa Mehta]]'s film, [[Water (2005 film)|''Water'']].
The poem was also the inspiration for [[Gustav Holst]]'s ''The Cloud Messenger Op. 30'' (1909–10).

Simon Armitage appears to reference Meghaduta in his poem ‘Lockdown’.

It is believed the picturesque [[Ramtek]] near [[Nagpur]] inspired Kalidas to write the poem.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History {{!}} District Nagpur,Government of Maharashtra {{!}} India|url=https://nagpur.gov.in/history/|access-date=2020-07-02|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Visualisation of Meghadūta==
''Meghadūta'' describes several scenes and is a rich source of inspiration for many artists.

An example are the drawings by Nana Joshi.<ref>{{cite web|last=Joshi|first=Nana|title=A Visual Interpretation of Kalidas' Meghadūta|url=http://www.joshiartist.in/kalidas-meghaduta/|work=Joshi Artist|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>

Composer [[Fred Momotenko]] wrote the composition 'Cloud-Messenger', music for a multimedia performance with [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], dance, projected animation and electronics in surround audio. The world premiere was at Festival [[November Music]], with Hans Tuerlings (choreography), Jasper Kuipers (animation), [[Jorge Isaac]] (blockflutes) and dancers Gilles Viandier and Daniela Lehmann.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alfredmomotenko.com/cloudmessenger/|title=Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky, composer|website=www.alfredmomotenko.com}}</ref>

== Adaptations ==
Indian filmmaker [[Debaki Bose]] adapted the play into a 1945 film titled ''Meghdoot''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sanjit Narwekar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UYUjAQAAIAAJ|title=Directory of Indian Film-makers and Films|publisher=Flicks Books|year=1994|isbn=978-0-948911-40-8|page=59}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Mandākrāntā metre]]
* [[Hamsa-Sandesha]]
* [[Sanskrit literature]]
* [[Sanskrit drama]]
* [[Sandesh Rasak]]
* [[Sandesa Kavya]]
*''[[Ashadh Ka Ek Din]]''

==Editions==
* {{cite book |title=The Mégha Dúta, Or, Cloud Messenger: A Poem, in the Sanscrit Language |last=Wilson |first=Horace Hayman |year=1813 |publisher=College of Fort William |location=Calcutta|url=https://archive.org/details/mghadtaorcloudm00wilsgoog|access-date=11 November 2010}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=GbQIAAAAQAAJ 2nd ed 1843] Introduction, text with English verse translation, and assorted footnotes.
* {{citation | year=1841 | title=Kalidasae Meghaduta et Cringaratilaka ex recensione: additum est glossarium | publisher=H.B. König | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ma1DAAAAYAAJ | editor1=Johann Gildemeister | editor-link=Johann Gildemeister }}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2Ig-AAAAcAAJ Kalidasae Meghaduta et Çringaratilaka: additum est glossarium][https://books.google.com/books?id=XzApAAAAYAAJ Meghaduta ; et, Çringaratilaka] Sanskrit text, with introduction and some critical notes in Latin.
* {{citation | year=1867 | title=The Megha-dūta | edition=3 | publisher=Trübner & co. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRopAAAAYAAJ}} With Sanskrit text, English translation and more extensive notes separately.
* {{citation | year=1868 | author= Colonel H. A. Ouvry | title=The Megha dūta: or, Cloud messenger | publisher=[[Williams and Norgate]] | url=https://archive.org/details/meghadtaorcloud00ouvrgoog}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=urcIAAAAQAAJ The Megha Dūta: Or, Cloud Messenger]. A prose translation.
* {{citation | year=1879 | author=Ludwig Fritze | title=Meghaduta | publisher=E. Schmeitzner | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZUoAAAAYAAJ}}. German translation.
* {{citation | year=1890 | title=The Megha duta; or, Cloud messenger: a poem, in the Sanscrit language | publisher=Upendra Lal Das | url=https://archive.org/details/TheMeghaDutaOrCloudMessengerdasEdition}}. Hayman's translation, with notes and translation accompanying the Sanskrit text.
* {{citation | year=1895 | title=Exhaustive notes on the Meghaduta | publisher=D.V. Sadhale & Co. | place=Bombay | url=https://archive.org/details/exhaustivenotes00mallgoog}} [https://archive.org/details/exhaustivenotes00klgoog Exhaustive Notes on the Meghaduta: Comprising Various Readings, the Text with the Commentary of ...]. Text with [[Mallinātha]]'s commentary Sanjīvanī. Separate sections for English translation, explanation of Sanskrit phrases, and other notes.
* {{citation | year=1911 | title = Kalidasa's Meghaduta: Edited from manuscripts With the Commentary of Vallabhadeva and Provided With a Complete Sanskrit-English Vocabulary | editor=Eugen Hultzsch | publisher = Royal Asiatic society, London | url=https://archive.org/details/kalidasasmeghadu020591mbp}} [https://archive.org/details/kalidasasmeghadu00klid Kalidasa's Meghaduta]
* {{citation | year=1919 | title = Meghaduta with the commentary of Daksinavartanatha | editor=T. Ganapati Sastri | editor-link=T. Ganapati Sastri | url=https://archive.org/details/MeghadutaWithTheCommentaryOfDaksinavartanatha}}
* {{citation | year=1964 | title= Meghadutam of mahakavi Kalidasa | publisher=chowkhmba vidybhavan varanasi-1 |language=sa, hi |editor=Sri sesaraj Sarma Regmi}}
* {{citation | year=1979 | title = Rasa structure of the Meghaduta - A critical study of Kalidaas's Meghaduta in the light of Bharat's Rasa Sootra |language=en, sa |editor=Ramakrishna Rajaram Ambardekar}}

==Translations==
The ''Meghadūta'' has been translated many times in many Indian languages.
* The Bengali poet [[Buddhadeva Bose]] translated ''Meghadūta'' into Bengali in 1957.
* Dr. Jogindranath Majumdar translated ''Meghaduta'' in Bengali keeping its original 'Mandakranta Metre' for the first time published in 1969
* Acharya Dharmanand Jamloki Translated ''Meghduta'' in Garhwali and was well known for his work.
* [[Moti BA]] translated ''Meghduta'' in [[Bhojpuri Language]].
* Mukhathala G.Arjunan translated Meghaduta in Malayalam keeping its original 'Mandakranta Metre'

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{wikisourcelang|sa|मेघदूतम्|Meghadūta in Sanskrit Text}}

==External links==
; Text
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080630091056/http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil/1_sanskr/5_poetry/2_kavya/meghdk_u.htm ''Meghaduta'' - Transliterated text] at [[GRETIL]]
; Translations
*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sha/sha17.htm Translation] by [[Arthur W. Ryder]] at The [[Internet Sacred Text Archive]]
*[http://www.textetc.com/exhibits/et-kalidasa-1.html Translation] by C. John Holcombe (Available as [http://www.ocasopress.com/meghaduta.html ebook])
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/sanskrit/texts/meghaduta/ Partial text of the ''Megadhuta''], with word-for-word translation
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040904201814/http://www.geocities.com/jaffor/purva/index.html Illustrated translation] by Jaffor Ullah and Joanna Kirkpatrick
*[http://www.textetc.com/workshop/wt-kalidasa-1c.html A literal prose translation] Translating Kalidasa with examples from Meghaduta.
*[http://bedupako.com/blog/?p=12441 ''Megadhuta'' in Garhwali] Translation by Acharya Dharmanand Jamloki.
;Recordings
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FeijT55_D0 Dr. Bipin Kumar Jha]. Chanted recitation.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdAOFaOPFGo Sung to music composed by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt]. (Also [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9RfHLkig4M here])
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YqnnRR-p84 Recitation of first verse] by Sangeeta Gundecha. (Two other verses, 1.5 and 2.26, are recited from minute 5:50 onwards.)
; About the work
*[http://venetiaansell.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/illustrating-the-meghaduta Illustrating the ''Meghaduta'']: "Illustrated catalogue of the plants and trees of Kalidasa’s ''Meghaduta''".
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101024121815/http://ch.8m.com/megh.htm A summary] by Chandra Holm
*[http://www.textetc.com/workshop/wt-kalidasa-1.html Notes on issues in translation] by Holcombe
*[http://hota-hai.blogspot.in/2013/08/imagination-at-its-sensuous-best.html A Review] of a book of translation.

{{Kālidāsa}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meghaduta}}
[[Category:Works by Kalidasa]]
[[Category:Sanskrit poetry]]
[[Category:History of Nagpur]]
[[Category:Poems adapted into films]]

Meghadūta - Revision history

imported>Oaklight at 07:43, 25 July 2021