"Father, who is this Shakuntala?" Priyabhashini asked.
The great guru replied, "Shakuntala was the daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the celestial nymph Menaka. Deprived of parental love since birth, she was raised in the ashram of the great sage Kanva and Mother Gautami, who showered her with affection. As she grew older, Sage Kanva began searching for a worthy groom for her.
One day, King Dushyanta of the Solar Dynasty came hunting. After a long chase of birds and animals, he was exhausted and wandered through the forest in thirst and hunger. Near the banks of the Malini River, he spotted a small ashram. Entering the forest, he noticed how beautiful it was, full of blooming flowers and filled with the melodies of bees and cuckoos. Even the wild animals moved about peacefully.
He asked his attendants to wait at a spot within the forest and entered the ashram. There, he heard Brahmins chanting the Vedas and discussing sacred scriptures. Not finding Sage Kanva anywhere, he approached the sage's hut and called out, "Who is there?"
Hearing his voice, a young maiden stepped out of the hut. She had divine beauty like Goddess Lakshmi and was dressed in ascetic robes. She welcomed the king, offered him a seat, and respectfully washed his feet and gave him offerings. In a sweet voice, she asked, "O King, what brings you here? Please wait a little while; my father has gone to gather fruits and will return soon."
The king, intrigued by her grace and beauty, asked, "Who are you, divine lady? Whose daughter are you, and from where have you come to this place?"
She replied, "O King, I am Shakuntala, the daughter of Sage Kanva."
The king was surprised. "How is that possible? Kanva is an austere ascetic—how could he have a daughter?"
Shakuntala answered, "O King, I once heard my father telling this story to another sage. Let me tell you the truth of my birth."
She then recounted how her birth parents, Sage Vishwamitra and Menaka, met, and how she was born and later found and raised by Sage Kanva. She added, "One who only gives birth is not a true father; one who raises and nurtures is also a father. In that way, Sage Kanva is my true father."
After hearing her story, the king said, "Now I see that you are of royal lineage too. I wish to make you my wife. I offer you fine clothes, jewels, gems, and deer skins. Everything I own—my wealth, my palace, my kingdom—is yours. Marry me according to the Gandharva custom. It is a noble form of marriage."
Hearing this, Shakuntala lowered her head, shyly tracing the floor with her toe. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She wished she could disappear from that place.
But the king repeated, "O maiden, be my wife. Do not remain silent and increase my anguish."
Shakuntala replied, "O King, please wait. When my father returns shortly, he will give me to you in marriage. Without his permission, I cannot do this. He is my guru as well. If I marry you without his consent, it would be against dharma."
The king argued, "You are a Kshatriya woman. You have the right to choose your own husband. Among the different forms of marriage, Gandharva marriage is the most suitable for Kshatriyas. It is not adharma. So, please accept me as your husband."
Moved by his words, Shakuntala's heart softened. "Your words seem very true to me," she said, "but still, please wait a little."
The king insisted, "O deer-eyed, sweet-spoken maiden, give rest to my heart. The fire of longing for your companionship burns within me. Extinguish it. Accept me now. I will send a royal chariot and soldiers to bring you from your father's ashram to my palace."
With so many promises, Shakuntala's heart, like any woman's, wavered. She finally said, "O King, I agree to marry you in the Gandharva custom. But first, promise me that the son born from this union will be your heir and will become king after you."
Without hesitation, Dushyanta replied, "I agree to everything you say. Your son will be the ruler of the Puru dynasty and reign for a long time."
Then they married according to the Gandharva custom. For many days, the king lived happily in the forest with Shakuntala. Before leaving, he promised, "My beloved, I vow that I will send a chariot with soldiers to bring you to the palace as soon as I return."
However, as the king left the forest, doubts crept into his mind—how would the sage react to this kind of behavior? But the farther he moved from the forest, the more those worries faded.
Shakuntala, however, could not forget the time she had spent with the king. She lived in the ashram, cherishing those memories. When Sage Kanva returned, Shakuntala, usually ever dutiful to her father, could not bring herself to face him. Noticing her absence, the sage was initially concerned. But using his divine powers, he understood what had happened: Shakuntala had chosen her husband of her own will and had spent the night with him. That was why she was too ashamed to face her father.
He sent word for Shakuntala and said, "Daughter, the groom you chose of your own will is righteous. This form of marriage is accepted by the scriptures and is especially fitting for Kshatriyas. There is no harm in it. King Dushyanta is a noble ruler, virtuous and pious. The son you bear will rule the earth surrounded by oceans."
Shakuntala washed her father's feet and said, "Bless my husband and all his kingdom."
The sage replied, "Daughter, the descendants of the Puru dynasty will always follow dharma. They shall never lose their throne."
Shakuntala later gave birth to a mighty son of divine valor, as if born of fire. He grew up in Kanva's ashram. His playmates were the wild animals of the forest, who never harmed him. He would catch these fierce animals and tie them to trees near the ashram. Seeing his strength, the people named him Sarvadamana—the Subduer of All.
Despite the passage of time, the king neither sent word nor came for Shakuntala. Eventually, one day, Sage Kanva called her and said, "Daughter, seeing the power and valor of my grandson, I realize it is now time for him to become a prince. After such a long time since your marriage, staying in your father's house is no longer proper. It invites gossip and dishonor. So, you must now go to your husband's home with your son. I will send my disciples to escort you."
At this point, the sage paused. The eyes of all the young maidens in the ashram were filled with tears. Seeing this, the great sage sighed deeply. The divine maiden silently rebelled in her heart, but her nature forbade her from outwardly expressing such restlessness. So she sat with moist eyes and lowered head.