मुहूर्तयाते तस्मिंस् तु कण्वो ऽप्य् आश्रमम् आगमत् ॥
शकुन्तला च पितरं ह्रिया नोपजगाम तम् ॥
विज्ञायाथ च तां कण्वो दिव्यज्ञानो महातपाः ॥
उवाच भगवान् प्रीतः पश्यन् दिव्येन चक्षुषा ॥
त्वयाद्य राजान्वयया माम् अनादृत्य यत्कृतः ॥
पुंसा सह समायोगो न स धर्मोपघातकः ॥
क्षत्रियस्य हि गान्धर्वो विवाहः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते ॥
सकामायाः सकामेन निर्मन्त्रो रहसि स्मृतः ॥
धर्मात्मा च महात्मा च दुःषन्तः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
अभ्यगच्छः पतिं यं त्वं भजमानं शकुन्तले ॥
महात्मा जनिता लोके पुत्रस् तव महाबलः ॥
य इमां सागरापाङ्गां कृत्स्नां भोक्ष्यति मेदिनीम् ॥
परं चाभिप्रयातस्य चक्रं तस्य महात्मनः ॥
भविष्यत्य् अप्रतिहतं सततं चक्रवर्तिनः ॥
ततः प्रक्षाल्य पादौ सा विश्रान्तं मुनिम् अब्रवीत् ॥
विनिधाय ततो भारं संनिधाय फलानि च ॥
मया पतिर् वृतो यो ऽसौ दुःषन्तः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
तस्मै ससचिवाय त्वं प्रसादं कर्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
कण्व उवाच
प्रसन्न एव तस्याहं त्वत्कृते वरवर्णिनि ॥
गृहाण च वरं मत्तस् तत्कृते यद् अभीप्सितम् ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
ततो धर्मिष्ठतां वव्रे राज्याच् चास्खलनं तथा ॥
शकुन्तला पौरवाणां दुःषन्तहितकाम्यया ॥
muhūrtayāte tasmiṃs tu kaṇvo 'py āśramam āgamat ||
śakuntalā ca pitaraṃ hriyā nopajagāma tam ||
vijñāyātha ca tāṃ kaṇvo divyajñāno mahātapāḥ ||
uvāca bhagavān prītaḥ paśyan divyena cakṣuṣā ||
tvayādya rājānvayayā mām anādṛtya yatkṛtaḥ ||
puṃsā saha samāyogo na sa dharmopaghātakaḥ ||
kṣatriyasya hi gāndharvo vivāhaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate ||
sakāmāyāḥ sakāmena nirmantro rahasi smṛtaḥ ||
dharmātmā ca mahātmā ca duḥṣantaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||
abhyagacchaḥ patiṃ yaṃ tvaṃ bhajamānaṃ śakuntale ||
mahātmā janitā loke putras tava mahābalaḥ ||
ya imāṃ sāgarāpāṅgāṃ kṛtsnāṃ bhokṣyati medinīm ||
paraṃ cābhiprayātasya cakraṃ tasya mahātmanaḥ ||
bhaviṣyaty apratihataṃ satataṃ cakravartinaḥ ||
tataḥ prakṣālya pādau sā viśrāntaṃ munim abravīt ||
vinidhāya tato bhāraṃ saṃnidhāya phalāni ca ||
mayā patir vṛto yo 'sau duḥṣantaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||
tasmai sasacivāya tvaṃ prasādaṃ kartum arhasi ||
kaṇva uvāca
prasanna eva tasyāhaṃ tvatkṛte varavarṇini ||
gṛhāṇa ca varaṃ mattas tatkṛte yad abhīpsitam ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tato dharmiṣṭhatāṃ vavre rājyāc cāskhalanaṃ tathā ||
śakuntalā pauravāṇāṃ duḥṣantahitakāmyayā ||
'[When] that moment had passed, Kanva came to the hermitage; Shakuntala, however, from shame did not go out to meet her father. Kanva, [endowed] with divine knowledge, the great ascetic, having understood this, looking with his divine eye, pleased, said: "The fact that you, today, without asking me, have united with a husband of royal lineage — that is not a violation of dharma. For a kshatriya the gandharva marriage is called the best; it is recorded as [the union] of a loving woman with a loving man, without mantras, in private. O Shakuntala, Duhshanta is righteous, great of soul, best among men — [that] husband to whom you, in love, have come. In this world a son will be born to you, great of soul and mighty, who shall rule over this whole earth, [girded] by the ocean. For that great-souled sovereign (chakravartin), once he has set forth [to conquer], the wheel [of power] will always be irresistible." Then she, having washed the feet of the rested sage, having set down her burden and prepared fruits, said: "As husband I have chosen that Duhshanta, best among men; to him, together with [his] counselors, may you be pleased to show favor." Kanva said: "O fair-faced one, for your sake I am [already] pleased with him; for his sake, accept from me whatever boon you desire." Vaishampayana said: 'Then Shakuntala, desiring the welfare of Duhshanta, asked, [for the sake] of the Pauravas, the highest righteousness and freedom from the loss of the kingdom.'
21e60325a086 · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 3:37:30 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here Kanva blesses the union — and the highest wisdom of a loving father reveals itself. It is notable that the sage, discovering what had happened, does not grow angry but approves: 'that is not a violation of dharma,' for the gandharva marriage is lawful for a kshatriya. In this is the image of a wise teacher who judges not by outward form (that the daughter acted without asking) but by the substance of dharma (that the union is lawful and the husband worthy). The far-sighted father rejoices not that a rite was observed but that his daughter has found a righteous husband and will bear a great son. Notable is the prophecy of the chakravartin — Bharata, after whom both the lineage (the Bharatas) and the land (Bharata-varsha) will be named: thus this union is not a private event but the beginning of a great lineage. And most beautiful of all is Shakuntala's selflessness: having gained the right to any boon, she asks not for herself but for her husband and his line — 'righteousness and freedom from the loss of the kingdom'; thus a true wife seeks good not for herself but for her husband. With this noble request the story of the courtship is crowned — an example of marital devotion and care for the dharma of the lineage.