17 (Sakuntala) The King's Court (Ii) Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

To show the king,
As a proof, his ring,
She lifted her finger,
But alas, it wasn’t there.

The ring had fallen
In the lake when
A bath on the way,
She took, that day

The king ridiculed
And mockingly said,
“It’s a good example
For a cunning girl.”

She tried to tell him
Events of that time,
When he was too close
To her on those days.

“There was a young deer
That entertained a fear
To drink the cup of water
When you gave it there.”

“It accepted my offer
And drank the water.
You may remember
This incident earlier.”

He laughed and said,
“Words of this kind
Young girls do coin
To cover up men.”

“You Respected King
What’re you talking?
In our hermitage she was living.
She doesn’t know cheating.”

Like this Gowthami said,
For which the king replied,
“In the nest of other birds
Cuckoo bird lays its eggs.”

“The girl tribe is like that
In tricks, they’re experts.
When they try to cheat,
Wise men cannot take it,

Sakuntala said in anger,
“Oh you so inferior,
You’re a well closed
By hideous grass lid.”

“With the yardstick of yours
You try to measure others.
You think others will do
Like what nonsense you do.”

He said, “For her false plea
She throws fire on me.
Aspersions on me to cast,
It’s not fair on her part.”

“It’s natural for a girl
Wounded like her to yell.
My life-book is open
To be read by anyone.”

She replied, “In that case
Are you the only one wise
Who knows everything,
Others know nothing? ”

“Are you the only one wise
Knowing the fair rules?
The shameless dropp out girls
They know not fair rules? ”

“On the fame of Puru race
And his honey-like words
I fell in the trap he threw.
Now, I’m called a shrew.”

“To control, if there’s no rein
The feeling speed kills a man.
Cunning lesson she didn’t learn.
Like the royal cunning lesson.”

Like this, the disciple observed.
The king opposed his words.
And said, “If you’re a speaker
Of truth, I want an answer.”

“If I’m what you say whatever,
What’s it I gain by cheating her?
In one word the disciple replied,
“Downfall” – This much he said.

The king said, “The Puru race will
Never seek their downfall.”
“Oh King, why this exchange
Of words, it looks strange.”

“We’ve told what our guru
Has asked us to tell you.
Now we’re leaving this place
She’s now left to your choice.”

She shouted, “What’s it?
In the hands of a cheat
My marriage is undone.
Why leave me here alone? ”

“How will your father
Again accept you there
When the king blames you
And the shame fell on you? ”

“This is your husband’s palace.
So, you serve in this place,
Spend your time here.
Never try to come there.”

Like this the disciple said,
But the King then refused
To retain her in the palace,
Warned and said like this:

“Why are you giving her
False hopes to remain here?
A person of self-control
Can he touch any other girl? ”

“Which one is a greater sin?
To touch a wife of next man,
Or abandon a wife as wrong?
May be, we’re both erring.”

The head priest said at last,
“In my house, let her be kept,
Till she delivers the child,
With the mercy of God.”

“A forecast says, your son,
Among others, the first born,
Only will ascend the throne,
And rule the world, in his turn.”

“If she delivers a son,
With such divine signs,
In his body, better
As wife, you take her.”

“If signs aren’t there,
We’ll then send her
To the Sage, her father,
And she’ll stay there.”

The King agreed to this.
But she cried like this,
“Oh mother earth split
And take me inside it.”

With the Head Priest,
She went out at last.
The King thought of her
Yet, he wasn’t clear.

A strange thing happened
When she openly cried,
Up a Goddess* took her
And disappeared with her.”

The king said, “It is better
We close this chapter,
As already decided
Let it not be reopened.”

He retired to his chamber,
But still didn’t remember,
All that had happened,
What she had narrated.

(*Menaka, her celestial mother)