A bhijnanasakuntalam, famously known as “The Recognition of Sakuntala”

(through a token) was the first ever translation made of an Indian play into
Western languages. This brilliant tale of romance and emotions attracted
William Jones so much that he translated the play in English during the year
1789 and the tradition of translating the work of Kalidasa is continuing even
today.
The play was not composed entirely in Sanskrit and contains elements of a
Middle Indian dialect known as Maharashtri Prakrit. There is no certainty about
the exact timeline or period in which the play of Kalidasa is written. The reason
behind this uncertainty is due to the fact that there is no historical evidence
about when Kalidasa was born and the period of his lifetime varies from
2nd century B.C to 4th century A.D.
About the play:
The roots of the play are taken from the Indian epic “Mahabharata” and several
changes were made to derive dramatic effects and they all worked. As a result,
most people consider the version of the origin of Bharata, misfortunes of
Sakuntala and the story of Dushyanta by Kalidasa in Abhijnanasakuntalam is
authentic. The plot revolves around Sakuntala, the daughter of the great saint
Viswamithra and the heavenly damsel Menaka. Viswamithra in order to gain
great rewards gets into deep meditation and the lord of heavens, Indra gets
worried about his predicament if the saint completes his meditation. To save his
position and be worshipped as the one with no equal, Indra sends Menaka to
lure Viswamithra out of his contemplation to God.
After many efforts Menaka successfully disturbs the firm mind of the saint and
he falls in love with the beauty of the damsel. As a result, Sakuntala (the name
is given by the sage Kanva) is born and Viswamithra realizes what he has lost
due to the union and rejects to be with Menaka and Sakuntala. Menaka is
forbidden to enter Heaven with a human child so she leaves her daughter in a
forest knowing well that the forest is under the protection of Kanva and he will
take care of her. As expected by Menaka, Kanva finds the baby girl surrounded
by birds called Shakunta, thus he names her as Sakuntala as she was seen with
the birds who seem to enjoy playing with her. When the play
Abhijnanasakuntalam opens, Sakuntala is seen in her youth with graceful mind
and body.
Prologue:
The play opens with a benediction to the gods and after the benediction the
director and actress are enter the stage. The director introduces the name of the
play as Abhijnanasakuntalam and asks to treat the audience with a song about
the season summer. She sings so well that the director is spellbound and forgets
why he is on the stage until she reminds the purpose of their appearance. The
prologue ends with the director mentioning about failing of memory and relates
it to the hunting Dushyanta.
Act – I or The Chase (Scene: The forest and then hermitage):
Dushyanta, the king of Hasthinapura tries to capture a deer and is seen on his
chariot when a hermit intervenes and warns that the place is under the protection
of a hermitage and any animal that enters the place shall not be harmed. The
King honours the words of the hermit and withdraws his arrow and puts it back
into the quiver. The Hermit blesses the king with a boon to have a noble son and
asks him to visit the hermitage of Kanva. Dushyanta is knowledgeable enough
to know that a hermitage should be entered with all the modesty; therefore he
asks the charioteer Suta to halt, removes all his jewels and Kingly costumes to
appear like a normal individual. As he takes steps forward, he hears the sound of
hermit girls and is taken away by the beauty of them. So, he decides to hide
behind a tree and observe them.
Sakuntala, Priyamvada and Anasuya converse with each other while a bee
troubles Sakuntala and the admiring Dushyanta is comes out from hiding to save
her from the foraging thief. At first, Sakuntala gets scared of seeing a man who
doesn’t belong to the hermitage and runs away. Dushyanta reveals his true
identity and is graciously invited to the hermitage. Sakuntala falls in love with
the king as his delightful words and his face attract her very much. Dushyanta
gives his ring to Sakuntala as a token. The King leaves the serene hermitage as
the soldiers approach with loud shouts.
Act – II or Concealment of the telling (Scene: The Forest):
Madhavya, the court-jester and a close companion to Dushyanta is seen
complaining about his ill-fate having to wander the forest and eat on everything
he could get instead of rejoicing in the palace. He tries to show his frustrations
when the king meets him; however, Dushyanta consoles him and makes him to
agree to help. They conspire together so that Dushyanta can get as close as
possible to the beautiful Sakuntala. Dushyanta is reminded of the fast done by
his mother and the oath he took to participate on the last day. At the crossroads,
unable to decide whether to fulfil the oath or carry on with his heart’s renderings
Dushyanta sends Madhavya to the King’s palace as his younger brother so that
he could get closer to Sakuntala.
Act – III or Love’s fruition (Scene: The hermitage of Kanva):
The king couldn’t resist himself from returning to the hermitage to see
Sakuntala and as he enters speaking of the charm Sakuntala possesses, she and
her friends enter talking in a flirtatious manner. He hides and watches them as
they speak in that manner and Sakuntala begins to sing of love. Dushyanta
comes out of hiding, unable to subdue his heart’s cravings due to the influence
of the poem. The four of them talk and gradually Priyamvada and Anasuya slip
away leaving the pair in solitary independence. As their hearts drizzle with
thoughts of lover’s flirtations and they get closer with each conversation, from a
distance the voice of Gautami is heard calling for Sakuntala. The pair separate
with regret and Sakuntala leaves with Gautami whereas Dushyanta leaves to
help the ascetics complete the evening prayers.
Act – IV or Sakuntala’s departure (Scene: The hermitage of Kanva):
From the conversation of Anasuya and Priyamvada it is revealed that Dushyanta
and Sakuntala are married and they talk of the king returning to his capital,
perplexity over fulfilling his promise to Sakuntala, Kanva’s reaction to the
union, etc. However, they conclude that everything will go just right as they
hear a voice announcing himself at the hermitage while they’re picking flowers.
Knowing of the uncertain state of Sakuntala who is know always thinking of
Dushyanta hurry back to see if she has properly received the guest.
The guest is Durvasa – a great saint with intense anger. He becomes frustrated
to see Sakuntala not receiving him properly and curses her as thus:
As Durvasa is very powerful there is nothing they could do about the curse,
instead they plead for consolation. Durvasa says that the token of the king (the
ring) would enable him to remember who Sakuntala is and all the lost memories
will be restored. The scene shifts and Sakuntala is shown preparing herself to
leave to the Royal palace with the hope to restore the memories of her husband
and make him aware of her pregnancy. Gautami helps her, so do Anasuya and
Priyamvada; meanwhile, Kanva enters after completing his prayers with grief
stricken heart as his daughter leaving. Gautami, Saradvata and Sarngarava are
also ordered to go with Sakuntala and ensure she reaches the Palace safely and
the reunion is without any trouble. Emotions flow through Kanva and every
other individual in the hermitage as she leaves. This act in Abhijnanasakuntalam
contains most unexpected events from announcing of the marriage to the curse
and acceptance of the marriage by Kanva and Gautami.
Act – V or The Repudiation of Sakuntala (Scene: The Palace):
The King is seen with burdensome schedules and is weary by performing his
duties. Madhavya asks to listen to the song and music played by her wife
Hamsavati. The song suggests subtly that she is being neglected and Dushyanta
feels a yearning in his heart but cannot understand the reason for his heart to
behave as such. At this moment, the chamberlain announces the presence of
hermits from the hermitage of Kanva and Dushyanta asks for them immediately
by inviting them with proper Vedic rites. After the reception, Sarngarava and
Gautami remind the king of the secret marriage between him and Sakuntala but
he cannot remember anything. Sakuntala understanding the effects of the curse
by Durvasa tries to produce the ring on her hand and to her surprise the ring
won’t be in its place. Sakuntala shattered by the absence of the ring stands in the
palace without any proof, while Gautami exclaims that she the ring might have
slipped off in the pool while she was washing her face. Dushyanta accuses the
hermits and Sakuntala, but the high priest suggests seeing if there is any truth
behind the story as the people are from the hermitage of Kanva. Dushyanta
agrees to provide facilities in the palace till the child is born so that the child
could be examined and determined which of the two parties is speaking the
truth. However, heartbroken Sakuntala asks the earth to take her and she is
taken away by light to the bewilderment of Dushyanta.
Act – VI or Separation from Sakuntala (Scene: Capital of Dushyanta & The
Pleasure Gardens):
Two policemen recognize the royal signet ring in possession of a fisherman.
The fisherman pleads that he found the ring in a fish he caught lately. A police
chief goes to the king and submits the ring which disturbs him a lot. The
fisherman is given leave without any punishment and further given
compensation. However, Dushyanta feels horribly sorry for himself and the way
he treated Sakuntala. By the time recognition of Sakuntala
(Abhijnanasakuntalam) by Dushyanta is fulfilled he has absolutely no idea
where she was taken and how to find her.
Misrakesi, an apsara comes to check the situation in the palace as requested by
Menaka and she oversees things invisibly. She finds out from maids that the
king is in a miserable condition and she relates the same predicament to
Sakuntala. Dushyanta expresses his grief to Madhavya and the court-jester tries
to console him.
Meanwhile, Chaturika brings the portrait of Sakuntala which intensifies the
grief of the king and the same he feels terrible loneliness without his love. As
the Queen Vasumati is expected to make her presence in the gardens, Dushyanta
hands over the painting of Sakuntala to him and asks to flee.
An attendant comes to Dushyanta and informs the Queen has returned observing
a note in his hand. The note is about a wealthy merchant who unfortunately died
in a shipwreck and all his property is unclaimed. The King orders to give the
property to whichever wife is pregnant, but decides against it as it is only fair to
do justice to everyone depending on the trade of the merchant. So, he orders to
share all the properties of the merchant to his family and loved ones.
The thought of a pregnant wife disturbs him as he with blindness turned out the
one who was about to produce the heir of his family and the future king of
Hasthinapura. As he laments his decision, he hears cries of anguish and finds
Madhavya is taken by a demon form. He chases the demon and frees his friend
only to find that the demon is Matali who came to take Dushyanta to assist in
battle against demon – Kalanemi. It is revealed that Matali intentionally
apprehended Madhavya to distract the King from the misery. Both Matali and
Dushyanta mount the chariot as the act ends.
Act – VII or Sakuntala’s prosperity (Scene: Celestial regions & Hermitage of
Maricha):
Dushyanta along with other warriors of Heaven vanquish all the demons and he
is seen returning with Matali. As they travel through the path of Heavens,
Dushyanta expresses his desire to pay homage at the hermitage of Maricha.
Matali takes him to the hermitage and leaves the king in the serene place. As the
King contemplates on the divine presence and tranquillity in the hermitage he
hears some voices and turns towards them to find an young boy playing with
lion cube, trying to open its mouth so that he could count the number of teeth.
He feels so related to the boy that he goes and pampers him and the ascetics are
surprised to see that the boy also feels comfortable with the stranger. The ascetic
women realize the armlet of the boy is missing and Dushyanta finds it where the
boy was wrestling the lion cub previously.
Maricha gives that armlet during the natal rites of the child and it is charmed.
Anyone apart from the parents or the boy himself touches the armlet it turns into
a snake and bites them. The ascetics immediately recognize the stranger as
Dushyanta and the King in joyously confident that the boy is his own and
Sakuntala is in the hermitage. Sakuntala and Dushyanta unite in tears and the
King explains how his memory got restored once he saw the signet ring found
by a fisherman. Maricha, Aditi and Matali enter the scene and Maricha blesses
the pair to live in prosperity. Maricha states that their family needs no boon as it
includes a Father equal to Indra, Mother born of an Apsara and son who can
make demons run. The play Abhijnanasakuntalam ends with the blissful reunion
and the family is seen to return to the palace of Dushyanta.
This version of Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kalidasa is different from the one
mentioned in the epic “Mahabharata “; however, apart from the dramatic effects
and the dialogues the story reaches to its end in the same way as that described
in the epic poem Mahabharata. Hence, many consider both the versions as
authentic with only difference being the description of characters by the two
poets.