Question

In the poem ‘Meghdoot’, Yaksha is exiled by King _____ for having neglected his duties.
a. Kuber
b. Vikramaditya
c. Samudragupta
d. Chandragupta

Answer 1

Hint: Meghdoot is a lyrical poem which is written by Kalidasa. The poem describes how a Yaksha after being banished by his master to a remote region for a year had asked a cloud to carry a message of love to his wife. Kalidasa is considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets of all times.

Complete answer: Meghdoot is a poem consisting of about one hundred and twenty stanzas. It is divided into two parts as Purva-Megha and Uttara-Megha. It describes the way in which a Yaksha who was a subject of King Kuber after his exile had convinced a cloud to take a message to his wife at Alaka on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayan mountains. The yaksha narrates the many beautiful sights that the cloud would see on its northward journey to the city of Alaka, the place where his wife awaits his return.
Let us look at the options now.
Option a- King Kuber is known as considered as the Lord of wealth and according to the famous poem Meghdoot, King Kuber had imposed an exile on Yaksha for over a year to a remote place as Yaksha had not done his duties. So, this is the correct answer.
Option b- King Vikramaditya is considered as one of the greatest kings in India of all times. He is known for his generosity, courage and patronage of scholars. But he was not described in the poem by Meghdoot by Kalidasa. This is the wrong answer.
Option c- Samudragupta was a ruler from the Gupta dynasty of ancient India. He was one of the greatest kings of his times and expanded his kingdom’s political power. Again, he was not described in the poem Meghdoot. This is wrong.
Option d- Chandragupta was the first emperor of the Gupta empire. He is titled as Maharajadhiraja which means king of the kings. He did not make Yaksha go on any exile and so does not find any reference in the poem Meghdoot. Thus, it is incorrect.
Hence, option ‘a’ is correct.

Note: Meghdoot has earned appreciation from all over the world. It also has been inspirations to various poets, especially for love poems. Gustav Holst, Deepa Mehta, Arthur Berriedale Keith are some of the artists who have praised the poem as well as the poet.