Abhijnanashakuntalam, also known as Shakuntala. It’s a play that tells the tale of love and romance. The love story of Shakuntala and Dushyant is a part of the larger narrative of Mahabharata, the great Sanskrit epic. In the first episode, Dushyant, who is on an excursion to the forest, meets Shakuntala. Shakuntala lives here with her father who is a sage Kanva’s ashram.
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The verse from Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam, the story of Shakuntala, her unique journey, and the captivating elements that make Kalidasa's work a timeless classic. Dive into the depths of poetic excellence, symbolism, and cultural significance embedded in this renowned text.
(Kalidasa’s Abhijnanashakuntalam)
दर्भाङ्कुरेण चरणः क्षत इत्यकाण्डे
तन्वी स्थिता कतिचिदेव पदानि गत्वा ।
आसीद्विवृत्तवदना च विमोचयन्ती
शाखासु वल्कलमसक्तमपि द्रुमाणाम् ॥
This beautiful Sanskrit verse, from Kalidasa's play Abhijnanashakuntalam (Act 1, Verse 12), describes the shy hermit girl Shakuntala pretending her foot is hurt by a grass-blade (darbha-ankura) to stop King Dushyanta from leaving, pausing her walk and looking back while pretending to free her bark garment (Valkala) stuck on a tree branch, showing her hidden affection
"दर्भाङ्कुरेण चरणः क्षत इत्यकाण्डे" (Darbhāṅkureṇa caraṇaḥ kṣata ityakāṇḍe), describes Shakuntala's actions as a subtle way of expressing her attraction to King Dushyanta, while pretending to be hindered by minor things.
दर्भाङ्कुरेण चरणः क्षत इत्यकाण्डे (Darbhānkurēṇa caraṇaḥ kṣata ityakāṇḍē): "Saying, 'My foot is pricked by a thorn of grass!'" (as if it were a sudden, unexpected injury).
तन्वी स्थिता कतिचिदेव पदानि गत्वा (Tanvī sthitā kati cēva padāni gatvā): "The slender one (Shakuntala) stopped after taking only a few steps".
आसीद्विवृत्तवदना च विमोचयन्ती (Āsīdvivr̥ttavadana ca vimōcayantī): "And she turned her face (looking back) while trying to free".
शाखासु वल्कलमसक्तमपि द्रुमाणाम् (Śākhāsu valkalam asaktam api drumāṇām): "Her bark garment (Valkala) that was caught on the branches of the trees (though it wasn't really stuck)".
In essence: Shakuntala uses the excuse of a thorn prick and a snagged bark garment to pause her retreat and steal a glance at the King, revealing her longing for him through this playful, feigned distress.
Shakuntala, despite living inan ashrama / forest, looks very beautiful and King Dushyanta at first sight is attracted to her and hides behind
trees to hear the free conversations with her friends.
The verse describes Shakuntala's actions as she and her friends are leaving. The King observes her: King Dushyant (thinking): Isn't so that she is also charmed by me, just like I am charmed by her? She does not face me but her eyes keep gazing at me.
"My foot is wounded by a blade of darbha grass...": This is her excuse to stop and look back at the King.
"...she also pretended to release her bark garment, though it was not even caught in the branches...": She uses a second, feigned reason to pause and steal another glance at Dushyanta.
The underlying meaning is that Shakuntala, while modest, is equally attracted to the King and is using these trivial, "unseasonal" (meaning "abrupt" or "sudden", as implied by akāṇḍe) pretexts to linger and look at him without appearing forward. The King notices this subtle behavior and understands her romantic interest, which is a key moment in the development of their love story.
Shakuntala’s Glance - Raja Ravi Varma painting
Shakuntala" is a classic painting by the Indian master Raja Ravi Varma depicts the lovelorn Shakuntala in Kanva’s ashram
In the painting, Shakuntala pretends to remove a thorn from her foot while discreetly searching for her lover, King Dushyanta. This scene is rich with emotional depth, capturing Shakuntala's hope and anxiety as she awaits her lover's return. The narrative is further enriched by the presence of her friends Anusuya and Priyamvada, who are engaged in casual conversation nearby, and Her expression, a blend of longing and melancholy, captures the emotional depth of her character. Her eyes, partly downcast, suggest an inner world filled with thoughts of love and separation. This emotional realism is what makes Varma's portrayal of Shakuntala so compelling and timeless.
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