13/08/2015 Did Kalidasa fly in a Space Shuttle? | Tamil and Vedas

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Did Kalidasa fly in a Space Shuttle?

Research Paper written by London swaminathan

Post 1284; dated 12th September 2014.

Kalidasa gives us an amazing picture of space travel in his most famous drama Sakuntalam.

Before the space travel, he describes road transport in his days.He describes the scenery as

witnessed by a passenger from a fast moving vehicle. We are familiar with those pictures

because we travel by Super Fast Express trains or air planes nowadays. But in Kalidasa’s days

did he have such fast moving chariots? Was the road condition was as good as our modern

motor ways. Here in Britain we can drive up to 80 miles per hour on motor ways. The trains

can go up to 130 miles per hour. Kalidasa’s description show that he had travelled in such a fast

moving vehicle.

“Objects which to my sight appeared minute suddenly become large; what was really divided,

seems united; and what was in truth bent, appears straight to my eyes. So swift is the motion of

the chariot that nothing even for moment seems either near or distant”.

Yad aaloke suuksmam vrajati sahasaa tad vipulataam

Yad ardhe vicchinnam bhavati krtasamdhaanam iva tat

Prakrtyaa yad vakram tad api samarekham nayanayor

Name duure kimcit ksanam api na parsve rathajavaat

Sakuntalam Act 1—9

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One can see big palaces as tiny little toy houses from the top of a high hill. But Kalidasa actually

talks about fast moving chariots. Right; Let us accept we had such beautiful roadways in those

days and we had faster vehicles.

But his other description is definitely that of an astronaut. Matali is always associated with

space travel and I have written about Arjuna’s space travel in Matali’s chariot in Mahabharata

in my post “Stars are Gods! We are stars” (posted on 18th August 2014).

Space Travel

Kalidasa also says that it is about space travel. Here are a few bits from Act 7 of Sakuntalam:

MATALI: in an instant, Your Honour will be landing on Earth that you rule over.

KING ( Looking down again): Matali, see with what rapidity we are descending; the world of

mortals presents a most marvellous sight. Look.

The earth appears to descend from the summits of mountains that emerge upwards;

The trees no longer appear to be enveloped in their foliage, as their trunks heave in sight;

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The rivers whose waters were lost to view from their narrowness become visible from the

expansion of their waters.

Behold, the earth is brought near me as if someone throwing it upwards.

(See how the Earth looms at my side sa if some mighty hand flung her up to me) — Sakuntalam

Act 7—8

Sailanaanaam avarohatiiva sikharaad unmajjataam medinii

Parnaabhyanataraliinataam vijahati skandhodayaat paadapaah

Samtaanais tanubhaavanastasalilaa vyaktim bhajanty aapaghaah

Kenaapy utksipateva pasya bhuvanam matpaarsvam aaniiyate

MATALI: An acute observation, Sir. Oh, what enchanting beauty is this, of the Earth.

Then Matali and the king discuss about Hemakuta, the home of Kimpurusas.

The term KIM PURUSA fits very well with a space traveller. It means “WHAT MAN?” When

you look at an Extra Terrestrial or anyone dressed in a space suit we wonder “What Type of

Man is this?” Kimpurusa means the same!!

Let us loot at the Sakuntalam drama again:

KING (in tone of utmost wonder): How is this Matali?

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The wheels glide noiseless; no jolting is felt;

No dust is seen whirling around;

They do not touch the surface of the Earth;

Nothing marks the chariot’s descent

MATALI: This, needless to say, is the difference, gracious lord between the Chariot of Indra,

Lord of Heroic Fury and that of Your Honour.

This is a very clear description of a space travel. They must have had a space shuttle better than

ours. No noise, No dust, No impact!!!

NASA may develop such a vehicle in future. If they are able to develop such a vehicle they must

name it Indra Ratha.

Here in Sakuntalam, he describes an astronaut’s experience. Only they can see “earth throwing

up at them”. Anyone learning to pilot a plane will also have to tackle this problem. No one else

can understand this description. The second amazing thing is that he wrote in a popular drama

which was enacted on the stage two thousand years ago!! So people must also be familiar with

these things. This shows not only the kings, but also the general public had access to high speed

travel two thousand years ago or at least the knowledge of it. We all read about space travel.

But we have no experience and we believe what they say about Moon and Mars!

I have already proved that Kalidasa lived before the Tamil Sangam poets. My research in Tamil

and Sanskrit similes shows that Kalidasa lived before 1st Century BCE. His 200+ similes out of

his 1000+ similes are used by the Sangam poets. Tamil Sangam poets who lived 2000 years

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ago did not name Buddha or Mahavira anywhere in their literature. Only hints are there about

the sects that existed at that time. They could not have copied I from Asvagosha who himself

copied gods like Skanda/Kartikeya etc from Hindu Kalidasa. So Kalidasa’s age is proved

beyond doubt. Great Tamil scholar Rev.G.U.Pope also gave similar view about Kalidasa. People

who knew Sanskrit and Tamil only can judge the period of old Indian poets.

Another proof for my theory is that we had Sanskrit books on flying planes in “ Vaimanika

Sahstra” even before Wright brothers flew such planes for the first time in the Western World.

One another proof is in my post “ How did Rama fly his Pushpaka Vimana/Plane? (posted on

22nd June 2013).

Long live Kalidasa! Long live Indian Space Research!!

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Contact swami_48@yahoo.com

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Posted by Tamil and Vedas on September 12, 2014

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