SHAKUNTALA

The legend of the exquisitely beautiful Shakuntala and the mighty king Dushyant is a thrilling love story from the epic Mahabharata, which the great ancient poet Kalidasa retold in his immortal play Abhijnanashakuntalam.

Kanva blessed Shakuntala. He asked her to worship Agni whom they used to worship every day. Shakuntala went round Agni and then prostrated before her father. When the time approached for Shakuntala to leave her parents' house she was overcome with grief. Kanva knew his daughter's nature well. In the hermitage she never drank water without first watering the plants. She loved to beautify herself; but she never once nipped a shoot or flower off a plant. When the plants flowered, it was itself a feast to her. Kanva prayed to the Garden Goddess for permission to Shakuntala, who had till then resided at the hermitage, to leave for her husband's home. Tears flowed from Kanva's eyes; his throat became choked with emotion. On one side Shakuntala was excited at the thought of meeting Dushyanta.On the other she was sorry at having to leave her parents house. Even the hermitage appeared to be grieving at the thought of Shakuntala's leaving the hermitage. All the animals there stood still. Finally the time came for Shakuntala to leave. She embraced the creeper which was like a sister to her. A deer was along the road in which Shakuntala was proceeding, accompanying her. It was tugging at the end of her sari which was like a child to her. Shakuntala's eyes were filled with tears; she could hardly see the road. Kanva consoled himself. He spoke words of solace to Shakuntala. Shakuntala embraced Kanva and her friends and then she along with her people headed towards the capital.

Dushyanta was engaged in the affairs of the state. Although attending to everything his mind was agitated with some anxiety. He soon received information that some ascetics had come from Kanva's hermitage. The king was surprised. Is there any hitch in meditation at the hermitage? What is the reason for their coming, he thought. Then he welcomed them with pleasure. The king was wondering who the beautiful damsel coming with the hermits and he was quite curious. The residents of the hermitage came forward and blessed the King. The king enquired about the welfare of the people at the hermitage."Is Kanva well? Is the meditation going unhindered? Do you want me to do anything? Asked he humbly.Sharngarava and Sharadvata who had come from Kanva's hermitage said: "Kanva who is a realized soul, can himself take care of his welfare. He has sent a message to you:"You, who are respected and loved, have married my daughter. You are a distinguished person of the Puru dynasty. She is of blameless character. The two of you form an ideal couple. Live long" – he has blessed so."Gautami who had come with them said: "Let your marriage be blessed and live happily'.


The King was surprised with these statements. What are they talking about? Who is this lady? How are we related and why should I accept her? Because of Durvasa's curse he had no remembrance of Kanva's hermitage. He could not recollect his visit to that place. The king politely repudiated their statement. He asked: "Have I married this respectable lady?" Sharngarava lost his temper."Does a hermit utter falsehood? Can you repudiate his statement and put him to shame? Oh King you are righteous person, act in a righteous way," advised he.Dushyanta was dissatisfied that an allegation was being made against him. Shakuntala's heart was beating wildly. Her fear appeared to be coming true. Has this man of noble birth forgotten me? What happened to his love? Where are the words of affection? He speaks as if he has never seen me. Or is my love being tested? – She started wondering. Those who accompanied Shakuntala argued with the king. Without knowing any other way out, Gautami suggested "Give up shyness for a moment, open your veil. Let us see whether he can then remember you."Dushyanta looked at the abundant beauty.' They say that she is my wife. If as they say I had married her and now reject her, it will mean my abandoning my wife. If I accept her although I am not acquainted with her, it will amount to my accepting another man's wife.' The king was in a moral dilemma.

Sharngarava and Sharadvata waited for the king's reply. The king bowed-"You sons of hermit, however much I try, I do not remember ever to have met her. Please excuse me, "said he. The hermits were surprised. Shakuntala was dumbfounded. She collapsed. The king had disowned her in a word. She had come with numerous expectations. She dreamt of a pleasant life in the husbands' house. Her dreams had been shattered. How to convince the king? She remained bold and was trying to see if he could at least recollect her voice, and asked: "Oh king have you forgotten me? Do you not remember our marriage? Do you suspect me? Look at this signet ring which you gave me as a remembrance – said she extending her hand. Bare fingers! Shakuntala stood still; she was confused.Gautami was surprised also. There was a smile on the king's face. They have all conspired to deceive me. They would have made me an immoral person. Now his word was supreme. Said Guatami to Shakuntala – "When you were making obeisance at Shakratirtha, the ring may have slipped."Although it was true the king thought that they were lying." Shakuntala was mentally pained."Even here, luck has let me down. Let it be I will recount another incident,"said she and remembered another event. Once Dushyanta had made made a lotus leaf into a cup and was drinking water out of it. A deer named Deerghapanga came there to drink water. But because Dushyanta had a cup in his hand, looking at a stranger it was about to retreat. Quickly Shakuntala picked up that cup. At once the thirsty deer drank water out of her hand.

Then Dushyanta had said jokingly:"Everybody loves things equal to them in beauty. Because you are both inhabitants of the hermitage, it drank water out of your hand." Shakuntala brought to the Kings mind this incident."No the King shook his head."How could this incident take place when I have not gone to the hermitage at all ?"He had no recollection of having gone to the hermitage.Gautami once again lost her patience.Oh King we are all people from the hermitage and none of us know falsehood. The king doubted himself for a moment: Am I going astray? Can be.Dushyanta never do wrong? He does not deceive himself.Shakuntala waited for the king to respond and then flared up: "You look like a well overlaid with grass! How full of deceit! You took me by your fine words then; now you are pretending ignorance about everything!" The king did not speak. Sharngarava and Sharadvata could not tolerate this." He has the right to accept or reject her. Let him act according to his wishes. We have done our duty," said they and walked away. Shakuntala continued to gaze with eyes brimming with tears. The king did not know how to act in these circumstances. He sought the advice of the chief court priest. He solved the problem: "Let her reside in my house till she delivers. If the child born is male and has imperial looks, then we may admit her into the palace." Shakuntala could not see any other way out, and followed the priest. Before Shakuntala had covered some distance a flash of light descended from the sky to the earth. Suddenly the beam of light took Shakuntala away and all were surprised.

One day an incident had occurred which brought Shakuntala to the king's mind. The officers of the king brought a fisherman to him. A royal signet ring was with him. They had caught him as a thief. But the fisherman was pleading that he was innocent. On seeing the ring, the king at once recognized it as his. Instantly he remembered Shakuntala.He set the fisherman free. He wondered how he had got it. The fisherman stated how the ring came into possession. The fisherman was residing near Shakravatha tirtha.Catching fish there and selling was his occupation. One day a huge fish feel into his trap. When it was cut open, the ring was found in its stomach. He came to the market to sell it. It was there that the authorities caught him. The King rewarded him with as much as money as the ring would fetch.Dushyanta began looking at the ring time and again. As soon as he looked at it, Shakuntala came to his mind. He himself was surprised why did I behave like that? The King was ashamed of his action. He was not able to perform royal duties and was delegating everything to the ministers. He was always thinking about Shakuntala, "What Shakuntala said was true. When she was prostrating before the river, the ring must have slipped and fallen, he guessed. He felt miserable. He felt that he kicked away the diamond which had fallen into his hand! –thus he grieved. The king became emaciated thinking of Shakuntala.

But soon he assisted the Lord Indira in a fight against the demons and also won the battle. After this when he was passing the Himalayas, behind a lofty mountain range he saw a peaceful hermitage which belonged to the venerable hermit Mareecha.To have an audience with the sage he entered the hermitage. When he came to know that place he experienced a beautiful and unusual feeling. He met a handsome boy named Sarvadamana whose face was so charming that one wished to look at it again and again. Slowly when Dushyanta enquired about the boy he came to knew that he belonged to the Puru dynasty. Is he of my dynasty? The king was curious to know who he was. He asked humbly: "May I know who his respected father is?"The woman of the hermitage did not give the information. Said she, "We do not wish to utter the name of the person who abandoned his morally wedded wife."By that time the women of the hermitage were searching for something. While the boy was playing, the amulet tied to the hand of the child had fallen somewhere. It came to Dushyanta's view. He went forward to pick it up. The hermit woman who saw this shouted don't touch it. By that time the king had already picked it up. He had also tied it to the boy.

The women stood dumbfounded. When the king enquired, what he heard increased his joy. That amulet had been made from a herb called 'Aparajita'.The sage Mareecha had tied it to the child at the time of the naming ceremony. There was a restraint about its use. If the amulet ever got loose and fell to the ground, it could then be touched only by the boy's parents; they could pick up and tie it. If others touched it, it would turn into a snake and bite the person who picked it up.Dushyanata confirmed that it was his son and was looking for Shakuntala, by then the news reached Shakuntala and she came there. She could hardly speak and her eyes were filled with tears and Dushyanta begged her pardon. Then Dushyanta narrated the whole story of how he got the ring and then his memory about her was restored.Dushyanta was very happy at having found his wife and son and then they went to pay their respect to Mareecha.Mareecha narrated the whole story about Durvasa's curse. Shakuntala became Dushyanta's beloved wife, Bharathas beloved mother and exemplary lady of the land.