शकुन्तला

{ śakuntalā }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

ŚAKUNTALĀ   Foster-daughter of sage Kaṇva. 1) Birth. Śakuntalā was a daughter born to Viśvāmitra of the Apsarā woman called Menakā. Viśvāmitra was engaged in intense tapas on the banks of river Mālinī in the Himālayas. Indra deputed Menakā to break the maharṣi's tapas. She enticed him away from his tapas and got pregnant by him. But she forsook the child on the banks of Mālinī and returned to Devaloka. 2) Childhood. Birds gathered round the forsaken orphan-child. While Śakuntas i.e. birds were petting the child Kaṇva came that way, saw the child and took it with him to the āśrama. As śakuntas had petted it, the child was named Śakuntalā.
3) As queen.
King Duṣyanta of the lunar dynasty married Śakuntalā and to the couple was born the famous Bharata. This is the original story about Śakuntalā's married life. All the Indian languages contain two different versions of Śakuntalā's life. One version is that related in Vyāsa's Bhārata and the second is that contained in Kālidāsa's Śākuntala. Many scholars opine that in the matter of the Śakuntalā episode Kālidāsa has gone a step further and for the better, and therefore both the versions of the story are to be carefully studied by us.
(i) Vyāsa's Śakuntalā.
Śakuntalā, now grown up as a maiden, was alone in the āśrama when King Duṣyanta, out in the forest on a hunting expedition, came there. In the absence of her foster-father Kaṇva, Śakuntalā welcomed the King. They fell in love with each other and the King married Śakuntalā according to the Gāndharva way of marriage and lived with her for a few days. Śakuntalā became pregnant. The King returned to his palace. Kaṇva returned to the āśrama and he was pleased that what had been destined to take place had happened. In due course of time Śakuntalā delivered a boy, who was named Sarvadamana. When the child was grown up, Kaṇva sent his mother along with him to Duṣyanta's palace. The King did not recognise them, but a celestial voice convinced him that the child was his own son. The King heartily welcomed his wife and son and Śakuntalā lived in the palace as his honoured wife.
(i
i) Kālidāsa's Śakuntalā.
Kaṇva brought up Śakuntalā born to Viśvāmitra of Menakā in his āśrama and she had two companions called Anasūyā and Priyaṁvadā. All the three grew up and became maidens. King Duṣyanta, who went out hunting in the forest followed a deer to Kaṇva's āśrama where he saw Śakuntalā watering the garden with her companions. Kaṇva was then away at Cakratīrtha. Duṣyanta, who fell in love with Śakuntalā, married her according to the Gāndharva rules and lived with her at the āśrama for a few days. Meanwhile Śakuntalā became pregnant, and emissaries from the palace came and the King returned with them. He left the āśrama after promising Śakuntalā that he would soon return to her. He gave her his signet ring. Sad over the separation from Duṣyanta and immersed in thought about him, Śakuntalā was sitting there in the āśrama when Durvāsas came there. She did not see the maharṣi nor welcome him respectfully. He got angry at this and cursed her that she be forgotten by him about whom she was so intensely thinking. Śakuntalā did not hear the curse either, but her companions who heard it begged pardon of the muni on behalf of Śakuntalā and prayed for absolution from the curse. Then he said that if Śakuntalā showed the King any sign about their relationship the King would remember her. Her companions did not tell Śakuntalā about the above incidents. Kaṇva gladly welcomed Śakuntalā's wedding with Duṣyanta. Days and months passed by, yet Duṣyanta did not return and Kaṇva sent Śakuntalā, in whom signs of pregnancy had become prominent, to the palace of the King in the company of Gautamī and Śārṅgarava. Anasūyā reminded Śakuntalā to take particular care of the signet ring. On their way to the palace Śakuntalā and others bathed in the Somavāratīrtha, and nobody noticed Śakuntalā losing from her finger the ring in the tīrtha. They reached the King's palace. None noticed them. Duṣyanta did not remember having even seen her. The signet ring was missing. After leaving Śakuntalā at the palace her companions returned to the āśrama. Menakā, whose heart melted at the pathetic wailings of Śakuntalā led her to Kaśyapa's āśrama, left her there and returned to Devaloka. The signet ring lost by Śakuntalā was swallowed by a fish, which was netted by a fisherman, who went about the streets to sell the ring extracted from inside the fish. Servants of the King took the fisherman captive. At the sight of the ring thoughts about the past dawned on the King and he remembered all about Śakuntalā. His days became sad pondering over separation from Śakuntalā. Śakuntalā delivered a boy at the āśrama of Kaśyapa. The child was named Sarvadamana and he grew up as a courageous boy. On his return from the devāsura war, Duṣyanta entered Kaśyapa's āśrama where he saw Sarvadamana counting the teeth of a lion he had captured. Having heard details about him from the boy the King went inside the āśrama and saw Kaśyapa and Śakuntalā. He returned with Śakuntalā and the boy to the palace with Kaśyapa's blessings. It was this boy Sarvadamana, who afterwards became Bharata, the famous emperor of India.

हिन्दी (hindi) WN

   See : शकुंतला

प्राचीन चरित्रकोश

शकुन्तला n.  महर्षि कण्व की पोषित कन्या, जो दुष्यन्त राजा की धर्मपत्‍नी एवं भरत राजा की माता थी । यह एवं दुष्यन्त राजा कालिदास के ‘अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलम्’ के कारण अमर हो चुकी हैं।
शकुन्तला n.  शतपथ ब्राह्मण में इसे एक अप्सरा कहा गया है, एवं इसके द्वारा ‘नाडपित्’ के तट पर भरत को जन्म दिये जाने को निर्देश प्राप्त है [श. ब्रा. १३.५.४.१३] । इसी कारण इसे ‘नाडपिती’ अथवा ‘नाडपित’ दी जाती थी ।
शकुन्तला n.  इस ग्रंथ में इसे विश्वामित्र एवं मेनका अप्सरा की कन्या कहा गया है । विश्वामित्र के तपःकाल में, उसका तपोभंग करने के लिए इंद्र के द्वारा मेनका भेजी गयी थी । उसी समय हिमालय पर्वत में मालिनी नदी के किनारे इसका जन्म हुआ था । इसका जन्म होते ही मेनका इसे पृथ्वी पर छोड़ कर चली गयी। तत्पश्चात् इसका लालनपालन शकुन्त पक्षियों ने किया, जिस कारण, इसे ‘शकुन्तला’ नाम प्राप्त हुआ [म. आ. ६६. ११ -१४] ।
शकुन्तला n.  तत्पश्चात् कण्व ऋषि ने इसे अपनी कन्या मान कर, अपने आश्रम में इसे पालपोस कर बड़ा किया । एक बार मृगया खेलता हुआ हस्तिनापुर का राजा दुष्यन्त कण्व ऋषि के दर्शनार्थ आश्रम में आया । उस समय कण्व ऋषि आश्रम में नही थे, जिस कारण इसकी एवं दुष्यन्त की भेट हुई, एवं कण्व ऋषि के द्वारा ज्ञात हुई अपनी जन्मकथा इसने उसे कह सुनायी । दुष्यन्त के द्वारा प्रेमदान माँगने पर इसने बताया कि, अपने पिता की संमति के बिना यह विवाह करना नहीं चाहती। उस समय दुष्यन्त ने इसे विवाह के आठ भेद बताये, एवं कहा कि, इन विवाहों में से गांधर्वविवाह पिता के संमति के बिना ही हो सकता है । उस समय यह इस शर्त पर विवाह के लिए तैयार हुई कि, इसका पुत्र हास्तिनापुर का सम्राट् बने । शकुन्तला की यह शर्त दुष्यन्त के द्वारा मान्य किये जाने पर, कण्व ऋषि के अनुपस्थिति में इसका दुष्यन्त से विवाह हुआ। विवाह के पश्चात्, हस्तिनापुर पहुँचते ही इसे दूत के द्वारा बुलाने का आश्वासन दे कर दुष्यन्त चला गया [म. आ. ६७.२०] ।
शकुन्तला n.  आश्रम आने पर कण्व ऋषि को सारी घटना ज्ञात हुई, एवं उसने प्रसन्न हो कर इसे शुभाशीर्वाद दिये । कालांतर में इसे एक परमतेजस्वी बालक उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसका नाम ‘भरत’ अथवा ‘सर्वदमन’ रखा गया । काफ़ी दिन बीत जाने पर भी, दुष्यंत की ओर से कोई बुलावा नहीं आया । इस कारण भरत के जातकर्मादि संस्कार हो जाने पर, कण्व ने इसे पातिव्रत्यधर्म का उपदेश दिया, एवं पतिगृह के लिए बिदा किया ।
शकुन्तला n.  दुष्यंत के राजसभा में पहुँचते ही, इसने उसे अपनी सारी शर्ते उसे याद दिलायीं, एवं भरत को यौवराज्याभिषेक करने के लिए कहा । किन्तु दुष्यंत ने इसका यह प्रस्ताव अमान्य किया, एवं अत्यंत रोषपूर्ण शब्दों में इसकी आलोचना की । दुष्यंत की यह कठोर वाणी सुन कर इसे बड़ी लज्जा प्रतीत हुई, एवं इसने धर्म की श्रेष्ठता, एवं सूर्यादि देवताओं को साक्षी बनाकर, अपने प्रति न्याय करने के लिए बार बार अनुरोध किया । इसी समय इसने पत्‍नी एवं पुत्र के बारे में पति के कर्तव्य दुहाराये, एवं इन कर्तव्यों का पालन करने के लिये उसकी बार बार प्रार्थना की। फिर भी दुष्यंत ने इसकी एक न सुनी । तब इसने उसे शाप दिया, ‘अगर तुम भरत को युवराज नहीं बनाओगे, तो भरत तुम्हारे राज्य पर आक्रमण कर के स्वयं राज्याधिकारी बनेगा’। इतने में आकाशवाणी के द्वारा दुष्यंत को ज्ञात हुआ कि, शकुंतला उसकी धर्मपत्‍नी है, एवं भरत उसका पुत्र है । इस पर दुष्यंत ने इन दोनों को स्वीकार किया, एवं इसे अपनी पटरानी एवं भरत को अपना युवराज बनाया [वायु. ९९.१३५] ; [म. आ. ६९.४४] । पश्चात् दुष्यंत ने इसे समझाया कि, लोकापवाद के भय से शुरू में उसने इसको अस्वीकार किया था [म. आ. ६२, भा. ९.२०] ।
शकुन्तला n.  कालिदास के द्वारा विरचित संस्कृत नाटक ‘अभिज्ञानशाकुंतलम्’ में, दुर्वास ऋषि के द्वारा इसे दिया शाप, शक्रावतारतीर्थ में ‘अभिज्ञान’ की अँगुठी इसके द्वारा खो जाना, दुष्यंत राजा विस्मृति का शिकार बनना, मत्स्यगर्भ से प्राप्त अभिज्ञान की अँगूठी से उसे पुनः स्मृति प्राप्त होना, आदि अनेकानेक उपकथाविभाग दिये गये है । किंतु वे सारे कल्पनारम्य प्रतीत होते है, क्यों कि, उन्हें प्राचीन साहित्य में कोई भी आधार प्राप्त नहीं होता । किंतु पद्मपुराण के बंगला संस्करण में ‘अभिज्ञान शाकुंतलम्’ से मिलती जुलती कथा प्राप्त है ।

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

शकुन्तला  f.  f. (said to be fr. शकुन्त) N. of a daughter of the अप्सरस् मेनका by विश्वामित्र (she was supposed to have been born and left in a forest, where she was protected by birds till found by the sage कण्व, who took her to his hermitage and reared her as his daughter; she was there seen by king दुष्यन्त, when on a hunting expedition, and married by him, and became the mother of भरत, sovereign of all India; the story of दुष्यन्त's accidental meeting with शकुन्तला, their marriage, separation, his repudiation of her through temporary loss of memory caused by a curse, his subsequent recognition of her by means of a ring which was lost but afterwards recovered, forms the subject of कालिदास's celebrated drama called अभिज्ञान-शकुन्तला q.v.).

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

शकुन्तला [śakuntalā]   [शकुन्तैः लायते ला घञर्थे क] N. of the daughter of Viśvāmitra by the nymph Menakā who was sent down by Indra to disturb the sage's austerities. [When Menakā went up to the heaven she left the child in a solitary forest where she was taken care of by 'Śakuntas' or birds, whence she was called "Śakuntalā". She was afterwards found by the sage Kaṇva and brought up as his own daughter. When Duṣyanta in the course of his hunting came to the sage's hermitage, he was fascinated by her charms and prevailed on her to become his wife by the Gandharva form of marriage; (see Duṣyanta). She bore to him a son named Bharata, who became a universal monarch, and gave his name to India which came to be called Bharatavarsa.]

Shabda-Sagara

शकुन्तला  f.  ( -ला) The daughter of MENAKĀ, the courtezan of Swarga, by the sage VISHWĀMITRA, brought up by KANWA the hermit, and afterwards married to DUSHYANTA, by whom she became the mother of BHARATA, the sovereign of all India.
    E. शकुन्त a bird, ला to get, affs. क and टाप्, being born in a solitary forest, and protected by the birds till found by KANWA.

ROOTS:

शकुन्त ला क टाप्

संस्कृतम् (Sanskrit) WN

 noun  मेनकानाम्न्यः अप्सरसः कन्या।   Ex. शकुन्तला राज्ञः दुष्यन्तस्य पत्नी तथा च भरतस्य माता आसीत्।

ONTOLOGY:

पौराणिक जीव (Mythological Character) ➜ जन्तु (Fauna) ➜ सजीव (Animate) ➜ संज्ञा (Noun)

Wordnet:

ben শকুন্তলা

guj શકુંતલા

hin शकुंतला

kas شَکُنٛتَلا

kok शकुंतला

mal ശകുന്തള

mar शकुंतला

ori ଶକୁନ୍ତଳା

pan ਸ਼ੰਕੁਤਲਾ

tam சகுந்தலா

urd شکُنتلا