Abhijñānaśākuntalam

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Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Shakuntala) is a well-known Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa. It is written in a mix of Sanskrit and the Maharashtri Prakrit, a dialect of Sanskrit. Its date is uncertain, but Kalidasa is often placed in the period between the 1st century BC and 4th century AD.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Translations 3 Theatre 4 Musical adaptions

[edit] Synopsis

Although Kalidasa makes some minor changes to the plot, the play elaborates upon an episode mentioned in the Mahabharata. The protagonist is Shakuntala, daughter of sage Vishwamitra and the apsaras Menaka. Abandoned at birth by her parents, Shakuntala is reared in the secluded, sylvan hermitage of sage Kanva, and grows up a comely but innocent maiden.

Once, sage Kanva and other elders of the heritage embark upon a pilgrimage, leaving Shakuntala and her young companions behind. During this period, Dushyanta, king of Hastinapura, comes hunting in the forest and chances upon the hermitage. He is captivated by Shakuntala and courts her in royal style.

But Shakuntala is then cursed by an old sage, so that Dushyanta is bewitched into forgetting her existence. The only cure is for Shakuntala to show him the signet ring that he gave her, but Shakuntala loses the ring while crossing a river and Dushyanta cannot be persuaded that she is his wife. A goddess then whisks Shakuntala away.

Fortunately, the ring is discovered by a fisherman in the belly of a fish, and Dushyanta realises his mistake - too late. The newly wise Dushyanta defeats an army of Titans, and is rewarded by Indra with a journey through the Hindu heaven. Returned to Earth years later, Dushyanta finds Shakuntala and their son by chance, and recognises them.

In Kalidasa's version, as he staged it, Shakuntala was seduced by the king of Hastinapur Dushyanta and abandoned pregnant. She is given a ring by the king, to be presented to him when she appears in his court. She can then claim her place as queen.

The anger-prone sage Durvasa arrives when she is lost in her fantasies, so that when she fails to attend to him, he curses her that whoever she thinks of will forget her instantaneously. Later the sage relents, and grants that the curse will be negated when the ring is presented to the king.

She later travels to meet him, and has to cross a river. The ring is lost when it slips off her hand when she dips her hand in the water playfully. On arrival the king refuses to acknowledge her. Shakuntala is abandoned by her companions, who return to the hermitage. Just then, a fishmonger is presented to the king, caught by his men trying to sell a royal jewel. The king recollects everything and the story ends happily.

In other versions, especially the original one found in the Mahabharata, Shakuntala is not reunited until her son Bharata is born, and found playing with lions by the king. Bharata is considered the founder of India, and is the ancestor of the lineages of the Kauravas and Pandavas, who fought the civil war of the Mahabharata. However, Kalidasa's version, with its lyrical poetry and liberal use of Maharashtri Prakrit, is now taken to be the standard one.

[edit] Translations

Abhijñānaśākuntalam was the first Indian drama to be translated into a Western language, by William Jones in 1789.

English translations include:

• Sacontalá or The Fatal Ring: an Indian drama (1789) by Sir William Jones

• Śakoontalá or The Lost Ring: an Indian drama (1855) by Sir Monier Monier-Williams
• Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works (1914) by Arthur W. Ryder

There are about 25 translations into Malayalam including,

• Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kerala Varma Valiyakoyithampuran - the first translation
• Malayaalasaakunthalam (1912) by A.R. Rajarajavarma
• Abhijnanasakuntalam (1970) by K. S, Neelakantan Unni

[edit] Theatre

• In Koodiyattam, only surviving ancient Sanskrit theatre tradition, Bhasa's plays were usually performed, but Legendary Koodiyattam artsist and Natya shastra scholar Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shri Guru Māni Mādhava Chākyār choreographed started to perform popular Kalidasa plays like Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Vikramorvaśīyam and Mālavikāgnimitram.

[edit] Musical adaptions

• Italian Franco Alfano composed an opera, named La leggenda di Sakùntala (The legend of Shakuntala) in its first version (1921) and simply Sakùntala in its second version (1952).
• The Norwegian musician, Amethystium wrote a song called "Garden of Sakuntala" and it can be found in the CD Aphelion.