03 (Sakuntala) Dushyanta Saw Sakuntala Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

The three girls, Sakuntala,
Anusuya and Pryamvada,
Were watering the roots
Of the garden plants.

Anusuya said, “Your father
Gave this task to his daughter,
As he seems to love more
The plants than his daughter.”

Sakuntala replied, “More than this
Of carrying out his orders,
I love all these plants
Like my own sisters.”

Pryamvada then said,
“We’ve already watered
Plants flowering in summer
Yet, our job is not o’er.”

“Let us water such of those,
Stopped blooming flowers,
As it’ll be a loveable action,
Expecting nothing in return.”

“What an excellent thought, ”
Sakuntala spelled it out.
While they were all busy,
The plants became happy.

In the eyes of Dushyanta
The beauty of Sakuntala
Appeared to be so excellent
It made him mad for a moment.

“How the Sage allowed,
Her beauty got imprisoned
In this unusual bark-dress,
That shows his ignorance.”

“To allow this beauty,
Into a profession holy,
Is like axing a tree top
With a lotus petal tip.”

Sakuntala spoke to Anusuya
“This knot tied by Pryamvada
O’er my bark-dress is tight,
So, you just loosen it.”

Anusuya loosened the knot,
And said, “Blame your bust
That heaved and held it so tight.
Your age is the cause for it.”

Dushyanta mentally agreed
To what Anusuya said,
And he thought for a while
The handicap of this girl.

He thought, “The bark-dress
Covering her twin breasts
Didn’t display well her grace,
Like a flower behind leaves.”

“Even in a pond muddy,
The lotus has its beauty.
Having dark spots, the moon
With its beauty does shine.”

“The bark-dressed-woman
Has still her charm to retain.
Is there a need to beautify
A beauty that’s so already? ”

Sakuntala drew attention
To a Mango tree then,
And said, “Look, its leaves
Invite me with their fingers.”

Near the tree, she stood
But Pryamvada remarked,
“It appears the tree married,
You, like a creeper by its side.”

This dialogue went on
Like this, one by one,
About each other’s marriage
A kind of talk for their age.

Dushyanta hid behind a tree,
But was able to hear and see
Their lovely talks and actions
And each one’s prying questions.

Their slender waists, giggling voices,
Swan like walks, lovely talks,
Love for plants, young and old,
Kept him busy as he watched.

He also thought, “Yes,
True, what Pryamvada says
About Sakuntala’s beauty
And her feminine modesty.”

“Her red lower lip, like sprouts,
Her arms, like tender twigs,
Her body, like beautiful flowers,
Spoke high of her features.”

Anusuya said, “Sakuntala, see
This wonderful mango tree,
That takes the Jasmine creeper
As his bride and lover.”

“You named this Jasmine,
As ‘forest-moon-shine.’
It looks like, with her buds,
The mango tree, she just weds.”

“As made for each other,
See the mango tree’s offer
To this Jasmine creeper
His fruits, as his chosen lover.”

While Sakuntala was keen
In watching this scene,
Pryamvada asked, “What for
You’re keen on this, I’m clear.”

“Like the Jasmine married
Mango tree, as her husband,
You also wish to marry one,
From your own selection.”

Sakuntala replied, “Perhaps
It’s your wish that speaks.”
While watering the plants,
She gave these comments.

Anusuya said, “I heard,
Your father once told,
For your wedding soon,
He was very much keen.”

This kind of lovely talk
And their friendly walk
In the flower garden
Went on and on.