Viṣṇu, Śiva, and Kālidāsa: References to the divinities in the Meghadūta

Abstract

In Kālidāsa’s famous lyrical poem, the Meghadūta, the most frequently mentioned divinities are Śiva and Viṣṇu, along with their avatāras, family members and attendants. The two gods appear in the context of geographical or mythological references, and in comparisons. Even though they are cited practically an equal number of times, their functions in the poem are in quite a contrast: Viṣṇu is connected to the past, to the rasa of love in separation (especially in the form of Rāma) and never appears as a contextual character in the narrative. Śiva, on the contrary, is about to be met in person by the cloud, he appears as a present, even ubiquitous deity, and, in the company of his wife, is connected to the rasa of love in union. Furthermore, Śiva (unlike Viṣṇu) also appears in devotional contexts, the cloud being requested by the exiled yakṣa to worship the god and his family in various shrines on its way to the Himālaya. This last point seems to confirm the usual contention that Kālidāsa was a Śivaite.