The Story of AbhigyanShakuntalam
There are many tales, fables and episodes in our folklore to which the dust of time has covered up and these are ultimately forgotten. Kalidas has selected his story out of such things .i.e., the story of Dushyanta and Rishikanya. Shakuntala and by giving it an artistic and cultural touch and puts it before his audiences in the form of a poetic drama not only for entertainment but for moral purpose also.
In this play, chasing krishnsar deer by the chariot, King Dushyanta enters Kulpati karnva’s Ashram. Willing to kill the deer, the king listens the voice of Vaikhanas ( Yagyapurush)-
“King this is the tamed deer of Ashram. Don’t kill him, Don’t kill him.” The king stops hunting and enters the Ashram in the absence of Maharshi karnva. There he sees Shakuntala who is walking in Ashram’s garden with her Sakhies –Priyamvada and Ansuya. The King is fascinated by the simplicity and matchless beauty of Shakuntala. She is also attracted towards the majestic king who is an embodiment of cupid and both of them fall in love with each other. Lost in the realms of love they cross all the moral limits. The King gives his royal ring to Shakuntala as a token in the sweet memory of their Gandharva-vivah (Love-marriage) and returns to his capital, Hastinapur.
After sometime Karnva is back to his Ashram and comes to know all about this incidence and also about Shakuntala’s pregnancy by his Tapoval. (Brahmgyan).
Karnva being her spiritual father sends Shakuntala to her husband’s house, But king Dushyanta doesn’t recognise Shakuntala due to Durvasha’s curse and he doesn’t accept her as his wife. Shakuntala had already lost the royal ring and so she couldn’t show the evidence of their marriage and with a dejected heart goes to some unknown destination. After sometime a fisherman (Dheevar) catches a fish. When he cuts the fish he gets the royal ring in the belley of the fish. He handsover the ring to King Dushyanta. Seeing the ring, king Dushyanta recalls all about his Gandharva vivah with Shakuntala. He is sad and the separation of Shakuntala makes him worried.
In the meantime, the king gets the message of Indra by Matali and goes to Heaven where he defeats and kills Demon- Durjay. On his way back he gets down on to ‘Hemkoot Parvat to meet and pray Gods’ parents- kashyap and Aditi. There he comes across his brave son Sarvdaman (Bharat) and his wife Shakuntala . After taking the blessing of Kashyap and Aditi, the king happily comes back to his capital with his wife and son. Thus divided into seven acts, the play ends..................Wait Till Next Post....:-)
