Shakuntala: English Translation of the Great Sanskrit Poet Mahakavi Kalidas's 'Abhijnan Shakuntalam

By Ashok Sinha and Ashok K Sinha

This book is an English translation of the Sanskrit classic Play Abhijnan Shakuntalam by the great poet and Playwright Mahakavi Kalidas, written around 220 CE. The play is about the strange fate of Shakuntala, a simple, beautiful ascetic lady. King Dushyant meets her and falls in love with her. They get married. After some time, king Dushyant returns to his capital, assuring her that he would soon send for her. However, due to the curse by a wrathful sage, Durvasa, the king completely forgets about her. Humiliated, Shakuntala goes off into the forest to live by herself. In due course, she gives birth to a boy, whom she names Bharat.

Fortuitously, following certain turns of events, Durvasas curse is removed, and the king remembers all about Shakuntala. He tries to find her, but of no avail. One day, he accidentally meets the young boy, Bharat, in the forest. The family is thus united and happily returns to the capital. Bharat grows up to become a great emperor.

The original name of India is Bhaarat after his name. Rama, worshipped by Hindus all over the world as an Incarnation of God, was a descendent (some 6000-7000 years ago) of emperor Bharat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462879342

Ashok Sinha

Ashok Sinha holds a Ph.D. degree in Physics, and is also interested in literature and spirituality. He has written 20 books in English and in Hindi, including in physics, satellite and Mobile Telecommunications theory, poetry, fiction, plays, religion, and translations of certain classics. He worked at NASA and INTELSAT (International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, Washington, D.C., USA), contributing in Elementary Particle Physics Theory (including mathematical modeling of the so-called ‘GOD’s Particles’), Cosmology, Space Physics research, and satellite telecommunications technology. Currently he lives in Santa Clara, California (USA) with his wife. [ [e-mail] ]

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Copyright © 2011 by Ashok Sinha.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011908798

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4628-7933-5

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4628-7932-8

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-7934-2

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Contents

ABOUT THIS BOOK

SHAKUNTALA

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

ACT SIX

ACT SEVEN

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book is an English translation of the Sanskrit classic ‘Abhijnan Shakuntalam’ by the great poet and Playwright Mahakavi Kalidas, the Court-Poet of King Vikramaditya, written around 220 CE. The play is about the strange fate of Shakuntala, a simple but beautiful ascetic girl in the Ashram (hermitage) of sage Kanva. King Dushyant, on a hunting trip, meets her and falls in love with her. They get married secretly. After some time, king Dushyant returns to his capital on call of his royal duties, but he presents his ring, a royal insignia, to Shakuntala who stays behind to await sage Kanva’s return to obtain his blessing for the marriage that took place in his absence.

Due to the wrath of another sage, Durvasa, Shakuntala is cursed that her husband would forget her, and would remember her and the episode of marriage with her only if she presented some sign given to her by the king. Upon return of sage Kanva, Shakuntala, now carrying Dushyant’s child, prepares to go to the capital to join her husband. Unfortunately, she loses the royal ring while drinking water from a river on the way. Due to Durvasa’s curse, king Dushyant refuses to recognize her. Humiliated, Shakuntala goes off into the forest to live by herself. In due course, she has the child, a strong boy, whom she names Bharat.

Fortuitously, a fisherman catches a fish in whose belly he finds the royal insignia, the missing ring, which he gives to the king. Upon seeing it, the curse is removed, and the king remembers the whole episode of marriage with Shakuntala. He tries to find her to bestow her rightful position of the queen, but of no avail. One day, he accidentally meets the boy, Bharat, in the forest, and his mother. The family is thus united and happily returns to the capital. When Bharat grows up to be the king, he becomes so valorous that he unites the rest of the kings, becoming a great emperor. The original name of India is Bharat after his name. Rama, who is worshipped by Hindus all over the world as an Incarnation of God, was a distant descendent (some 6000-7000 years ago) of emperor Bharat.

Sha Image.jpg

SHAKUNTALA

List of Characters

King Dushyant       —       King of Hastinapur (modern-day Delhi area)

Belonging to the Pre-Historic (Sat-Yuga era) Puru Dynasty

Madhavya, Jester       —       King Dushyant’s close friend and entertainer

Charioteer       —       King Dushyant’s charioteer

Sage Kanva       —       A great sage (hermit)

Gautami       —       Sage Kanva’s wife

Shakuntala       —       Foster daughter of Sage Kanva and Gautami

Priyamvada       —       Shakuntala’s girl-friend

Anusuya       —       Shakuntala’s girl-friend

Sharangrav       —       Sage Kanva’s disciple

Sharadvat       —       Sage Kanva’s disciple

Raivatak )

Karbhak )

Kanchuki)       —       King Dushyant’s (Male) Attendants

Vatayan )

Vetravati )

Chaturika)       —       King Dushyant’s (Female) Attendants

Yarvani )

Sanumati       —       A nymph

Matali       —       Charioteer of Indra, the King of gods

Commander       —       Commander of King Dushyant’s army

Guards

Soldiers

Maid-Servants

Ascetic Women

Disciples

ACT ONE

Invocation

May the absolute Godspeed be yours by the divine Lord Shiva, Manifesting himself to all in eight different faces:

The First in this universe created by Brahma, the Supreme Lord.

The Second in the fire that consumes the ceremonial sacrifices offered in accord.

The Third is the ‘Hota’ delegated to perform the Yajna appropriately.

The Fourth is the sun and the Fifth the moon, which in a steady parade,

Fashion the time’s journey through day and night.

The Sixth is the Space whose characteristic is the sound’s

Parading every inch of this world without an exception.

The Seventh is this Earth—the primal originality of all seeds;

And none but the Air is the Eight one, to whom can be attributed

All lives, small and big, every one by breath animated.

(Enters the male Master of Ceremony—M.M.C.)

M.M.C.: Now it’s not proper to delay any further.

(looks around)

Dear, if you’re done with make-up, could you come here soon?

(Enters the female M.C.—F.M.C.)

F.M.C.: Here I am, dear; which play do you wish that we should perform today?

M.M.C.: Dear, our emperor, Maharaj Vikramaditya, is a great patron of artists expert in performing the miracles of sensibilities and emotions, and today a great many scholars are visiting his court. Therefore it would be most fitting there we present before them the Abhigyan Shakuntalam, the newly created play by the poet Kalidas. Would you please go and make sure that the wardrobe and make-up of all the characters are well taken care of.

F.M.C.: Well, you have already done such a good job training all the performers that hardly anything remains to be done by anyone. No one can point a finger to them, really.

M.M.C.: (smiling) Darling, so you say; but unless the scholarly audience regard the play superb after seeing it, I can’t assume it is a success. Without that, no matter how well the performers are dressed and trained, there would be little reason for consolation.

F.M.C.: (politely) Dear, you are surely right. Whatever instructions you will give shall be carried out.

M.M.C.: Dear, before we exchange views about the play, it would be appropriate to put some melodious song and music that would make the august assembly of this court ecstatic with joy, wouldn’t it?

F.M.C.: So what kind of song should be played?

M.M.C.: The summer season is just about to begin, and so it feels most romantic. At this time, if you set up some melody befitting the summer season, that would be most delightful. Say, something like—

These days the water feels so soothing while taking a bath, and one feels like taking bath again and again. The breeze from the woods that resides in the rose petals also feels so enchanting. The dense shadow of the trees takes away all tiredness and is so conducive to deep slumber. And then the evenings these days are so lovely that describing them is really hard.

F.M.C.: Fine, so be it. (starts singing)

The bees bathed in romance

Kiss time and again, sit, fly off, then boom.

O’er the pinnacles of the delicate petals

Of the ‘shirish’ flowers abloom

Those parts the lovely maidens pick

With fingers agile with compassionate vibration

And, fashioning earrings from them soon

Wear them heartily in their ears to stun!

M.M.C.: Beautiful! You sang so well, darling. Hearing your song the listeners have sort of become so lost that this whole hall has become still. (after a few moments’ pause) So which play should we present for their entertainment now?

F.M.C.: Didn’t you yourself say just now that we should entertain them by presenting the new play ‘Abhigyan Shakuntalam’ written by the great poet Kalidas?

M.M.C.: Oh, yes, of course! I just forgot. Good of you to remind me. Actually your song was so enchanting that its melody captured my heart with great force, just as—

(listening with effort)

this deer running hard has captivated the King Dushyant and brought him here.

(both exit)

(end of introduction)

(Enters King Dushyant. He is adorned with bow and arrows going a-hunt, and is presently in pursuit of a doe. He is aboard his chariot, with his Charioteer driving.)

Charioteer: (looks at the doe, and then toward the King) Your Majesty! With your eyes focused on this beautiful black deer, with your bow ready to shoot, you are looking at the moment as if Lord Shiva Himself is pursuing it bearing His Pinak bow.

King Dushyant: Charioteer! This deer has pulled us far away. And still, this pretty doe halts and turns back to stare at this chariot; then, fearing an assault of my arrows, crouches its hind body-portion to align with the front part of its body and resumes the race. It is so exhausted running that the half-chewed ‘Kusha’ grass leaves keep dropping off on the trail; frightened it is taking such long strides that its feet hardly seem to be touching the ground. It appears as if it is almost flying in the air.

(looking around, astonished)

We were just on the trail of this doe; then how did it manage to disappear from our sight? Which way did it go?

Charioteer: Your Majesty, the ground here is so rough, the chariot wasn’t running smoothly. So I slowed down the horses. The deer kept running at its full speed, and has gone far away and out of our sight. But the ground ahead appears even; there the chariot will pick up speed and then you can rest assured the deer will be in our hand.

King Dushyant: Fine, now the ground is even. Let the rein of the horses be loose, so they can run at their full speed.

Charioteer: As Your Majesty wishes.

(Loosens the reins; watching the speed of the chariot)

Behold!

(Pointing to the racing horses)

No sooner did I loosen the reins than these horses are running so fast, stretching their head-veins, that even the dust their feet raise can’t touch them. It looks as if the horses are trying to compete in the race with the deer.

King Dushyant: (Delighted) Indeed, at the