Reading Notes: Sakuntala (Part 4)
Sakuntala: The Journey
Sakuntala, her aunt, and two other uncles are slowly making the journey to the kingdom to see Dushmanta, but it is quite hard because Sakuntala is very pregnant and weak because her stress caused her not to eat or drink for so long. They told Sakuntala multiple times that she should rest and eat, but she is too anxious and still presses on to see Dushmanta. She believes that once she sees him, she will feel better. They finally reach the gates, and at first the guards are hesitant to let them in to see Dushmanta Maharajah, but he has much respect for Kanva mooni so they let them in. Sakuntala is dressed in a veil and clothes that covered her, so the king could not see her. They informed Dushmanta that they had brought his wife, and he is quite surprised at this, because he has no recollection of her. They persist, and Sakuntala even takes off the veil and looks Dushmanta in the face, but he still does not recall ever marrying her. Sakuntala reaches for the ring that he had given her back at the village, but she realizes that the ring is gone! They leave with absolute despair, and Sakuntala tells her aunt Goutami that she can no longer return to the small village because she was known as the happy one, and she is no longer happy. During the night, Sakuntala calls to her mother, the moon, and asks her to come hold her and love her, so she does, and Sakuntala is never found the next day. The hermits sadly leave without Sakuntala, and head back to the village.
I loved the ending of this part of the story, because it is very dramatic and mournful. After huge losses or upsetting events, all people want is something or someone to comfort them. I think this story would be great to recreate, and focus more on Sakuntala and her mother's meeting for the first time because it is so powerful.
Bibliography: Sakuntala, by Sunity Devee from "Nine Ideal Indian Women" pages 65-69.
Sakuntala, her aunt, and two other uncles are slowly making the journey to the kingdom to see Dushmanta, but it is quite hard because Sakuntala is very pregnant and weak because her stress caused her not to eat or drink for so long. They told Sakuntala multiple times that she should rest and eat, but she is too anxious and still presses on to see Dushmanta. She believes that once she sees him, she will feel better. They finally reach the gates, and at first the guards are hesitant to let them in to see Dushmanta Maharajah, but he has much respect for Kanva mooni so they let them in. Sakuntala is dressed in a veil and clothes that covered her, so the king could not see her. They informed Dushmanta that they had brought his wife, and he is quite surprised at this, because he has no recollection of her. They persist, and Sakuntala even takes off the veil and looks Dushmanta in the face, but he still does not recall ever marrying her. Sakuntala reaches for the ring that he had given her back at the village, but she realizes that the ring is gone! They leave with absolute despair, and Sakuntala tells her aunt Goutami that she can no longer return to the small village because she was known as the happy one, and she is no longer happy. During the night, Sakuntala calls to her mother, the moon, and asks her to come hold her and love her, so she does, and Sakuntala is never found the next day. The hermits sadly leave without Sakuntala, and head back to the village.
I loved the ending of this part of the story, because it is very dramatic and mournful. After huge losses or upsetting events, all people want is something or someone to comfort them. I think this story would be great to recreate, and focus more on Sakuntala and her mother's meeting for the first time because it is so powerful.
(Sakuntala about to leave the ashram, Wikipedia Commons)
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