Brief Story of Shakuntala by Kalidasa

 

Shakuntala  

                         -Kalidasa

Shakuntala is a romantic play written by Kalidasa. This Play is also titled as “recognition of Shakuntala”. This drama revolves around the character of Shakuntala. She is the embodiment of beauty, virtue and patience. In literature many misogynist writers aspire women to possess these characteristics.

    Shakuntala is the daughter of sage Viswamitra and the heavenly dancer Menaka. Menaka gives her 

new born baby to Sage Kanva who lives in the forest. Shakuntala grew along with nature in the ashram.

 

She grew up with a glimmering and heavenly beauty. She was serene and her voice was sweet. She 

wore cotton garments and wore flower as ornament. She was gentle and delicate. She had two friends 

Priyamvada and Anusuya.  Even the birds and animals in the forest admired the beauty of Shakuntala. 

She treated deer as her pet animal.

One day King Dushyanta enters the forest to poach deer. He injuries a deer with his arrows. Shakuntala comes to rescue the deer. Dushyanta falls in love with Shakuntala. He asks for forgiveness and he voluntarily consent to stay in the ashram and cure the deer.  Shakuntala is smitten with love for the king. Dushyanta marries Shakuntala in the forest according to the Gandharava Vivaha tradition. Dushyanta returns to his kingdom promising Shakuntala to take her back to the kingdom. He gifts her with a golden ring.

Shakuntala is dreaming about Dushyanta in the forest. She lost her thoughts and failed to notice the Sage, Duruvasa. The Sage curses her saying that “the person of her dreams would forget about her”. Shakuntala’s friend pleads to the Sage and conveys the plight of her friend. The sage lessens the curse saying that “the person who had forgotten Shakuntala would recall everything if she showed him personal token of love”.

            King Dushyanta did not return and Shakuntala feels frustrated. She finds that she is pregnant with Dushyanta’s child. She conveys the matter to Kanva and decides to meet the King. Shakuntala, clothed in a fine manner crosses the river in a boat to reach the Kingdom. As she was sailing in the river, she ran her fingers in the blue water and the ring which was gifted by Dushyanta gets dropped in to the river and it enters into the mouth of a fish.

            Shakuntala reaches the Kingdom of Dushyanta. The King was not able to recognize his wife. Shakuntala tries to show the ring which he had gifted. She finally explores that she has lost her ring.  Humiliated by the King Shakuntala moves to the forest. In the forest, she gives birth to a boy baby and name him as Bharata. He grew along with the wild animals. Shakuntala taught the boy Vedas and Upanishads.

A fisherman discovers a ring when he chops a fish. He recognizes the ring and gives it to the King. The King after seeing the ring is reminded of Shakuntala. He goes in search of Shakuntala but he could not find her.

            One day King Dushyanta travels deep in to the forest and he finds a small boy opening the mouth of a cub. The king was startled to see the courage and valour of the boy. Dushyanta comes to know from the boy that Bharata is his son. Then King meets Shakuntala and he informs about his lost memory. The family gets reunited and King Dushyanta take them to his Kingdom.