05 (Sakuntala) The Story Behind Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran
05 (Sakuntala) The Story Behind
The girls sat with Dushyanta,
While the heart of Sakuntala,
Felt a strange feeling of love
That entered her mind somehow.
Anusuya broke the silence first.
“We find from your talk, you’re great.
Which land feels sorry without you?
Here, what has brought you? ”
Hiding the fact, he said,
“I’m a minister appointed
By Puru’s King to supervise
Whatever be the religious rites.”
“I came here to see
That you’re all free
To do these rites
Without any obstacles.”
“How the Sage Kanva
Had his daughter Sakuntala,
When celibacy, in fact,
He observed through out? ”
The story, Anusuya narrated
“Child Sakuntala was abandoned
Both by Kowsika, her father,
And Menaka, her celestial mother.”
“Kowsika, a King he was,
And did penance for years.
A Royal Sage he became
Thus earned ‘Rajarishi’ name.”
“Devas became jealous
With his long penance.
So, they sent a celestial
Nymph Menaka to spoil.”
“She came before him
And closely wooed him.
Baby Sakuntala was born
As a result of this union.”
“So, Sakuntala was born
To a girl from the heaven, ”
Dushyanta was surprised
And this remark he passed.
“Such a matchless beauty
And a graceful body,
Will a woman too earthly,
In her womb bear so easily? ”
“The light of a lightning,
That’s highly dazzling,
Doesn’t flash and come
From this earth, any time.”
On hearing this praise,
The words of a man wise,
She kept her look down
Out of shy, a natural one.
He said, “Let me know this;
Against all the obstacles
In this forest ascetic life
Does she want a married life? ”
“Or, she wants to stay here
With all her pet deer,
As she has her eyes
Similar to these pets.”
“Her holy father desired, ”
Pryamvada replied,
“She should be handed
To a suitable husband.”
“Even in this ascetic life
He wants her to be a wife
Of one having a desire
To accept and marry her.”
Dushyanta was happy,
That his desire was slowly
Reaching the other side,
Like fire spreading wide.
artistic way of presentating such a epic tale using profound metaphors these lines actually bring the entire scene to life.
Kowshika was a king. But over enmity born out of envy on sage Vasishta’s ascetic spiritual powers, Koushika relinquishes his royal status. He wants to attain sage hood. He engages himself in rigorous year long penance for earlier he had attempted in vain to possess Vasishta’s divine cow Kamadhenu… Devas- the demi gods want to stop a king becoming a sage and send down the celestial nymph Maenaka to distract him from his deep meditations. Maenaka as she comes down gets lustfully attracted by Kowshika’s radiance, succeeds in luring him through her sweet words and lusty moves and gets her desires fulfilled, thus spoiling the ascetic powers he so far achieved…that she could do this only temporarily! He does attain sage hood and later becomes sage Vishwamitra… Maenaka begets a child in him thus. The child Sakunthala once born, Kowshika declines to own the child for according to him the nymph begot the child of her own desire and against his conscience and will. Maenaka being a nymph, she too disowns the child… The classic poetic drama by Rajaram Ramachandran majestically moves on…his way of presentation remains descriptive artful lucid and beautiful…
Two souls in tune indeed. Beautriful descriptive stanzas that seem to glow in their own light. Your metaphorical use of fire and ligntning adds drama to the picture. Kindest regards, Sandra
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/26/2024 8:04:15 AM # 1.0.0.1119
The girls sat with Dushyanta, While the heart of Sakuntala, Felt a strange feeling of love That entered her mind somehow. shakuntla felt first sight love as also the king..beautifully depitcted the old story....10 read mine love at first sight.....