The Birth of Shakuntala

Verse 1 (1.93.1)

एवमुक्तस्तया शक्रः संदिदेश सदागतिम् । प्रातिष्ठत तदा काले मेनका वायुना सह ॥

evamuktastayā śakraḥ saṃdideśa sadāgatim | prātiṣṭhata tadā kāle menakā vāyunā saha

Thus addressed by her, Shakra gave his orders to the ever-moving Wind, and at the appointed time Menaka set out together with the Wind.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva: his account of Shakuntala's birth, begun in the previous adhyaya, continues (the input has no speaker; Wikisource prints no speaker line, and the narrator speaks in the first person in verse 20).

Verse 2 (1.93.2)

अथापश्यद्वरारोहा तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषम् । विश्वामित्रं तप्यमानं मेनका भीरुराश्रमे ॥

athāpaśyadvarārohā tapasā dagdhakilbiṣam | viśvāmitraṃ tapyamānaṃ menakā bhīrurāśrame

Then the fair-hipped, timid Menaka saw Vishvamitra in his hermitage, practising austerities, his sins burnt away by his austerity.

Note on the text: Corrected मिश्वामित्रं → विश्वामित्रं (misprint in Wikisource; म for व, as in the critical edition's viśvāmitraṃ). Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 3 (1.93.3)

अभिवाद्य ततः सा तं प्राक्रीडदृषिसन्निधौ । अपोवाह च वासोऽस्या मारुतः शशिसंनिभम् ॥

abhivādya tataḥ sā taṃ prākrīḍadṛṣisannidhau | apovāha ca vāso'syā mārutaḥ śaśisaṃnibham

She greeted him and began to play near the seer; and the Wind carried off her garment, white as the moon.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 4 (1.93.4)

सागच्छत्त्वरिता भूमिं वासस्तदभिलिप्सती । कुत्सयन्तीव सव्रीडं मारुतं वरवर्णिनी ॥

sāgacchattvaritā bhūmiṃ vāsastadabhilipsatī | kutsayantīva savrīḍaṃ mārutaṃ varavarṇinī

The lovely woman ran quickly toward the ground, trying to catch her garment, as if bashfully scolding the Wind.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 5 (1.93.5)

पश्यतस्तस्य राजर्षेरप्यग्निसमतेजसः । विश्वामित्रस्ततस्तां तु विषमस्थामनिन्दिताम् ॥

paśyatastasya rājarṣerapyagnisamatejasaḥ | viśvāmitrastatastāṃ tu viṣamasthāmaninditām

And as that royal seer, bright as fire, looked on, Vishvamitra then saw her, the faultless one, in her awkward plight:

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (1.93.6)

गृद्धां वाससि संभ्रान्तां मेनकां मुनिसत्तमः । अनिर्देश्यवयोरूपामपश्यद्विवृतां तदा ॥

gṛddhāṃ vāsasi saṃbhrāntāṃ menakāṃ munisattamaḥ | anirdeśyavayorūpāmapaśyadvivṛtāṃ tadā

the best of sages saw Menaka, intent on her garment and flustered, her beauty and youth beyond describing, her body laid bare.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 7 (1.93.7)

तस्या रूपगुणान्दृष्ट्वा स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा । चकार भावं संसर्गे तया कामवशं गतः ॥

tasyā rūpaguṇāndṛṣṭvā sa tu viprarṣabhastadā | cakāra bhāvaṃ saṃsarge tayā kāmavaśaṃ gataḥ

Seeing her beauty and charm, that bull among brahmin seers set his heart on union with her, falling under the sway of desire.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 8 (1.93.8)

न्यमन्त्रयत चाप्येनां सा चाप्यैच्छदनिन्दिता । तौ तत्र सुचिरं कालमुभौ व्यवहरतां तदा ॥

nyamantrayata cāpyenāṃ sā cāpyaicchadaninditā | tau tatra suciraṃ kālamubhau vyavaharatāṃ tadā

He invited her, and she, the faultless one, was willing too. The two of them then spent a long time together there,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). The verse = 1.66.7ab–cd of the critical edition, which reads vane vyaharatām ubhau in the second line.

Verse 9 (1.93.9)

रममाणौ यथाकामं यथैकदिवसं तथा । एवं वर्षसहस्राणामतीतं नान्वचिन्तयत् ॥

ramamāṇau yathākāmaṃ yathaikadivasaṃ tathā | evaṃ varṣasahasrāṇāmatītaṃ nānvacintayat

delighting in each other as they wished, as if it were a single day. So a thousand years went by, and he did not notice.

Note on the text: Corrected यतैकदिवसं → यथैकदिवसं (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ, as in the critical edition's yathaikadivasaṃ). Removed a stray wiki mark (`) before the second line. The first line = 1.66.7ef of the critical edition; the second is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 10 (1.93.10)

कामक्रोधावजितवान्मुनिर्नित्यं समाहितः । चिरार्जितस्य तपसः क्षयं स कृतवान्मुनिः ॥

kāmakrodhāvajitavānmunirnityaṃ samāhitaḥ | cirārjitasya tapasaḥ kṣayaṃ sa kṛtavānmuniḥ

The sage, though always composed, had not conquered desire and anger; and so he brought to ruin the austerity he had gathered over so long.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (1.93.11)

तपसः संक्षयादेव मुनिर्मोहं समाविशत् । मोहाभिभूतः क्रोधात्मा ग्रसन्मूलफलान्मुनिः ॥

tapasaḥ saṃkṣayādeva munirmohaṃ samāviśat | mohābhibhūtaḥ krodhātmā grasanmūlaphalānmuniḥ

Through that very loss of austerity the sage fell into delusion. Overcome by delusion, angry in spirit, eating roots and fruits, the sage

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 12 (1.93.12)

पादैर्जलरवं कृत्वा अन्तर्द्वीपे कुटीं गतः । मेनका गन्तुकामा तु शुश्राव जलनिस्वनम् ॥

pādairjalaravaṃ kṛtvā antardvīpe kuṭīṃ gataḥ | menakā gantukāmā tu śuśrāva jalanisvanam

splashed through the water on foot and went to his hut on an island. Menaka, who wished to leave, heard the sound of the water.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 13 (1.93.13)

तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽसावाकाशादेति याति च । अद्य संज्ञां विजानामि ययाऽद्य तपसः क्षयः ॥

tapasā dīptavīryo'sāvākāśādeti yāti ca | adya saṃjñāṃ vijānāmi yayā'dya tapasaḥ kṣayaḥ

"He, blazing in power through his austerity, used to come and go through the sky. Today I see the sign that shows his austerity is spent.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Menaka: these are her words on hearing the splashing (the input has no speaker; the next verse closes them with इत्युक्त्वा). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 14 (1.93.14)

गन्तुं न युक्तमित्युक्त्वा ऋतुस्नाताथ मेनका । कामरागाभिभूतस्य मुनेः पार्श्वं जगाम ह ॥

gantuṃ na yuktamityuktvā ṛtusnātātha menakā | kāmarāgābhibhūtasya muneḥ pārśvaṃ jagāma ha

It is not right for me to go," she said; and Menaka, having bathed after her season, went to the side of the sage, who was overcome by desire and passion.

Note on the text: Corrected पार्स्वं → पार्श्वं (misprint in Wikisource; स for श). Removed stray wiki marks (।।') at the end of the verse. Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 15 (1.93.15)

जनयामास स मुनिर्मेनकायां शकुन्तलाम् । प्रस्थे हिमवतो रम्ये मालिनीमभितो नदीम् ॥

janayāmāsa sa munirmenakāyāṃ śakuntalām | prasthe himavato ramye mālinīmabhito nadīm

The sage begot Shakuntala on Menaka, on a lovely tableland of the Himalaya, beside the river Malini.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 16 (1.93.16)

देवगर्भोपमां बालां सर्वाभरणभूषिताम् । शयानां शयने रम्ये मेनका वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

devagarbhopamāṃ bālāṃ sarvābharaṇabhūṣitām | śayānāṃ śayane ramye menakā vākyamabravīt

To the baby girl, like a child of the gods, adorned with every ornament and lying on a pleasant bed, Menaka spoke these words:

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (`) at the start of the verse. Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 17 (1.93.17)

महर्षेरुग्रतपसस्तेजस्त्वमसि भामिनि । तस्मात्स्वर्गं गमिष्यामि देवकार्यार्थमागता ॥

maharṣerugratapasastejastvamasi bhāmini | tasmātsvargaṃ gamiṣyāmi devakāryārthamāgatā

"You are the seed of a great seer of fierce austerity, lovely one. So I shall go back to heaven; I came only to do the gods' work."

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (।।') at the end of the verse. Speaker set to Menaka: the verse is her farewell to the child (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 18 (1.93.18)

जातमुत्सृज्य तं गर्भं मेनका मालिनीमनु । कृतकार्या ततस्तूर्णमगच्छच्छक्रसंसदम् ॥

jātamutsṛjya taṃ garbhaṃ menakā mālinīmanu | kṛtakāryā tatastūrṇamagacchacchakrasaṃsadam

Leaving the newborn child by the Malini, Menaka, her task accomplished, went swiftly to Shakra's assembly.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 19 (1.93.19)

तं वने विजने गर्भं सिंहव्याघ्रसमाकुले । दृष्ट्वा शयानं शकुनाः समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् । नेमां हिंस्युर्वने बालां क्रव्यादा मांसगृद्धिनः ॥

taṃ vane vijane garbhaṃ siṃhavyāghrasamākule | dṛṣṭvā śayānaṃ śakunāḥ samantātparyavārayan | nemāṃ hiṃsyurvane bālāṃ kravyādā māṃsagṛddhinaḥ

Seeing the infant lying in the lonely forest that teemed with lions and tigers, birds gathered round her on every side, so that flesh-eating beasts greedy for meat should not harm the little girl in the forest.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Lines correspond to 1.66.10 and 1.66.11ab of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 20 (1.93.20)

पर्यरक्षन्त तां तत्र शकुन्ता मेनकात्मजाम् । उपस्प्रष्टुं गतश्चाहमपश्यं शयितामिमाम् ॥

paryarakṣanta tāṃ tatra śakuntā menakātmajām | upaspraṣṭuṃ gataścāhamapaśyaṃ śayitāmimām

The birds guarded Menaka's daughter there. I had gone to bathe, and I saw her lying there

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Lines correspond to 1.66.11cd and 1.66.12ab of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 21 (1.93.21)

निर्जने विपिने रम्ये शकुन्तैः परिवारिताम् । मां दृष्ट्वैवाभ्यपद्यन्त पादयोः पतिता द्विजाः । अब्रुवञ्शकुनाः सर्वे कलं मधुरभाषिणः ॥

nirjane vipine ramye śakuntaiḥ parivāritām | māṃ dṛṣṭvaivābhyapadyanta pādayoḥ patitā dvijāḥ | abruvañśakunāḥ sarve kalaṃ madhurabhāṣiṇaḥ

in the lovely, lonely woodland, surrounded by birds. As soon as they saw me, the birds came and fell at my feet, and all of them, sweet of voice, softly said:

Note on the text: Corrected अब्रुञ्शकुनाः → अब्रुवञ्शकुनाः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara, the line is a syllable short, as in the critical edition's apparatus, abruvañ śakunāḥ). Removed a stray wiki mark (`) before the second line. The first line = 1.66.12cd of the critical edition (which reads 'raṇye for रम्ये); the other two lines are not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 22 (1.93.22)

विश्वामित्रसुतां ब्रह्मन्न्यासभूतां भरस्व वै । कामक्रोधावजितवान्सखा ते कौशिकीं गतः ॥

viśvāmitrasutāṃ brahmannyāsabhūtāṃ bharasva vai | kāmakrodhāvajitavānsakhā te kauśikīṃ gataḥ

"Brahmin, nourish Vishvamitra's daughter, left with you as a trust. Your friend, who did not conquer desire and anger, has gone away to the Kaushiki."

Note on the text: Speaker set to the birds: the verse is their plea to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 23 (1.93.23)

तस्मात्पोषय तत्पुत्रीं दयावानिति तेऽब्रुवन् । सर्वभूतरुतज्ञोऽहं दयावान्सर्वजन्तुषु ॥

tasmātpoṣaya tatputrīṃ dayāvāniti te'bruvan | sarvabhūtarutajño'haṃ dayāvānsarvajantuṣu

"So rear his daughter, you who are compassionate," they said to me. I understand the cries of all creatures, and I am compassionate toward every living being.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (।।') at the end of the verse. Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 24 (1.93.24)

आनयित्वा ततश्चैनां दुहितृत्वे न्यवेशयम् ॥

ānayitvā tataścaināṃ duhitṛtve nyaveśayam

Then I brought her home and gave her the place of a daughter.

Note on the text: A single line: it is the last line of 1.66.12 of the critical edition (which reads nyayojayam), separated from the rest of that verse by the vulgate lines above; kept as Wikisource prints it. Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 25 (1.93.25)

शरीरकृत्प्राणदाता यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जते । क्रमेणैते त्रयोऽप्युक्ताः पितरो धर्मशासने ॥

śarīrakṛtprāṇadātā yasya cānnāni bhuñjate | krameṇaite trayo'pyuktāḥ pitaro dharmaśāsane

He who begets the body, he who saves one's life, and he whose food one eats: these three, in that order, are called fathers in the teaching of dharma.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 26 (1.93.26)

निर्जने तु वने यस्माच्छकुन्तैः परिवारिता । शकुन्तलेति नामास्याः कृतं चापि ततो मया ॥

nirjane tu vane yasmācchakuntaiḥ parivāritā | śakuntaleti nāmāsyāḥ kṛtaṃ cāpi tato mayā

Because she was surrounded by birds, shakuntas, in the lonely forest, I then gave her the name Shakuntala.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 27 (1.93.27)

एवं दुहितरं विद्धि मम विप्र शकुन्तलाम् । शकुन्तला च पितरं मन्यते मामनिन्दिता ॥

evaṃ duhitaraṃ viddhi mama vipra śakuntalām | śakuntalā ca pitaraṃ manyate māmaninditā

Know, then, brahmin, that Shakuntala is my daughter in this way; and the faultless Shakuntala too regards me as her father.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva (the input has no speaker).

Verse 28 (1.93.28)

एतदाचष्ट पृष्टः सन्मम जन्म महर्षये । सुतां कण्वस्य मामेवं विद्धि त्वं मनुजाधिप ॥

etadācaṣṭa pṛṣṭaḥ sanmama janma maharṣaye | sutāṃ kaṇvasya māmevaṃ viddhi tvaṃ manujādhipa

This is what he told the great seer when asked about my birth. Know me in this way, lord of men, as Kanva's daughter.

Verse 29 (1.93.29)

कण्वं हि पितरं मन्ये पितरं स्वमजानती । इति ते कथितं राजन्यथावृत्तं श्रुतं मया ॥

kaṇvaṃ hi pitaraṃ manye pitaraṃ svamajānatī | iti te kathitaṃ rājanyathāvṛttaṃ śrutaṃ mayā

For I think of Kanva as my father, not knowing my own father. So I have told you, O king, what happened, just as I heard it."