10 (Sakuntala) Visit To The Hermitage Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Dushyanta, the strongest king
With his men was guarding
The place of fire sacrifice
With no untoward incidence.

One hermit commented,
“The King’s bow-sound
Kept at a far distance
All the fighting demons.”

“So, the entire fire sacrifice
Resulted in a grand success,
With the vigil kept by him
Without fail, all the time.”

The King on the other side,
Was mentally so worried,
That all his thoughts were
On Sakuntala, his lover.

“The penance power is great.
A girl is under another’s feet.
Yet, I’m like running water
That can go back never.”

“Oh Cupid, churning the heart
Of mankind, for you, is an art.
Your arrow, how sharp is?
Yes, I recollect; I know this.”

“In you, Lord Shiva’s anger
Is still remaining as a fire
Like the fire below the sea
That never ceases to be.”

“Or else, how’ll you burn,
The lovers under the sun,
Like me who have faith
In your known path.”

“Oh flower, an arrow you’re.
Oh moon, cool you’re.
They’re not true,
We the lovers knew.”

“The cool moon spits hot rays.
Sharp are those flower-arrows.
This way only feels a lover,
In his love-life every hour.”

“If you attack a charming girl
With your flower-arrow still
I’ll welcome your action,
Despite my sleepless inaction.”

“Hundreds of ceremonies,
With care I did, more or less,
Today, against me, you did try
To shoot your arrow, why? ”

“Hermits give me leave now
As they’ve fulfilled their vow
By completing the sacrifice
In our protective presence.”

“Sakuntala may be resting
At the river bank, braving
The midday sun patiently.
Let me go there silently.”

“The bud one, she plucked
As flower, just blossomed,
And wet milk drips out
From a broken twig bit.”

“The timely gentle breeze
Mixed with smell of lotus
And the cool Malini water
Will cure her love-fever.”

“The white river sand,
Her steps on this sand,
The front one, the back one,
Lead to the bank, one by one.”

“I’m seeing the heaven.
Also I find she’s the one,
Lying in bed of flowers,
With her maids serving her.”

“Let me closely watch her.
Her friends are fanning her
With fresh lotus leaves
In the cool river breeze.”

“Perhaps, she’s feeling hot
In this burning summer heat,
Or, she’s not well, as I see,
What could the reason be? ”

“Oil massage o’er her breasts,
The pale stem of the lotus
As a single bangle in her arm,
Causing her hand no harm.”

“The lover’s fair body
Reveals her real beauty,
Though it suffers pain,
For some known reason.”

“It’s true, the summer heat,
Attacks one, as in army front,
But her maids’ excellent service
Is beyond this summer force.”

Pryamvada and Anusuya,
Were talking about Sakuntala,
That the reason for her sickness
Was the King, nothing else.”

In the same way, he also felt.
“This kind of fever is hot
More from the moon’s heat
In the body, that spreads out.”

Straight Anusuya asked,
“What’s in your mind?
None can easily guess
But it’s under stress.”

“We look at it like this.
It’s only love sickness.
That’s what we feel.
Truth you must reveal.”

“Any medicine will act
Only when the actual fact
Is known, which reason,
You must now explain.”

Sakuntala said, “It’s true
I’m not well, but no clue,
At this stage, I can give
Nor, any reason I’ve.”

The king felt once again,
“Her cheek is now thin,
With her sagging breasts,
And staggering waist, ”

“Tormented with love she is,
Though her beauty never fades,
Like the withered Madhavi leaves
Shaken by the blowing winds.”

“She’s too young to tell
Them the cause of her ill
But her hungry eyes
Look into my eyes.”

“My coward heart
Doesn’t still react
To her inner feeling
But it’s just bungling.”

Though Sakuntala felt shy,
She told the reason why?
Each word came out
From her deep heart.

“The very moment his sight
Fell on me, I’m not alright.”
“My love with him causes,
In my heart deep distress.’

The King was happy to hear
This kind of reply from her.
All the doubts, once he had,
At one stroke, were cleared.