SánscritoIASTSignificado
ते अमितौजसः शिष्याः तथा इति उक्त्वा सपुत्रां शकुन्तलां पुरस्कृत्य गजसाह्वयं प्रातिष्ठन्तte amitaujasaḥ śiṣyāḥ tathā iti uktvā saputrāṃ śakuntalāṃ puraskṛtya gajasāhvayaṃ prātiṣṭhantathose immeasurably strong disciples, having said "let it be so," placing Shakuntala with her son before them, set out for [the city of] Hastinapura (the City of Elephants)
सा शुभ्रा अमरगर्भाभं कमललोचनं पुत्रं गृहीत्वा दुःषन्तविदितात् वनात् आजगामsā śubhrā amaragarbhābhaṃ kamalalocanaṃ putraṃ gṛhītvā duḥṣantaviditāt vanāt ājagāmathat radiant [maiden], taking her lotus-eyed son, [radiant] as though conceived by a god, came from the forest known to Dushyanta
सा विदिता राजानं अभिसृत्य तरुणादित्यवर्चसा तेन पुत्रेण सह प्रवेशिताsā viditā rājānaṃ abhisṛtya taruṇādityavarcasā tena putreṇa saha praveśitāshe, [having announced herself], approaching the king, together with that son, radiant as the young sun, was ushered in [to him]
शकुन्तला यथान्यायं पूजयित्वा तं अब्रवीत् राजन् अयं पुत्रः त्वया यौवराज्ये अभिषिच्यताम्śakuntalā yathānyāyaṃ pūjayitvā taṃ abravīt rājan ayaṃ putraḥ tvayā yauvarājye abhiṣicyatāmShakuntala, having honored him as was proper, said: "O king, this son [of yours] — let him be installed [by you] as heir"
राजन् अयं सुरोपमः सुतः त्वया मयि उत्पन्नः पुरुषोत्तम एतस्मिन् यथासमयं वर्तस्वrājan ayaṃ suropamaḥ sutaḥ tvayā mayi utpannaḥ puruṣottama etasmin yathāsamayaṃ vartasva"O king, this godlike son has been begotten by you in me; O best of men, act toward him according to the pact"
यथा पूर्वं समागमे त्वया सः समयः कृतः महाभाग तं कण्वाश्रमपदं प्रति स्मरस्वyathā pūrvaṃ samāgame tvayā saḥ samayaḥ kṛtaḥ mahābhāga taṃ kaṇvāśramapadaṃ prati smarasva"as, formerly, at [our] union, that pact was made by you — O fortunate one, remember it, [made] at Kanva's hermitage"
सः राजा तत् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा स्मरन् अपि न स्मरामि इति अब्रवीत् त्वं कस्य दुष्टतापसिsaḥ rājā tat vākyaṃ śrutvā smaran api na smarāmi iti abravīt tvaṃ kasya duṣṭatāpasithat king, having heard that speech, though he remembered, said: "I do not remember; whose are you, wicked ascetic woman?"
त्वया सह धर्मकामार्थसंबन्धं न स्मरामि गच्छ वा तिष्ठ वा यत् वा इच्छसि तत् कुरुtvayā saha dharmakāmārthasaṃbandhaṃ na smarāmi gaccha vā tiṣṭha vā yat vā icchasi tat kuru"I do not remember any bond with you in dharma, desire, or gain; go or stay, or do whatever you wish"
सा एवं उक्ता वरारोहा मनस्विनी व्रीडिता इव दुःखेन विसंज्ञा इव स्थाणुः इव अचला तस्थौsā evaṃ uktā varārohā manasvinī vrīḍitā iva duḥkhena visaṃjñā iva sthāṇuḥ iva acalā tasthauthat fair-thighed, wise [woman], thus addressed, stood as though ashamed, as though bereft of her senses from grief, motionless as a post
संरम्भामर्षताम्राक्षी स्फुरमाणोष्ठसंपुटा कटाक्षैः निर्दहन्ती इव राजानं तिर्यक् ऐक्षतsaṃrambhāmarṣatāmrākṣī sphuramāṇoṣṭhasaṃpuṭā kaṭākṣaiḥ nirdahantī iva rājānaṃ tiryak aikṣatawith eyes reddened by rage and indignation, with quivering lips, as though scorching [him] with sidelong glances, she looked askance at the king
मन्युना अभिसमीरिता आकारं गूहमाना तपसा संभृतं तेजः तदा धारयाम् आसmanyunā abhisamīritā ākāraṃ gūhamānā tapasā saṃbhṛtaṃ tejaḥ tadā dhārayām āsastirred by wrath, concealing her feeling, she then held within herself the fire gathered by her austerities
तथेत्य्tathetyoriginal form "tathety", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वेsarveoriginal form "sarve", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रातिष्ठन्तामितौजसःprātiṣṭhantāmitaujasaḥoriginal form "prātiṣṭhantāmitaujasaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गजसाह्वयम्gajasāhvayamoriginal form "gajasāhvayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गृहीत्वामरगर्भाभंgṛhītvāmaragarbhābhaṃoriginal form "gṛhītvāmaragarbhābhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कमललोचनम्kamalalocanamoriginal form "kamalalocanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततःtataḥoriginal form "tataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दुःषन्तविदिताद्duḥṣantaviditādoriginal form "duḥṣantaviditād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेनैवtenaivaoriginal form "tenaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथान्यायम्yathānyāyamoriginal form "yathānyāyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रस्putrasoriginal form "putras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभिषिच्यताम्'bhiṣicyatāmoriginal form "'bhiṣicyatām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुतोsutooriginal form "suto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मय्य्mayyoriginal form "mayy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथासमयम्yathāsamayamoriginal form "yathāsamayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समयस्samayasoriginal form "samayas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुत्वैवśrutvaivaoriginal form "śrutvaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्याtasyāoriginal form "tasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्मरन्न्smarannoriginal form "smarann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अब्रवीन्abravīnoriginal form "abravīn", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्मरामीतिsmarāmītioriginal form "smarāmīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कामंkāmaṃoriginal form "kāmaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form "yad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वापीच्छसिvāpīcchasioriginal form "vāpīcchasi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सैवम्saivamoriginal form "saivam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्रीडितेवvrīḍitevaoriginal form "vrīḍiteva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विसंज्ञेवvisaṃjñevaoriginal form "visaṃjñeva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थाणुर्sthāṇuroriginal form "sthāṇur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवाचलाivācalāoriginal form "ivācalā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कटाक्षैर्kaṭākṣairoriginal form "kaṭākṣair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निर्दहन्तीवnirdahantīvaoriginal form "nirdahantīva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तिर्यग्tiryagoriginal form "tiryag", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजानम्rājānamoriginal form "rājānam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मन्युनाभिसमीरिताmanyunābhisamīritāoriginal form "manyunābhisamīritā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेजोtejooriginal form "tejo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here begins the sorrowful trial: the king disowns his wife and son. It is telling that the text states plainly: the king, "though he remembered, said: I do not remember" — that is, he disowns her knowingly, out of false shame before the assembly and fear of gossip. Here even a righteous king falls before the opinion of others: fear of censure drives Dushyanta to falsehood and cruelty toward an innocent woman. It is a bitter lesson in how strong the fear of gossip can be in the human heart, capable of silencing both conscience and love. Yet equally telling is the image of Shakuntala: insulted, she does not burst into reproach, but "stands motionless, like a post," concealing her wrath and holding within herself the "fire gathered by her austerities." Thus the text reveals the greatness of insulted virtue: she is powerful (she could scorch him to ashes), yet she governs herself; her dignity lies in self-restraint. And this restrained wrath of the righteous woman is about to break forth not in a curse, but in speech — one of the greatest defenses of truth, duty, and a wife's dignity in the whole epic.