162 G. S. Leonard —Polygamy of Kalidasa?s Heroes. [No. 2, 
to have been a polygamist; for besides possessing Uma or Durga, Kali and 
Ganga, be is known, like amorous Jupiter, to have transformed himself into 
human shapes to enjoy the loves of a Kochini, Bagdini, and others. True it 
is, as Babu Prannath Pandit says, “ That throughout the seven cantos, there 
is no mention of the co-wifehood of Ganga, though that was well known to 
Kalidasa,” yet we find that both his consorts Kali and Ganga are mentioned 
by their names in the poem as accompanying their consort in his nuptial 
procession to Uma. (Book VII, Verses 39, 42.) 
In the Baghu Vansa, Dilipa’s polygamy has been shewn by Mr. Grier¬ 
son by the word antahjgura-varga , which is a mere pleonastic expression used 
by the commentator for the word avarodha in the text, (B. I, 32) which I 
give here in full from Stenzler’s translation : 
“ Bex, etsi frequenti gynseceo gaudebat, hanc feminam prudentem 
atque Lakshmim prsecipuas suas uxores existimabat.” 
The next hero of the poem, Baghu, from whom it derives its name, 
is expressly mentioned by the poet to be married to several princesses, nay, 
as many as stars of heaven, in beauty and number, as is described in Book 
III, Stanza 33. 
“ Deinde, statim post solemnem crinium tonsuram, pater ejus matri¬ 
monii cserimoniam peregit; atque principium filise, ilium maritum optimum 
adejrfcse, splendebant sicut Dakshse filise, tenebrarum fugatori nuptse.” 
Kalidasa describes Baju’s son Aja as a chivalrous Knight competing 
for svayamvara or marriage election, in whic^L case the poet had no need of 
narrating his former marriage, mention of which may be found in the 
Bamayana, and therefore the question of his polygamy cannot be deter¬ 
mined. 
Dasaratha, the son of Aja and father of Bama, is a well known poly¬ 
gamist, as is admitted by Babu Prannath Pandit, and Kalidasa has had no 
hesitation in mentioning his numerous wives by their names, and the de¬ 
grees of their attachment to the King. B. X. Stanzas 59—60. Thus: 
“ Dilecta ei erat Kausalya, amata quoque uxor e Kekayse familia orta; 
ideo rex Sumitram ab utraque honoratam videre optabat.” 
In short, most princes of the solar race may be shewn to have been 
polygamists, but as they do not form the heroes of our poet, it is unneces¬ 
sary for me to give their names. 
I have thus shewn by quotations from Kalidasa’s works that the 
majority of his heroes were polygamists. The grounds upon which Pran¬ 
nath Pandit appears to build his theory of the monogamy of Kalidasa’s heroes 
are shortly these,—The bridal benediction—the great attachment of certain 
kings to certain queens—and the excessive grief of some of his heroes on 
separation from their consorts. On these three points I would wish to make 
a few concluding remarks. 
