The Recognition of Sakuntala // Indian Art

Major Themes

• Love

• Duty

• Loss and Recovery

Title

The Recognition of Śakuntalā

by Kālidāsa

King Dusyanta

The King; Noble

Sakuntala

The Heroine; Innocent

Kanva

The Father; Spiritual

Durvasas

The Spiteful; Unwavering

Vidusaka

The Aide; Comedy relief

Anasuya; Priyamvada

The Friends

Marica

The Divine Sage

Vishnu Asleep On the Serpent

The use of multiple arms distinguished the divine from the human, and illustrated the far-reaching power of Vishnu

Seated Buddha

• Representative of meditation, self-reflection, and inner peace

The Pillar of Ashoka

• Represents lions facing the four cardinal directions

• Placed at locations relevant to Buddha’s life

• Joins the Earth to the Heavens

• Created by Ahsoka, a tyrannical king who converted to non-violence and buddhism

• Inscribed with Buddhist teachings

Indus Civilization

The first Indian Civilization
Along the Ganjees river

• Well-planned cities

• Extensive trade with Mesopotamia

• Metalworking

Indoeuropean Period

The second Indian civilization

Agrarian; shephers

Grain-growing

The Vedic Period

Began when the Vedas became the holy texts of India

Brought about the caste system

Four Castes

• Brahmins (Priests; holy people)

• Warriors (Military; political officials)

• Farmers (Everyday people)

• Untouchables (Originally the slave population)

Hinduism

• Religion believes in the transmigration of souls (reincarnation)

  • All life is sacred

  • The human soul works up the scale of being

• Hinduism lacks a founder or spokesperson

• Dharma: Duty to your station in life

• Kama: Desire

Kalidasa

• Kalidasa

  • Likely worked with the court

  • Unknown whether he was highborn or not

  • One of India’s greatest playwrights

Language

• Language

  • Sanskrit (High-born; noblemen)

  • Prakrit (Women; slaves; lowborn women)

  • Gesture

• The use of language variety in the Recognition of Sakuntala allows the reader to discern the class of the speaker

Nataka

Heroic Romance

Rasa

Tone and feeling

Mauryan Dynasty

• The third king: Emperor Ashoka

  • The first ruler about whom we have solid historical information

  • A powerhouse of the silkroad

• Left no great languages; only art

The Gupta Dynasty (330 CE)

• The role of religion expanded

• HINDU

• The Dynasty from which Kalidasa wrote

  • Likely for their court

  • Adapted the Mahabharata

• Spawned two main languages:

  • Sanskrit: Formal language

  • Prakrit: Every-day language

    • The use of language variety in the Recognition of Sakuntala allows the reader to discern the class of the speaker