Write in brief about Kalidasa's Meghaduta. [Imp.]
Kalidasa's Meghaduta is a best-known poem. It is one of his best literary creation. It is in Sanskrit. It was written during the Gupta reign. There is a description of monsoon in this famous book. The monsoon cloud is imagined to be a messenger between lovers who are separated from one another.
The poet beautifully describes the breeze that will carry the cloud northwards. It is a cool breeze. It blows with fragrance of the earth. It is delightful, swollen by the cloud's showers. Elephants inhale it deeply. It causes the wild figs to ripen. It blows gently with the cloud. This description is veiy sensuous and appealing. It creates a real picture of the cloud and the breeze. Kalidasa was really a poet at par.
Read the story on page 130. In what ways in the monkey king similar to or different from the kings you read about in Chapters 6 and 11?
State whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
(i) Most temples of this period had a hall like structure known as the mandapa.
(ii) Mahabalipuram and Aihole are known for the finest stone temples.
(iii) Merchant and farmers usually decided to build stupas and temples during this period.
(iv) The Tamil epic the Silappadikaram was composed by a poet named Ilango.
(v) Meghaduta is a famous poem compsed by Tulsidas.
(vi) Women and Shudras could hear the stories of the Puranas.
(vii) It was Ravana who abducted Rama's wife Sita.
(viii) The Jatakas and the Panchatantra are collections of stories told by birds and animals.
(ix) Aryabhatta was a famous story-letter.
(x)The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Ramayana.
Describe the two Sanskrit epics the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Or Why are the epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana so popular even today?
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence.
(i) The ………. at Aihole was built about 1400 years ago
(ii)The small box placed at the centre of the stupa contains bodily remains of the and his followers.
(iii)The……. were recited in temples by priests and people came to listen to them.
(iv) Both the……….. and the…………. are supposed to have been composed by Vyasa.
(v)developed a scientific explanation for eclipses.