Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works

Synopsis

Shakuntala is a dramatized version of a story from Mahabharata, written by Kalidasa, one of the greatest Sanskrit dramatist and poet.

Shakuntala, is brought up in a forest by Kanva Rishi, after her father Vishwāmitra, a sage disowns her on account of continuing his ascetism. King Dushyanta encounters her in forest during his hunting and they get married. He presents a wedding ring as a token of evidence for their marriage and returns to his kingdom after giving a commitment to her, he will take her back to the Kingdom later. The wedding ring has been missed by her in a river and eaten by a fish.

Meanwhile another sage Durvasa visits Shakunata’s house. Shakuntala dreaming of her husband and fails to treat the sage properly and cursed by him by a rage that her husband will forget their marriage and will recognize her, only if she is able to show up the ring which was lost by her. In the preceding incidents, a fisherman found the ring from a fish stomach and handover it to the King Dushyanta. After seeing the ring, he could call back his memories of Shakuntala and goes back to forest. The family is united through their child who was witnessed by his father while doing a brave act of counting a lion’s teeth courageously.

Similar Bookshelves