Opis Himalaji w pieśni pierwszej Narodzin Kumary Kalidasy (wraz z przekładem i komentarzem całej pieśni)

The present paper consists of two parts. In the first part, the literary output of the Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa (4th/5th cent. AD) is briefly characterised. Particular attention is paid to his poem Kumārasaṃbhava, presenting the story of the union of Śiva and Parvatī. Canto 1 of this poem gives an extensive description of Himālaya (the divine ruler of the mountains), followed by an account of his daughter Parvatī. Himālaya is presented both as a person (Kālidāsa stresses his qualities as a good ruler) and as the mountain range, a dwelling-place of various mythological figures. The poet introduces here in a subtle way two main motifs of the poem – asceticism and love. By placing the description of Himālaya at the beginning of the poem, Kālidāsa not only emphasises his daughter Parvatī’s royal origin, but also draws the reader’s attention to her, who is in fact the main character of this mahākāvya. The second part of the paper gives a Polish translation of Canto 1 of the Kumārasaṃbhava supplied with an ample commentary.