INTRODUCTION

Abhignyana Shakunthalam, the legendary tale of romance between emperor Dushyantha and the very beautiful and vulnerable Shakunthala, received plenty of attention. The saga of love, romance and above all, paternity dispute, captured the imagination of millions for centuries. The birth of the prodigiously talented Bharatha, who used weapons with great dexterity, and controlled the entire Bharatha Varsha, is a story of legends. India received its name Bharat, from the legendary emperor Bharatha.

SHAKUNTHALA AS IN VYASA’S MAHABHARATHA

Shakunthala, the celebrated heroine of the romance, mother of emperor Bharatha and the wife of emperor Dushyantha, indeed suffered a tragic childhood. Born to Apsara (the divine danseuse) Menaka as a result of her union with the Sage Vishwamitra, Shakunthala was abandoned as a newborn. The reasons are not far to seek. Shakunthala’s birth was an outcome of deceit by Indra, who was terrified by the Tapas or penance of Rajarshi sage Vishwamitra. Sage Vishwamitra was striving to become a Brahmarshi, the highest echelon of Rishi[1]. In this attempt, the sage embarked upon Tapas to overcome the Arishadvargas (the six potent enemies of a human being), like kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (passion/ blind love), mada (ego/arrogance), and matsarya (jealousy). The king of the lords Indra, who was always looking over his shoulders for competition, was fearful of losing his position, should the sage succeed in his penance. Accordingly, Indra convinced Menaka, the Apsara, to titillate the sage and to induce him to break his penance. A rishi surrendering to kama, loses his ability to become a Bhrahmarshi. Indra hopes Menaka achieves the dreaded task of breaking the sage’s penance (both Indra and Menaka are afraid of the sage’s curse, should their scheme fail).

Menaka, though doubtful and anxious about the task, ventures onto the earth anyway, and successfully seduces the sage. Vishwamitra, smitten by Menaka, lives with her for ten long years before Shakunthala is born. Jolted out of his reverie, Vishwamitra realizes his sin (of surrendering to kama), and promptly abandons the newborn Shakunthala, to resume his penance. Menaka, her mission accomplished, abandons the newborn with equal indifference and flies back to heaven. Thus, the newborn and newly orphaned Shakunthala, is left to the elements of nature.

Fortunately for Shakunthala, the Shakuntha birds protect her from wild animals and feed her. Sage Kanva, who visits the place for his ablutions, chances upon the newborn and brings her back to his ashram, and names her Shakunthala (one nurtured by Shakuntha birds). There, she grows up as the adopted daughter of sage Kanva.  

SHAKUNTHALA’S ENCOUNTER WITH EMPEROR DUSHYANTHA

The famed encounter between the emperor Dushyantha and the young and vulnerable Shakunthala is a story of legends. The enchanting surroundings of the Ashrama, the beauty of nature which plays cupid between the two has been touched upon by Vyasa but was dealt with at length by poet Kalidasa. Their wedding and the subsequent departure of Dushyantha to his kingdom, are well-known.

BIRTH OF BHARATHA AND SHAKUNTHALA LEAVING THE ASHRAM TO MEET DUSHYANTHA

Following their wedding, which was solemnized in the Gandharva way (wherein the bride and the groom exchange vows and garlands by mutual consent), in the absence of sage Kanva, Dushyantha returns to his kingdom with a promise of sending his entourage to fetch Shakunthala.  Sage Kanva respects the right of Shakunthala to choose her husband, and blesses Shakunthala, even though the wedding was solemnized in his absence.

Yet, even after the birth of Bharatha, who grows up to be a strong and handsome little prince, the promised entourage remains missing.

SHAKUNTHALA’S JOURNEY TO DUSHYANTHA’S KINGDOWM AND THE PATERNITY DISPUTE

When Bharatha turns twelve, his unmatched skill in weaponry and his mastery over several forms of warfare raised the hopes of the sage Kanva, who believed Bharatha deserved to be the future emperor. The sage decides to send Shakunthala and his grandson Bharatha to Dushyantha’s kingdom, in order to secure the latter’s future as a prince. He does so with due process, wherein Shakunthala is accompanied by sage’s disciples, who help her reach Dushyantha’s palace. The episode of bidding adieu to Shakunthala was dealt with great poignancy by Kalidasa, who describes how Shakunthala bids a tearful farewell to the deers, the flowers and even the trees of the ashram.

Nevertheless, her journey and her travails bear no fruit, since she is shocked by Dushyantha’s cold reception. Not only does the emperor refuse to recognize her, but even questions her claims of paternity for Bharatha, who was to be crowned the prince and an heir apparent. Dushyantha feigns ignorance of his marriage to Shakunthala and wonders how he could accept strangers like her as his own. Shakunthala, born to a danseuse of an easy virtue, and a disgruntled sage could neither be truthful nor chaste, he argues. He further accuses her of lying in the court, in the presence of the courtiers.  Thus, we find Shakunthala being continually beleaguered by the issues of legitimacy- from Sage Vishwamitra refusing to own her- apsara Menaka abandoning her- and son Bharatha denied legitimacy by his own father.   

SHAKUNTHALA’S COUNTER ARGUMENTS

Far from getting flustered by Dushyantha’s insinuations, Shakunthala stands up to herself brilliantly. She begins by outlining the virtues of raising a biological son, who could provide his father with sadgati or a good position even afterlife[2].  A son as powerful and as skillful as Bharatha, would be a great asset to the emperor, and could be his worthy successor. Bharatha would bestow a great glory upon the emperor and bring him immense joy. Besides, Bharatha bears a striking resemblance to his father, a fact that cannot be overlooked.

When Dushyantha refuses to relent, she counters him saying how her parentage is superior, and how she is the child of an Apsara. As a result, she can visit the Indra, Yama, Varuna and so on, unlike Dushyantha, who is an ordinary mortal. Just as a plain-looking fellow finds fault with others so long as he does not behold the mirror, Dushyantha is unable to perceive his inadequacy in comparison to Shakunthala, she argues.

THE VIRTUES OF TRUTH

While reprimanding the emperor for his lies, Shakunthala argues how kings earn merit by digging wells (for supplying water) for the benefit of their subjects. Digging a large well earns more merit than digging several small wells. Building a tank is more meritorious than building a large well. Likewise, performing an Ashvamedha Yagnya [3] earns merit without doubt. But a truthful word is worthier than a hundred such Yagnyas. Here, Shakunthala implies that Dushyantha’s Yagnyas would go in vain if he failed to speak the truth. A truth is the single most powerful force in the world, more powerful than all the Yagnyas and the acts of merits put together.

SHAKUNTHALA AS A FEMINIST

Shakunthala proves herself to be a feminist when she threatens to walk out of the king’s court with the legitimate and worthy heir, who, she offers to raise all by herself.  The heir Bharatha is so worthy that he could become an emperor on the strength of his power and capabilities. Bharatha does not need Dushyantha to earn his rightful place under the sun. The loss is the emperor’s and not Bharatha’s, she alleges, as she walks out of his court.  Even though she lived thousands of years ago, Shakunthala   set a magnificent precedence for the present-day feminists. She was far ahead of her times, was independent, knowledgeable and assertive.

As she walks out of the court, the Akasa Vani[4] says, she is indeed speaking the truth. The opinion of the Akasa Vani thus secured, she wins her place in Dushyantha’s life, who accepts her as his legal wife, and Bharatha as his prince. Following the Akasa Vani’s pronouncements, Dushyantha admits that Shakunthala is his wife, and he knew this all along. He deliberately feigned ignorance for the fear of being judged by the courtiers as well as his subjects. He cordially ushers her into the Antahpura (the chamber for the royal ladies), and introduces Shakunthala to his mother, Rathantharya Devi, as her legal daughter-in-law, and Bharatha as her grandson. The queen mother is delighted to behold her grandson, and cordially accepts Shakunthala. The child Bharatha has the potential to become an emperor, she observes happily. Subsequent to her acceptance, emperor Dushyantha marries Shakunthala again as per the usual norms and anoints her the Patta Mahishi (the mother of the crown prince).  He crowns Bharatha as the prince. India received the name Bharatha Varsha or Bharatha Khanda after the legendary Bharatha, who won over and ruled over vast tracts of land. Sage Kanva guided Bharatha to perform several Ashvamedha Yagnyas, where he donated cows, and large amounts as charity. Further Bharatha donated hundreds and thousands of coins to sage Kanva and worshipped him. 

KALIDASA’S VERSION

Kavikula Guru Kalidasa, arguably one of the finest poets known to humankind, rewrote the saga of Shakunthala and Dushyantha, and called the poem Abhignyana Shakunthalam. The widely popular Kavyam (a composition of poetry) was rich in vivid imagery and similes, justifying him the title Upama Kalidasa (Kalidasa known for his similes) or Upama Alankara, was given this moniker.

Yet, Kalidasa appears to have taken a poetic license to modify and fortify, what otherwise was a simple tale of romance between an emperor and an ascetic. Kalidasa’s more popular version introduces the curse of sage Durvasa (well-known for his short-temper and potent curses). The sage Durvasa, who visits Kanva’s ashram, is incensed by the absent-mindedness of Shakunthala (she was lost in thoughts of Dushyantha). The sage curses that whoever she is longing for, will eventually forget her. The curse works against Shakunthala when she meets Dushyantha in his court. To add to her misery, she loses the royal ring during her journey, which Dushyantha presents her with. Consequently, a tearful and heartbroken Shakunthala, who Dushyantha fails to recognize, is taken away by Menaka to her abode. In the meantime, the royal ring which Shakunthala lost, is swallowed by a fish. The fisherman who catches and cuts the fish open, notices the ring, and returns it to the emperor Dushyantha. Upon beholding the ring, Dushyantha recalls his brief marriage to Shakunthala and is filled with remorse and longing. Later, on his journey back from Indra’s court (where he is invited as a guest), Dushyantha chances upon the brave, but infant Bharatha in Menaka’s home. Upon inquiry, he discovers that Bharatha is Shakunthala’s and his son. How the family is reunited, forms the rest of story.

It’s worth noting how the sage Durvasa’s curse is missing in the original Veda Vyasa’s version, which is a simple tale of romance between the protagonists, followed by a paternity suit. Why did Kalidasa have to introduce the curse?

These twists in the epic have served to absolve Dushyantha of any wrongdoing. They take the sting out of his conduct and instead, serve to whitewash his evident indifference. If Dushyantha was unsure of accepting the paternity claim by Bharatha in public, why did he marry Shakunthala in the first place? That too in Kanva’s absence? Why did he promise to crown her the Patta Mahishi (the queen whose children would inherit the throne)? Why did he promise to send his entourage to pick her up as soon as he reached his kingdom? Did he not realize that her paternity claims would be scrutinized by his courtiers? Was he not using her vulnerability when he convinced her to marry him? Why did he seek the opinion of the Akasa Vani to accept Shakunthala, who he knew was his wife all along?

No right-thinking person could accept Dushyantha’s behaviour. Probably Kavikula Guru Kalidasa was equally uncomfortable with the romance between a powerful emperor and a vulnerable teen, unable to justify the emperor’s misdemeanor. He sought to right the wrong by introducing Durvasa’s curse, which became a convenient excuse for Dushyantha to disown his wife and child. Furthermore, Kalidasa, unable to fathom how a mother could abandon her newborn, reintroduced Menaka into the poem. Menaka provides refuge to the beleaguered Shakunthala and Bharatha, probably to atone for her own past imprudent behaviour. The outcome, Abhignyana Shakunthalam, went on to become a timeless classic, widely read and appreciated by all to date.

Nevertheless, this more popular version glosses over the stark, naked truth. And truth has to be told. As Shakunthala herself said, truth is more powerful than all the Ashvamedha Yagnyas put together.

 

 

1. A king attaining sainthood after a rigorous tapas or penance, is called a Rajarshi. The position of Rajarshi is one notch lower than the Brahmarshi, the highest state of sainthood, accorded only to Sage Vashishtha. Saint Vishwamitra subsequently becomes a Brahmarshi, but after years of penance.

2. Sons are expected to secure their forefather’s position in heaven. A worthy heir helps his forefathers reach heaven, even after death.  

3. A type of Yagnya where the emperor sends a trained horse across   countries, upon the completion of the Yagnya. Any king wanting to challenge the supremacy of the emperor stops the horse’s trail and fights the emperor’s armies. If victorious, the horse continues its trail. The land criss-crossed by the horse unchallenged, automatically belongs to the emperor who initiated the Yagnya.                      

4. Akasa Vani or the Ashareera Vani is a voice without a physical form. This could be an allegory for the public opinion expressed through a referendum, plebiscite or through social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and so on.

 

References:

·       MahaBharathamu- Adi Parvamu (A verbatim translation of Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharatha) by Kappagantula Laxmana Sastry, 1990

·       Abhigyan Shakunthalam by Kalidasa Summary and Story, 2021 by Somnath Sarkar

 

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