Shakuntala Continued...

Kunti tells of Shakuntala, Mother of Bharata

The Sons of Pandu sat quietly and listened to their mother tell the tale of Shakuntala, the mother of Bharat, their forefather. As the dying embers of the fire shot sparks into the darkness, Kunti devi continued her story:

Dushyant and Shakuntala

"The king too was transformed with love and drank in the sight of Shakuntala, her hair dark like midnight rain, her eyes of deepest ocean blue.

"As the ladies of the ashram excused themselves to perform their afternoon duties, Shakuntala found an excuse to stay with the king and his friend on the plea of hospitality. The fool left them to walk by the riverside and play his flute by the bamboo next to the water. Alone at last they professed their love to each other in a shady grove by the tall mango tree.

Shakuntala and King Dashyant in Love

They talked and laughed, the King now madly in love, entrusted Shakuntala with his royal ring as an emblem of his true heart. Shankuntala gave herself hopelessly to the descendant of Puru as they embraced. They embraced and shared their hopes, doing all the things that lovers do when enchanted by spring. As the sun went down they whispered a lovers pledge never to part.

"Some days passed. The fool meanwhile became involved in meditation and study, and the ladies of the ashram occupied themselves in their duties to their guru while the happy couple passed a fortnight together, meeting secretly in the evenings and admiring the setting sun through the trees of the forest.

 "In this way they passed many days in love. During this time,  Shakuntala and the King promised themselves to each other and exchanging garlands of flowers, they married privately in the Gandharva style.

"One night a group of marauding yakshas or forest spirits attacked the ashram of Kanva, and then returned to the forest. The following night, laying in wait for them as the full moon rose over the fire sacrifice performed by humble brahmaṇas, the king found the yakshas, defeated them and sent them into retreat. 

"Messengers from the court of the king then arrived in the grove, recalling Dushyant to the royal court. The king was obliged to return to his duties at the royal palace. With a heavy heart, before they could make public their love and formally marry, the king had to return. He gave Shakuntala his royal ring and his sworn pledge that they would be married soon in the formal royal style. He pledged his loyalty to Shakuntala and told her he would never forget her and left.

Terracota Yakshas, Sunga period (1st century BC), found in Chandraketugarh (West Bengal) - Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York

"In the mean time, the fair Shakuntala tended the ashrama awaiting the return of the hermit Kanva. As the papaya budded and bloomed in the garden so also did a child grow in her womb. Her child would be Bharat, the great ruler of India who gave his name for generations to India and to her story, the Mahabharata. Her child would be a fearless, compassionate king, worshipped by all, the ancestor of all you Pandavas."

Artists Depiction of Kunti Devi, Mother of the Pandavas.

Kunti paused, staring at the fire. Being moved by the history that their mother was telling them, Yudhisthira her eldest son and foremost of  the Pandavas asked Kunti Devi, “What became of Shakuntala and Dushyant and how did their story end? Was our ancestor born in the ashram of Kanva?”