The present volume comprises two parts, the first comprises a study of works which are either supplements to or adaptations of the works of Kalidasa or episodes therefrom with the exception of one work that apart from adapting in self-composed verses all the works of the master poet, poems and plays, addresses the perennial questions about the date and the place of his birth as also his childhood and family life or works which are based on pure fantasy with Kalidasa or his themes as the backdrop. Twelve such works in the modern in just one literary form, the verse, with the exception of one which is in Campu form, a mixture of verse and prose are surveyed here the first time from the points of view of theme, language, style and literary contraptions.

The second part comprises the poems modelled on the Meghaduta of Kalidasa, the work that carried such an appeal with the Sanskrit writers that they vied with each other in producing a work similar to it in spirit. The result : A big corpus of works modelled on the master one came into being. They had one thing in common. They had a duta, a messenger, not necessarily cloud; it could be anything, the human beings, the animals, the birds, he insects, the natural phenomena like the wind and the moon and even the abstract phenomena like righeousness, good conduct, mind and intellect. Different kinds of media the present day poets devised to carry message to them for whom it was intended with the route for the journey explained in good detaisl. The second part includes an extensive survey of such works.

The present attempt at presenting a conspectus of Kalidasa-inspired works, the kavyas, the poems, would enable the reader to realize the hold of Kalidasa on Indian psyche which has provided the fillip to the creative activity of modern writers to recreate in their own way the works of the master poet. The new works are all theirs, projecting their genius on the canvas-and that is really important-of Kalidasa. The muse of these writers has meandered in different directions to have something different from the works of their model. The result: The emergence of a class of literature which is hung on the peg of Kalidasa. The present work brings it to the notice of lovers of literature.

Content - Preface, Introduction, Part-I Meghapraisandesah,  Yaksasamaga makavyam, Alakamilanam, Alakavilapah, Kumarasambhavacampuh, Tavasmi Dasah, Kalidasasangitam, Sakuntalopakhyanam, Meghavilapah,  Kalidasa rahasyam, Meghacchaya, Kalidasiyam, Part-II A Survey of Sanskrit Dutakavyas