Story of Shakuntala

BHIṢMA RESTS

"Let me rest a while."

Remembering the vow of vengeance taken by Amba, Bhishma paused. The mysterious brahmaṇa boy who had attended Bhiṣma drew some water onto a cloth. Wringing it out he wiped the perspiration from the old man’s head. Bhishm coughed. "I grow weary with this tale," He said. The sun had dipped below the horizon. Venus appeared in the heavens. "Let me rest a while."

"We shall return to you in the morning," said Yudhisthira "The history of our dynasty is filled with many lessons. We are eager to hear more."

"Go now," said Bhishma. "Tomorrow I shall tell you of how Amba was transformed by fire into a warrior in the family of Drupada and how I met this terrible end. 

Go now and may your stars guide you."

The Pandavas returned to their camp. The brightly colored tents looked faded in the light of the campfire.

 Nakula and Sahadeva took their places by the fire and were joined by Arjuna and Bhima. After so much battle, finally a moment of peace. Now Venus had been joined with a thousand stars and their pinpoints of light shined in the heavens above Kurukshetra. Yudhisthira appeared with Kuntidevi their mother. And as they sat around the fire and watched the planets move through the sky, the conversation turned to the ancient dynasty of the Kurus.

The long war was over. Asvatthama had been banished. The ghosts of dead warriors stalked the battlefield, but their chariots would no longer clatter over the earth. No longer would thousands of car-warriors terrorize the towns and villages around Hastinapura. India would know peace under the reign of Yudhishtira, Pariksit, Janamejaya and subsequent kings of the Bharat dynasty. As the fire burned low, the modest Yudhisthira turned to his mother Kuntidevi and before the Pandavas seated there asked her, "O Mother. Bhishma spoke of Vichitravirya and Chitrangada, our ancestors. Tell us of our ancestors. We are called the sons of Bharata.  Tell us of the origins of the Kuru dynasty and of Bharat Who was Bharat? What were his origins." 

Maharaj Bharat

The wise and expert Kunti explained. “The Kuru dynasty comes in the line of Bharat, who was born in the line of Puru. To better understand this history I must tell you the story of Shakuntala.”

The Story of Shakuntala

Shakuntala at the Ashrama of Kanva Muni

 And so it was that Kunti told them the famous story of Shakuntala as she had heard it  when she was only a girl in the court of King Kambhoja.  She spoke as follows:

Dushyant  goes hunting

Kunti said:

“Once upon a time there was a great king. His name was Dushyant and he came in the line of Puru. 

One day Dushyant was hunting with his charioteer in the deep forest and he came upon a spotted deer. The deer ran away, leading Dushyant and his charioteer deeper into the forest. 

Ramayana: Ram chases deer

They chased the spotted deer futher into the deep woods with Dushyant  tracing his movement with his bow. Just as Dushyant was ready to unleash a fatal arrow, a young monk from the nearby ashram of Kanva, appeared before him, with hands raised in supplication. He said, ‘Please don’t shoot. O king or prince, whoever you are, please spare the life of this spotted deer. 

Iranian miniature; deer-hunting

 This deer is the favorite pet of our guru, Kanva. You are close to the ashram of Kanva. Here there is no hunting; only peace.  The disciples of the humble Kanva live quietly contemplating the truth. The nimble spotted deer is sacred to Kanva and his disciples. Please don’t shoot. Rather put down your weapons in the spirit of ahimsa.’

Hunting

With this, the king, still flushed with the heat of passion and eager for blood, steadied his mind, unstrung his bow and smiled. “If this fawn is the favorite of a holy man and his friends, so be it. I shall never harm an innocent animal. Tell me again of your master and his ashram. Let us speak of truth and peace. We shall have no more violence and blood sport.”

Kanva’s Ashram

The monk thanked the king and praised him. “Our ashram is near here,” he said. “Follow the bank of the river to the holy tirtha. Just there, nearby is a grove of tamarind trees above the river’s bank. Within that secret grove you will find the shelter of the holy Kanva and his disciples. Thank you again for your noble grace. I see that you are a great prince and the protector of the harmless. If it pleases your Lordship, why not stay for prasadam, our sacred food?”

The king was eager to attend to his entourage who awaited him in another part of the forest. Tomorrow was the birthday of the Prince, but hearing the words of the monk the king was keen to assure him that soon he would visit the humble ashram of the saint Kanva. 

Kanva Muni at his ashram

Bidding farewell to the monk, he gave orders to his man to drive the chariot a little farther on into the woods where there would be water for the horses. They drove for a while until they found good green pasture by the side of the river, and the water flowed clear and sweet.

The king gave orders to his man. “Untie the horses and let them roam or rest for a while as they will. See that they eat the cool grass of yonder pasture and find shade in those those tamarind trees. I will stretch my legs, and after walking a while, visit the ashrama of the saint Kanva, to pay my respects. If I am not back by sundown I will rest in the ashram and return in the morning.”

Shakuntala at Kanva's ashram

His horse-man agreed and took the chariot a little farther on into the woods.  King Dushyant decided that his son’s birthday party could wait and thought that it might be auspicious to pay a visit to the ashram of the saint Kanva. He began to walk a while and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the forest. A butterfly hung in the air before him. The fragrance of honey permeated the air. He walked through the tall trees by the river where the cranes fished in the early morning. The air was fresh and the river low, the rainy season having passed.

Shakuntala at the ashram of Kanva Muni

King Dushyant had understood from the monk where the ashram would be and so he crossed the river, wading through a shallow point. On the other side of the river he found the old holy tirtha with its deities and a bathing ghat with rich marble steps by a grove of tamarind trees.

As he followed the path, the grove of trees became thicker with creeping vines that flowered with jasmines. A tall mango tree shaded his path where up ahead between the vines he saw a clearing. In the clearing were a few small bamboo huts and a path. There was a rustic garden with papayas and some women were working, watering the plants and talking. Surprised by such an enchanting garden where he had expected the austere quarters of an old saint, King Dushyant stopped awhile by the mango tree and hid himself, listening. He could hear the women of the ashram talking.

Shakuntala in the ashrama of Kanva Muni with deer

“Where has Kanva Prabhu gone?” said one of the girls, Priyamvada.

“He told me, Anasuya, that he had to visit a very sacred place in the forest.”

“But, Priyamvada, why would he leave today if he knows that we have an important sacrifice tonight?”

“I can’t tell you, Anasuya. He told me not to tell anyone.”

“But if you can’t trust me, who can you trust?” said Anasuya.

“Well all right, but don’t tell Shakuntala.” said Priyamvada. “It has to do with her. Something about her good fortune.”

“I worry about that girl,” said Anasuya.

“Me too,” said Priyamvada. “Kanva loves her as if she were his own daughter.”

“But Kanva isn’t her father, is he?”
“Of course not, silly. She was adopted by Kanva. Her mother left her when she was only a baby. It was a big mystery.”

Shakuntala at the Ashrama of Kanva Muni by Raja Ravi Varna

“Her mother was Menaka, the apsara, I heard. Didn’t she have something to do with Vishvamitra?”

“I’ve told you the story a million times. Vishvamitra was a great warrior who was determined to become a powerful brahmaṇa after he saw what the miracle cow of Vasistha could do.”
“So?”

“So he was practicing austerities and penances for a long time, until even the gods were afraid of him.”

“What did they do?”

“Well, when they saw him practicing a powerful kind of yoga, they realized he was following a strict vow of brahmacharya.”

“Brahmacharya?”

“Yes, silly, that’s when you give up women. Anyway, there he was on the banks of the Ganges practicing yoga and the gods decided to break his vow.”

“Why would they do such a thing?”

“Vishvamitra was becoming too powerful. If they didn’t break his vow he would become as powerful as the gods.”

“How did they break his vow?”

“They sent the most beautiful of all the river nymphs, the delicate Menaka. Her beauty was reknowned amongst the gods. No man could resist. Vishvamitra was sitting there, practicing his yoga. To disturb his concentration, Menaka the water nymph came to the banks of the Ganges and began to bathe in a fine silk sari, smiling all the time at the sage.”

Temptation of Sage Vishvamitra by Menaka