नाटकेषु रम्या शाकुन्तलेत्युक्तिस्तु प्रसिद्धैव। प्रथमवारं यदा श्रुतं तदा किमस्त्यस्मिन् नाटक इति चिन्तितम्। अनन्तरं यदा नाटकाध्ययनमभूत्, तदा किमर्थं कालिदासो महाकविरिति ख्यात इत्यप्यवगतम्। संस्कृतच्छात्राः अध्येतुं बहवस्संस्कृतविषयाः सन्ति। परं कियत् सुन्दरं प्रतिपादितं कविना तत्र विद्यमानं प्रेम नायकनायिकयोर् मध्ये। दुष्यन्तराजे मम आधारः प्रेम च आसीन्नाटकाध्ययनसमये। तदनन्तरं यदा यथार्थं महाभारतादवगतं तदा न केवलं दुष्यन्तराजे जुगुप्सा (वा क्रोधः) परं कवितल्लजोयं कालिदासः कियान् काव्यरचनायां धीमानिति ज्ञातं यतोहि कापुरुषं दुष्यन्तमपि पराक्रमशालिनमकरोत्। तत्पश्चात् किञ्चित् कालं यावन्नाटकमिदमनुभोक्तुं नाशकनुवम्। जाने यन्मिथ्यापात्रेष्वीदृगनुबन्धनं मास्त्विति परमिदं कालिदासनाटकमतोयं विधिः युज्यत एव। :)

भवतु नाम। अधुना कानिचन वाक्सम्प्रदायं पश्येम यदाङ्गले “Idioms” इत्युच्यते। बहवस्सन्ति नाटके’मुष्मिन् परन्तु केवलं पञ्चैव चतुर्थसर्गादुाहृतम्।

सर्वः सगन्धेषु विश्वसिति – Birds of same feather flock together!
विशेषेणाधिक्षिप्तोस्मि – I have been greatly censured!
भवितव्या खलु बलवती – Fate is all powerful!
अवहिते स्वः – We are all ears!
सुखमज्जनं भवतु ते – May you drown in Happiness!

English Translation – I cherish the play Abhijñānaśākuntalam, crafted by the illustrious Mahakavi Kalidasa. The love shared between the hero and heroine is so profoundly beautiful that it’s impossible not to become enveloped in the emotional tapestry of the story. I found myself in awe, perhaps even a touch in love, with King Dushyanta after experiencing Kalidasa’s masterpiece. However, encountering the original narrative in the Mahabharata left me deeply disappointed with the King’s actions towards his wife, effectively dismantling the pedestal I had placed him on. The realization that it was fiction made it difficult to revisit the play with the same fervor, yet it underscored Mahakavi Kalidasa’s brilliance in crafting such an enigmatic hero that readers inevitably fall for him. It’s no surprise that this play is celebrated as a pinnacle of Sanskrit literature, offering a wealth of insights for those keen on exploring the language. I’ve even listed a few idioms from the fourth chapter, heralded as the play’s finest. While one might argue against becoming too invested in fictional characters, when it comes to Kalidasa’s work, such deep engagement feels entirely natural!