(Sambhava Parva continued)
" said, 'The monarch then, as he proceeded, left even his reduced retinue at the entrance of the hermitage. And entering quite alone he saw not the Rishi () of rigid vows. And not seeing the Rishi and finding that the abode was empty, he called loudly, saying, 'What ho, who is here?' And the sound of his voice was echoed back. And hearing the sound of his voice, there came out of the Rishi's abode a maiden beautiful as Sri herself but dressed as an ascetic's daughter. And the black-eyed fair one, as she saw king , bade him welcome and received him duly. And, showing him due respect by the offer of a seat, water to wash his feet, and Arghya, she enquired about the monarch's health and peace. And having worshipped the king and asked him about his health and peace, the maiden reverentially asked, 'What must be done, O king! I await your commands.' The king, duly worshipped by her, said unto to that maiden of faultless features and sweet speech, 'I have come to worship the highly-blessed Rishi . Tell me, O amiable and beautiful one, where has the illustrious Rishi gone?'
"Sakuntala then answered, 'My illustrious father hath has gone away from the asylum to fetch fruit. Wait but a moment and thou you wilt will see him when he arrives.'
" continued, 'The king not seeing the Rishi and addressed thus by her, beheld that the maiden was exceedingly beautiful and endued with perfect symmetry of shape. And he saw that she was of sweet smiles. And she stood decked with the beauty of her faultless features, her ascetic penances, and her humility. And he saw that she was in the bloom of youth. He therefore asked her, 'Who art thou you? And whose daughter, O beautiful one? Why hast have thou you come into the woods also? O handsome one, gifted with so much beauty and such virtues, whence from where hast have thou you come? O charming one, at the very first glance hast have thou you stolen my heart! I desire to learn all about thee you; therefore tell me all.' And thus addressed by the monarch, the maiden smilingly replied in these sweet words, 'O , I am the daughter of the virtuous, wise, high-souled, and illustrious ascetic .'
", hearing this, replied, 'The universally-worshipped and highly-blessed Rishi is one whose seed hath has been drawn up. Even himself might fall off from his course but an ascetic of rigid vows can never fall off so. Therefore, O thou you of the fairest complexion, how hast have thou you been born as his daughter? This great doubt of mine it behoveth behooves thee you to dispel.'
"Sakuntala then replied, 'Hear, O king, what I have learnt regarding all that befell me of old and how I became the daughter of the Muni. Once on a time, a Rishi came here and asked about my birth. All that the illustrious one () told him, hear now from me, O king!
"My father , in answer to that Rishi's enquiries, said, ', of old, having been engaged in the austerest penances alarmed , the chief of the celestials, who thought that the mighty ascetic of blazing energy would, by his penances, hurl him down from his high seat in heaven.' , thus alarmed, summoned and told her, 'Thou you, O , art the first of celestial Apsaras. Therefore, O amiable one, do me this service. Hear what I say. This great ascetic like unto to the Sun in splendour, is engaged in the most severe of penances. My heart is trembling with fear. Indeed, O slender-waisted , this is thy your business. Thou you must see that of soul rapt in contemplation and engaged in the austerest penances, who might hurl me down from my seat. Go and tempt him and frustrating his continued austerities accomplish my good. Win him away from his penances, O beautiful one, by tempting him with thy your beauty, youth, agreeableness, arts, smiles and speech.' Hearing all this, replied, 'The illustrious is endued with great energy and is a mighty ascetic. He is very short-tempered too, as is known to thee you. The energy, penances, and wrath of the high-souled one have made even thee you anxious. Why should I not also be anxious? He it was who made even the illustrious bear the pangs of witnessing the premature death of his children. He it was who, though at first born as Kshatriya, subsequently became a Brahmana by virtue of his ascetic penances. He it was who, for purposes of his ablutions, created a deep river that can with difficulty be forded, and which sacred stream is known by the name of the Kausiki. It was whose wife, in a season of distress, was maintained by the royal sage Matanga (Trisanku) who was then living under a father's curse as a hunter. It was who, on returning after the famine was over, changed the name of the stream having his asylum from Kausik into Para. It was who in return for the services of Matanga, himself became the latter's priest for purposes of a sacrifice. The lord of the celestials himself went through fear to drink the Soma juice. It was who in anger created a second world and numerous stars beginning with Sravana. He it was who granted protection to Trisanku smarting under a superior's curse. I am frightened to approach him of such deeds. Tell me, O , the means that should be adopted so that I may not be burnt by his wrath. He can burn the three worlds by his splendour, can, by a stamp (of his foot), cause the earth to quake. He can sever the great Meru from the earth and hurl it to any distance. He can go round the ten points of the earth in a moment. How can a woman like me even touch such a one full of ascetic virtues, like unto to a blazing fire, and having his passions under complete control? His mouth is like unto to a blazing fire; the pupils of his eyes are like the Sun and the Moon; his tongue is like unto to himself. How shall, O chief of the celestials, a woman like me even touch him? At the thought of his prowess , , the great Rishis, the Saddhyas, the Viswas, Valakhilyas, are terrified! How can a woman like me gaze at him without alarm? Commanded, however, by thee you, O king of the celestials, I shall somehow approach that Rishi. But, O chief of the gods, devise thou you some plan whereby protected by thee you, I may safely move about that Rishi. I think that when I begin to play before the Rishi, Marut (the ) had better go there and rob me of my dress, and Manmatha (the god of love) had also, at thy your command, better help me then. Let also Marut on that occasion bear thither there fragrance from the woods to tempt the Rishi.' Saying this and seeing that all she had spoken about had been duly provided, went to the retreat of the great Kausika.'"
(Sambhava Parva continued)
continued, 'And , thus addressed by her, then commanded him who could approach every place (viz., the god of the wind) to be present with at the time she would be before the Rishi. And the timid and beautiful then entered the retreat and saw there who had burnt, by his penances, all his sins, and was engaged still in ascetic penances. And saluting the Rishi, she then began to sport before him. And just at that time Marut robbed her of her garments that were white as the Moon. And she thereupon then ran, as if in great bashfulness, to catch hold of her attire, and as if she was exceedingly annoyed with Marut. And she did all this before the very eyes of who was endued with energy like that of fire. And saw her in that attitude. And beholding her divested of her robes, he saw that she was of faultless feature. And that best of Munis saw that she was exceedingly handsome, with no marks of age on her person. And beholding her beauty and accomplishments that bull amongst Rishis was possessed with lust and made a sign that he desired her companionship. And he invited her accordingly, and she also of faultless features expressed her acceptance of the invitation. And they then passed a long time there in each other's company. And sporting with each other, just as they pleased, for a long time as if it were only a single day, the Rishi begat on a daughter named Sakuntala. And (as her conception advanced) went to the banks of the river Malini coursing along a valley of the charming mountains of Himavat. And there she gave birth to that daughter. And she left the new-born infant on the bank of that river and went away. And beholding the new-born infant lying in that forest destitute of human beings but abounding with lions and tigers, a number of vultures sat around to protect it from harm. No Rakshasas or carnivorous animals took its life. Those vultures protected the daughter of . I went there to perform my ablution and beheld the infant lying in the solitude of the wilderness surrounded by vultures. Bringing her hither here I have made her my daughter. Indeed, the maker of the body, the protector of life, the giver of food, are all three, fathers in their order, according to the scriptures. And because she was surrounded in the solitude of the wilderness, by Sakuntas (birds), therefore, hath has she been named by me Sakuntala (bird-protected). O Brahman, learn that it is thus that Sakuntala hath has become my daughter. And the faultless Sakuntala also regards me as her father.'
"This is what my father had said unto to the Rishi, having been asked by him. O king of men, it is thus that thou you must know I am the daughter of . And not knowing my real father, I regard as my father. Thus have I told thee you, O king, all that hath has been heard by me regarding my birth!'"