Kālidāsa (fl. 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas.[1] His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems. Much about his life is unknown except what can be inferred from his poetry and plays.[2] His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE.

1. Characteristic Features of Mahakavya in
Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam & Raghuvamsa

2. Bhamaha and Dandim, the seventh century’s Indian Scholars
describe the features of Mahakavya in their books Kavyalankara
and Kavyadarsha respectively.

3. Raghuvamsa
- Kalidasa
The Raghuvamsa is a Mahakavya, written in the fifth century A.D. basically contains the
stories related to the Raghu dynasty, namely the family of Dilipa and his descendants up
to Agnivarna, including Raghu, Dasharatha and Rama. The theme of this Mahakavya is
taken from Balmiki’s The Ramayana.
• Ancestors of Rāma: Dilīpa, Raghu, Aja, and Daśaratha

4. The story can be divided into some parts-
• King Dilīpa's journey to Vasiṣṭha's hermitage.
• King Dilipa and the calf Nandini.
• Raghu is born, grows up, and becomes king.
• Raghu as king, and his conquest.
• Raghu's gift to Kautsa, and the birth and youth of Aja.
• Aja and Indumati.
• Dasharatha.
• Rama.
• Descendants of Rama.
• Agnivarna.

5. Every Mahakavya should begin with a benediction or invocation to God.
Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa begins with a prayer to lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
He writes in the Canto 1-
“vāgarthāviva saṁpṛktau vāgarthapratipattaye /
jagataḥ pitarau vande pārvatīparameśvarau //”
The translation is-
“To Parvati and Parameshvara,
the parents of the world, who are united like word and meaning, I pray, for the gift
of speech fit with appropriate meaning.”

6. According to Bhama every Mahakavya should have a Kathabasthu (a subject matter
or a plot).
• Dandim in his Kavyadarsha depicts that kathabasthu should not be entirely
fictitious. It should have some connection with Ramayana, Mahabharata and
mythology.
• The protagonist should be a character of Ramayana, Mahabharata and
mythology.
• In Raghuvamsa the characters are Rama, King Raghu, Dasharatha etc. They are
the characters from Ramayama.
• The whole story of the Mahakavya develops around the story of mythology.

7. Every Mahakavya deals with the conflict between Gods and anti-gods, Kings and
their enemies-
• In Raghuvamsa, there is the vivid description of the conflict between the kings
and their enemies and Gods and anti-gods.
• Raghu sets out in all four direction to conquer. We see the conflict between
Raghu and the king of Banga(the greater Bengal), Utkala (odisha), Kalinga etc. he
also has a conflict with Persians and Mlechcha(non-Sanskrit people).
• Aja fights against all kings of Bharata when he marries Indumati. When Indumati
chooses Aja, the disappointed rival princes attack him.
• Lord Rama kills Ravana when he abducts Sita. It is a conflict between Gods and
Anti-god, as we know Rama is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Ravana is a
Rakhshasha.

8. The Mahakavya should be consisted of sargabandhas(cantos)
• Dandi says that the number of swargabandhas should be between eight and
thirty.
• Raghuvamsa is written in 19 sargas(cantos).
• In a cantos their should be thirty to two hundred verses.
• eighteenth and nineteenth cantos of Raghuvamsa contain minimum seventy
'shlokas'. Twelfth canto contains one hundred and three 'shlokas’ (verses).
• Verse refers to a quatrain.
• The last quatrain should be in different metrical styles.

9. The Mahakavya should be repleted with Rasas and Bhabas.
• We see the predominance of sringara, vira, karuna and other rasas and bhabas in
the Raghuvamsa
• Sita’s helplessness, Ajas’ inconsolable weeping due to Indumati’s death and king
Dilipa’s pain for childlessness present karuna rasa in the poem.
• In the episode of Rahgu, Aja and Rama, Kalidasa brings out the essence of
bravery and vira rasa.
• Aja’s weeping presents the swattik bhaba ‘asru’ (tears), paralyzing of King Dilipa’s
hand presents the swattik bhaba ‘stambha’ (paralysis), Aja’s fainting in the death
of Indumati presents the swattik bhaba Pralaya.

10. The other features are-
• Ashtadashavarnana (description of 18 places)
• Gunas
• Alankara(rhetoric)
• Kalpana(imagination)
• Metres
• Nayaka should be Dhritodatta.