SanskritIASTMeaning
शकुन्तला उवाच यदि एषः धर्मपथः यदि आत्मा मम प्रभुः पौरवश्रेष्ठ प्रदाने मे समयं शृणुśakuntalā uvāca yadi eṣaḥ dharmapathaḥ yadi ātmā mama prabhuḥ pauravaśreṣṭha pradāne me samayaṃ śṛṇuShakuntala said: if this is the path of dharma, and if I am my own mistress, O best of the Pauravas, in [the matter of] my being given [in marriage], hear my condition
यत् त्वां रहः वक्ष्यामि तत् सत्यं मे प्रतिजानीहि मम यः पुत्रः जायेत सः त्वदनन्तरं भवेत्yat tvāṃ rahaḥ vakṣyāmi tat satyaṃ me pratijānīhi mama yaḥ putraḥ jāyeta saḥ tvadanantaraṃ bhavetpromise me truly what I shall tell you in private: the son that is born to me shall be [king] after you
महाराज युवराजः एतत् मे सत्यं ब्रवीहि यदि एतत् एवं दुःषन्त मे त्वया संगमः अस्तुmahārāja yuvarājaḥ etat me satyaṃ bravīhi yadi etat evaṃ duḥṣanta me tvayā saṃgamaḥ astuO great king, [let him be] the heir [to the throne]; tell me this truly; if this is so, O Duhshanta, let there be union between us
वैशंपायनः उवाच राजा एवम् अस्तु इति तां अविचारयन् प्रत्युवाच शुचिस्मिते त्वां नगरं स्वं अपि नयिष्यामिvaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca rājā evam astu iti tāṃ avicārayan pratyuvāca śucismite tvāṃ nagaraṃ svaṃ api nayiṣyāmiVaishampayana said: the king, without hesitation, replied to her: 'So be it; and you, O bright-smiling one, I shall take to my own city'
सुश्रोणि यथा त्वं अर्हा सत्यं एतत् ते ब्रवीमिsuśroṇi yathā tvaṃ arhā satyaṃ etat te bravīmiO fair-hipped one, [I shall take you] as you deserve; truly I say this to you
सः राजर्षिः एवं उक्त्वा तां अनिन्दितगामिनीं विधिवत् पाणौ जग्राह तया सह उवास चsaḥ rājarṣiḥ evaṃ uktvā tāṃ aninditagāminīṃ vidhivat pāṇau jagrāha tayā saha uvāsa cathat royal sage, having said this, took by the hand, according to rite, that [maiden] of flawless gait, and dwelt with her
एनां विश्वास्य सः प्रायात् पुनः पुनः अब्रवीत् तवार्थाय चतुरङ्गिणीं वाहिनीं प्रेषयिष्ये तया त्वां स्वं निवासं आनयिष्यामिenāṃ viśvāsya saḥ prāyāt punaḥ punaḥ abravīt tavārthāya caturaṅgiṇīṃ vāhinīṃ preṣayiṣye tayā tvāṃ svaṃ nivāsaṃ ānayiṣyāmihaving reassured her, he set out [on his way], saying again and again: for your sake I shall send a four-fold army, [and] with it bring you to my own dwelling
जनमेजय सः नृपः तस्याः इति प्रतिश्रुत्य मनसा चिन्तयन् काश्यपं प्रति प्रायात्janamejaya saḥ nṛpaḥ tasyāḥ iti pratiśrutya manasā cintayan kāśyapaṃ prati prāyātO Janamejaya, that king, having thus promised her, departed, pondering in his mind on Kashyapa (Kanva)
शकुन्तलोवाचśakuntalovācaoriginal form "śakuntalovāca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मपथस्dharmapathasoriginal form "dharmapathas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एषeṣaoriginal form "eṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चात्माcātmāoriginal form "cātmā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रभुर्prabhuroriginal form "prabhur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रभोprabhooriginal form "prabho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वक्ष्याम्य्vakṣyāmyoriginal form "vakṣyāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वदनन्तरम्tvadanantaramoriginal form "tvadanantaram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
युवराजोyuvarājooriginal form "yuvarājo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यम्satyamoriginal form "satyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतद्etadoriginal form "etad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्य्yadyoriginal form "yady", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतद्etadoriginal form "etad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संगमस्saṃgamasoriginal form "saṃgamas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्त्व्astvoriginal form "astv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रत्युवाचाविचारयन्pratyuvācāvicārayanoriginal form "pratyuvācāvicārayan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वम्tvamoriginal form "tvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यम्satyamoriginal form "satyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतद्etadoriginal form "etad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवम्evamoriginal form "evam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजर्षिस्rājarṣisoriginal form "rājarṣis", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताम्tāmoriginal form "tām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनिन्दितगामिनीम्aninditagāminīmoriginal form "aninditagāminīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पाणाव्pāṇāvoriginal form "pāṇāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैनांcaināṃoriginal form "caināṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रायाद्prāyādoriginal form "prāyād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अब्रवीच्abravīcoriginal form "abravīc", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चतुरङ्गिणीम्caturaṅgiṇīmoriginal form "caturaṅgiṇīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वाम्tvāmoriginal form "tvām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुचिस्मितेśucismiteoriginal form "śucismite", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपोnṛpooriginal form "nṛpo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्थिवःpārthivaḥoriginal form "pārthivaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भगवांस्bhagavāṃsoriginal form "bhagavāṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपसाtapasāoriginal form "tapasā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
युक्तःyuktaḥoriginal form "yuktaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुत्वाśrutvāoriginal form "śrutvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form "kiṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नुnuoriginal form "nu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
करिष्यतिkariṣyatioriginal form "kariṣyati", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संचिन्तयन्न्saṃcintayannoriginal form "saṃcintayann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवevaoriginal form "eva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रविवेशpraviveśaoriginal form "praviveśa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वकंsvakaṃoriginal form "svakaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरम्puramoriginal form "puram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here Shakuntala sets a wise condition — and the marriage is consummated. The maiden's prudence is notable: even in love, she does not lose her reason and provides for the future of her offspring — 'let my son be king after you.' In this is the image of a worthy wife: not blind passion but concern for the dharma of the lineage and the rights of children moves her; she concludes, as it were, a 'covenant,' securing lawful succession to the throne. This condition is also a safeguard of her honor: the union brings not fleeting passion but a lawful heir. Note also the shadow of what is to come: the king promises to 'send an army and bring her' — but (in the full tale) he will forget her; and already here his anxious thought, 'what will Kanva say?', betrays the uneasy conscience of a hasty union. Thus scripture both honors Shakuntala's prudence and quietly foreshadows the trial that awaits her. But the main thing is that the union is concluded, and the line of the Bharatas will continue through a lawful heir, for whom the wise mother has provided.