Abhijnana Shakuntalam (Act6-Act7)

 

 Act VI

 The Prelude informs us about a fisherman who has been found with the lost royal ring (originally given to Shakuntala). The guards/soldiers/law enforcers blame him for stealing the ring, but he claims to have found it in the stomach of a fish he caught. The fisherman’s innocence is proven once Duhsanta sees the ring, and rewards the man for finding it. Duhsanta then remembers Shakuntala, their marriage, and his promise to bring her to his palace. He is ashamed of his behaviour and cannot figure out why his memory lapsed at that particular moment. He is distraught about how he refused to accept Shakuntala and the cruel ways in which he doubted her. His sorrow at having lost his beloved is so severe that he orders the cancellation of the celebration of the Spring Festival. Duhsanta tries to recreate his first encounter with Shakuntala by painting it and conversing with the painting. Madhavya laments how the king has become so hopeless that he has lost all active energy and strength. Meanwhile, Misrakesi, a friend of Shakuntala’s mother Menaka, quietly observes Duhsanta’s behaviour. Finding his remorse true, she goes back to the Apsara Pool to report her findings to Shakuntala. Even as Duhsanta is wracked with remorse, he deals with matters of the state and is approached with the problem of solving the inheritance rights of a rich merchant who dies without a legal heir. The merchant’s wealth is set to be appropriated by the royal treasury but Duhsanta asks for the wealth to be given to one of the merchant’s pregnant wife, thereby ensuring that the child to be born is not left penniless.

 

Duhsanta feels bad for his ancestors as he himself is without any issue, which will leave them without anyone to perform sacred rites and rituals. This adds to his misery and he faints. On waking Duhsanta learns that some invisible entity is threatening Madhavya. As he rushes to save his friend, it is revealed that the entity is Matali, Lord Indra’s charioteer, who on seeing a dejected Duhsanta, devices this plan to rouse him into action. Matali requests Duhsanta to fight on the behalf of the gods against demons bent on destroying them. Duhsanta readily agrees and they leave on Indra’s chariot.

 

 

Act VII

 This Act occurs in the realm of the celestial beings and then moves to the Hermitage of Marica/Prajapati and Aditi (Indra’s father and mother).After defeating the demons, Duhsanta and Matali are on their way back to earth when Duhsanta sees the holy Hermitage of sage Marica and expresses his desire to seek his blessings. At the Hermitage, Matali requests an audience with Marica and in the ensuing wait Duhsanta comes across a young boy playing with a lion’s cub and playfully tormenting his caretakers. He notices the mark prophesised that was meant to be on his son, on the young boy and begins to desire for a child. In the course of the conversation with the caretakers, Duhsanta realises that the boy might indeed be his son and after picking up the boy’s magical amulet that only his parents or Marica could touch, it cements Duhsanta’s belief of being the father. Shakuntala appears at the news of a stranger’s arrival and at first is unable to recognise Duhsanta. In a touch of irony, it is Duhsanta now who asks to be recognised as the boy’s father. Duhsanta explains his loss of memory and how here gained it at the sight of the ring and a happy Shakuntala accepts his explanation. The reunited family goes to Marica to seek his blessings where Marica reveals the truth about Durvasa Rishi’s curse. Duhsanta is relieved at this revelation and is absolved of his cruel behaviour. Kanva is also informed of the events and the family leaves for the earth from the celestial realm. The play ends here.