मालविकाग्निमित्रम् (तमिऴ्-भाषायाम्)

Mālavikāgnimitram (with Tamil explanation)

Mālavikāgnimitra is a drama with five acts, composed by Mahākavi Kālidāsa. It is based on the intriguing love story of Agnimitra and Mālavikā. King Agnimitra of Vidiṣā is the hero of the play. He falls in love with Mālavikā, who is an unheard-of maid in the royal palace, on seeing her picture. This heroine is actually a princess, but works as a humble maid in the service of chief queen Dhāriṇī. Mālavikā is proficient in dance and music. Agnimitra is desperate about Mālavikā, but wants to hide his interest from Dhāriṇī. The way situations are handled in this background, give place for lot of confusion and jealousy. But Dhāriṇī’s role is understanding and yielding, helping in the successful union of the hero and heroine in the end.

This play, that appears to be first in the order among the works of Kalidasa, is very heart touching in the aspects of abhinaya and narration. The language is very simple, free from long and involved compounds. The prose is very soft. There is lot of material which involves singing and dancing.

Note: These ongoing lectures are recorded from live classes, and will be uploaded as and when they are made available by the teacher.