“Jambudvipe, Bharata khande, Aaryavarte, Bharata varshe ….” is the Sankalpa mantra chanted before any ceremonial rites in Hindusim. This ancient mantra specifies the location of our country, the time period and sings glory of Bharatavarsha, the country named after King Dushyant and Shakuntala‘s son Bharat.
Vayu Purana mentions the origin of the name “Bharat” thousands of years before the birth of King Dushyant of the Puru clan. According to Mahabharat, it was Chakravarti Bharat who brought back all the name and glory to the country with his righteous rule.
The story Abhijnanashakuntalam by Kalidasa immortalised the love story of Shakuntala and King Dushyant, portrayed her iron will and made an unforgettable impact of the brave boy Bharat in the readers eye. This post is a critical appreciation of Abhijnanashakuntalam and a living testament of Shakuntala’s devotion at the Titwala Ganpati Temple near Mumbai,Maharashtra.
Written by Mahakavi Kalidasa in the 4th century BCE, Abhijnanashakuntalam is one of the greatest Sanskrit work ever written. It was the first Indian drama to be translated into English by Sir William Jones in 1789 and was later translated into 12 European languages. The translated version of the play became so popular that it was adapted into various musicals, operas and films around the world. Like every Sanskrit drama, Abhijnanashakuntalam follows Natyashastra (read the post on Mricchakatika to know more).
Title:
Most Sanskrit plays include the name of the protagonist in it’s title, like Kumarasambhava (the birth of Kumara or Karthikeya) written by Kalidasa and Kadambari by Banabhatta. Abhijnanashakuntalam roughly translates to “the recognition of Shakuntala“.
Plot:
The story begins with a young Shakuntala in Rishi Kanva‘s hermitage. Once on a hunting trip, Hastinapur‘s King Dushyant entered the hermitage, saw Shakuntala and was mesmerised by her beauty. They got married according to Gandharva Vivah and she was given a ring by the King. He left the hermitage soon to tackle unrest in his kingdom.
One fine day, when Rishi Durvasa arrived at the hermitage, Shakuntala was so preoccupied in her thoughts that she inadvertently ignored him. The Sage assumed this ignorance as a form of insult and cursed her that her husband wouldn’t be able to remember her. Shakuntala’s painful penance, the birth of her son Bharat and the recognition of both Shakuntala and Bharat by King Dushyant forms the rest of the story.
Character Analysis:
Shakuntala:
The protagonist of this story, Shakuntala is the daughter of Rishi Vishwamitra and the celestial nymph Menaka who is raised by Rishi Kanva. Shakuntala is initially portrayed as a young gullible girl, full of hope and joy. Through the course of the novel, one sees her grow from a naive young girl to a strong woman of grit and character.
Dushyant:
King Dushyant was from the Puru lineage and was the King of Hastinapur. Although he takes hasty and questionable decisions, he is shown to be an able administrator and powerful Emperor. The major theme of this prose, the emphasis of tension between emotional response and socially ordained behavior flows unrestrained through the character of Dushyant.
Sarvadamana:
He is the son of King Dushyant and Shakuntala. He makes his appearance in the last act of the play and is described as a brave young lad. He is prophesied to become a powerful ruler in the beginning of the novel. Sarvadamana later becomes Bharat (sustainer) and is the namesake for India or Bharat.
Durvasa:
Durvasa was a sage popularly known for his short temper. He makes his appearance across several stories in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. While making a visit to Rishi Kanva‘s hermitage, he curses Shakuntala that she would not be recognised by her husband. Although Shakuntala pleaded, he could not take his words back.
Titwala Ganpati:
Historically, when Dushyant refused to recognise Shakuntala, she returned to Rishi Kanva‘s hermitage all dejected. She is then advised by Rishi Kanva to build a shrine for Lord Ganpati and worship him as Siddhi Vinayaka. Shakuntala’s faith, penance and deep prayers led her to be reunited with her husband and acceptance of Bharat as the rightful heir to the throne.
This powerful deity is believed to be Shri Siddhivinayak Mandir in Titwala near Mumbai, Maharashtra. The deity was rediscovered by Peshwa Madhavrao I while desilting the tank nearby in the 18th century. The temple has undergone subsequent renovations over the years. It attracts devotees from far and near. Right next to the deity is an idol of Shakuntala and young Bharat.
It is wonderful to see such a legendary temple in all glory!
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