Abhijnana Shakuntalam (Act1-Act5)

 

Act I

Act 1 takes place in the forest on the foothills of the Himalayas and moves to the hermitage of the great sage Kanva, by the river Malini. The King Duhsanta appears, followed by his Charioteer, in hot pursuit of a deer, specifically a Blackbuck, which is a sacred animal. Duhsanta is stopped in his hunt by an ascetic who reminds him of his duty This deer is of the Hermitage, O King! He should not be killed…no…no…do not strike him down. How fragile the life of this deer! How cruel your sharp- pointed arrows, swift-winged! Never should they fall on his tender frame like tongues of flame on a heap of flowers. Quickly withdraw your well-aimed arrow, bound to protect the distressed, not strike the pure. (p. 173)

 

Furthermore, Duhsanta has entered the sacred Hermitage, where such slaughter is sacrilegious. At the ascetic surging, Duhsanta decides to go to the Hermitage of Kanva, to pay his respect as well enjoy the hospitality offered there. As they near the Hermitage, Duhsanta takes off his royal ornaments and weapons as it seems unfit for such a spiritual space. On entering he sees three women watering plants and one of them is Shakuntala whose extraordinary beauty immediately captivates Duhsanta. He hides behind some trees to further observe the trio and finally reveals himself to them. The women welcome a disguised Duhsanta into their midst, where he learns that Shakuntala is the adopted daughter of the sage Kanva. She is infact the daughter of the Apsara/celestial nymph, Menaka and the seer Visvamitra.

  

Duhsanta’s questions lead him to figuring out her Kshatriya origin, which makes Shakuntala a suitable bride for him. Before Duhsanta can learn of Shakuntala’s feelings for him, they hear the news of how the arrival of Duhsanta’s hunting party has frightened an elephant and that the elephant is now wreaking havoc in the forest. As the party splits, Shakuntala realises that she has fallen  in love with Duhsanta, and the two depart with longing for the other in their hearts

 

Act II: 

 

Act II takes place in the forest and introduces Madhavya, the Court Jester, and a close friend of Duhsanta, who complains about the physical pains he is undergoing because of following Duhsanta on his hunting expeditions. Duhsanta is presented as suffering from lovesickness, and describes Shakuntala to Madhavya in sensual terms. He then asks Madhavya to help him gain entry into the hermitage on some pretext or the other. Characteristic of a jester, Madhavya is quick to respond in a witty manner and tells Duhsanta that as the King, he can rightfully enter the hermitage to demand the royal tax owed to him by the ascetics. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of two ascetics who request Duhsanta to protect their sacred rites from demons bent on disturbing them. Duhsanta readily agrees as it complements his desire to visit the Hermitage without arousing any suspicion. However, his joy is cut short by the arrival of Karabhaka with a message from the Queen Mother asking for his immediate return to Hastinapur. Torn between his duty towards the ascetics and his mother, Duhsanta finally decides to go to the hermitage and sends Madhavya in his stead to Hastinapur. Duhsanta, however, is careful to mask his interest in Shakuntala and tells Madhavya that his interest in her was a just “a whim” (197).

 

 

Act III: 

 This Act continues in the forest and opens witha Prelude which functions to inform the audience of events that have occurred off stage. Here the audience is told of Duhsanta’s success at thwarting the demons and how Shakuntala is suffering from a ‘heatstroke’ making her feel hot and feverish. Shakuntala is actually shown to be suffering from lovesickness, unable to keep Duhsanta out of her thoughts, she longs for his company. Her two companions, Priyamvada and Anasuya try to soothe her. Duhsanta presently arrives at the bower where the three women are resting and on hearing Shakuntala confess her love for him, reveals himself to them. Shakuntala’s companions leave the two lovers alone and in the process Duhsanta tries to woo Shakuntala. However, their love play is interrupted by the arrival of Gautami, the Matron of the Hermitage, and the lovers separate. A despondent Duhsanta is called to fight the demons tormenting the ascetics.

 

Act IV:

The scene is still the forest and much has happened in the meantime. The Prelude in this Act reveals that Shakuntala and Duhsanta have married according to the Gandharva rites. Duhsanta has since then left for Hastinapur. While Shakuntala’s companions discuss Duhsanta’s dedication to her, the great sage Durvasa Rishi arrives at the Hermitage. Shakuntala, distracted by the thoughts of Duhsanta, does not attend to the great sage. Durvasa Rishi, known for his temper, immediately curses her saying: … you shall be lost in his thoughts: though you goad his memory hard he shall fail to remember you, (215) As Durvasa Rishi storms off, Anasuya attempts to plead with the sage and manages to extract a reprieve wherein, at the presentation of a token of recognition, the curse will be lifted. The companions are reassured at this because Duhsanta had given a ring to Shakuntala as a token of his love and so believe that the curse will be broken without much harm. The Prelude ends with both the companions deciding to spare Shakuntala from the knowledge of the curse. Worried for Shakuntala, Anasuya begins to question Duhsanta’s actions and wonder show to inform Kanva of his daughter’s marriage and pregnancy. The resolution arrives in the form of a spiritual voice that announces the union of Shakuntala and Duhsanta to the great sage. Kanva is overjoyed at this and decides to send Shakuntala to Duhsanta’s court with a few ascetic escorts. Shakuntala’s departure from the Hermitage is poignantly described. Everyone is filled with sorrow seeing her leave even the plants and animals for sake their natural routines and grieve her absence from the holy Grove. As Shakuntala bids farewell to her home and embraces her family and friends for the last time, Kanva instructs her on her duty to the King and other’s at the palace. The finality of Shakuntala’s separation from the world of the Hermitage is established through Kanva’s words where he says that she can only return after fulfilling her duties as wife and mother, in the final years of her of her life with her husband.

Act V:

The Prelude takes place in Duhsanta’s Royal Palace and begins with the Chamberlain praising the King’s hard work in maintaining peace and prosperity in the kingdom and his exemplary behaviour in all things concerned with the welfare of the state and his subjects. Shakuntala and her entourage appear at the Royal Palace and wait for an audience with Duhsanta. One of the ascetics, Sarngarava, relays Kanva’s message and asks him to accept Shakuntala as his wife. Duhsanta, under the influence of the curse does not remember Shakuntala and refuses to acknowledge her as his wife. Shakuntala tries to prove her claim by presenting the token of recognition but realises instead that she has lost it. Duhsanta casts doubts on Shakuntala’s virtuosity and honesty and tells the accompanying ascetics to take her back with them. The ascetics, however, refuse to take her back, saying that if she is lying then she will be a stainon Kanva’s honour and therefore, cannot be allowed to go back and, if she is indeed speaking the truth then she must be with her husband, even if it means living in servitude to him. Shakuntala is thus, left stranded and alone with no one by her side and she cries for Mother Earth/ Dharti Mata to open up and swallow her whole.

 

 

We note three important issues here:

 a) women’s position in society;

b)the notion of honour;

c)the similarity between this particular episode and a similar scene from another famous epic. Women were positioned in the safe keeping of their father or the husband as it is clear from the various references in the text. Secondly, if a woman were not married conventionally as is the case with Shakuntala and the husband refused to acknowledge her then she would be a stain on the honour of the father. Thirdly, Sita in the Ramayana is faced with a similar situation when a washer man/ dhobi casts doubts on her chastity on her return from Lanka.

 

Finally the King’s High Priest comes up with a solution to let her remain in the King’s palace till she gives birth and should the child she bear be the son prophesised (King Bharata)toDuhsanta, then Shakuntala may be accepted as his lawful wife and take her rightful place by his side. No sooner do the ascetics, High Priest, and Shakuntala leave that the High Priest rushes back to Duhsanta and tells him how as Shakuntala wept, a bright light in the form of a woman from the Apsara Pool came and took Shakuntala with her. Duhsanta dismisses the whole affair and yet he feels a strange sensation of missing something and a“poignant ache”(243)in his heart that seems to validate Shakuntala’s claim.