King Duṣyanta listened as Śakuntalā addressed him with unwavering resolve. “O King,” she said, “the study of all the Vedas and bathing in every holy place cannot equal even a sixteenth part of truth. There is no duty that surpasses truth, nor anything higher than it; likewise, there is no sin in this world more severe than falsehood. Truth is the highest dharma, but keeping one’s agreement is even greater; do not violate your promise, O King—let truth and you be united. “If a person commits a wrongful act and refuses to acknowledge it, O ruler of men, there is no greater sin than that falsehood. Your heart knows well the difference between truth and untruth; therefore, you should act righteously, seeking what is truly beneficial. The highest person is one who does not transgress because of desire, anger, or enmity, whether towards friend or foe. “If you persist in falsehood, whether you believe it or not, I wish to return to the hermitage; I cannot remain with one who acts in this way. If you doubt that this child is your son, then examine the matter with your intellect, considering lineage, voice, memory, character, conduct, knowledge, and valor. When courage, nature, the whorls of hair, and bodily features are the same, one is certainly the true son of his father. A likeness has been drawn out from your very body, O lord of men; do not speak vainly to the one who calls you ‘father.’ “Except for the milk of a she-donkey, my son will drink milk; except for you, O Duṣyanta, and the mountain-crowned queen, my son shall rule this whole earth. O Śakuntalā, your son will become a universal emperor—so spoke the great Indra, and it shall not be otherwise. “I have named many witnesses—divine messengers and others—but none speak the truth as I do, nor do they utter falsehood. Without a witness, and left alone, I will depart as I came.” Having spoken thus, Śakuntalā turned to leave. The fire of anger, with smoke, seemed to blaze upon her head. Yet, restraining this fire within her flawless body, she departed with her son into the forest. At that moment, a wondrous voice, bodiless and resounding from the sky, addressed Duṣyanta, who sat surrounded by priests, teachers, and ministers. “Just as a bellows is the mother and the son is born from the father, so too is this child truly yours. Accept your son, O Duṣyanta—Śakuntalā has spoken the truth. A son is born directly from all the limbs; that is why the self is called ‘son.’ Having placed yourself in him, protect this child—do not disregard Śakuntalā. “Women are pure and unequaled in this, O Duṣyanta, according to dharma; month by month, their natural flow removes impurities.” Then, from every direction, all beings spoke together: “The bearer of seed raises the son from the realm of Yama, O king; you are the nourisher of the embryo—Śakuntalā has spoken the truth. The husband enters the wife, and in her, he is born again; such is their mutual nature—do not disregard Śakuntalā. The wife gives birth to a son from her own body, made from two parts; therefore, O Duṣyanta, bear your son Śākuntala. “This is a great fortune, not to be abandoned—let your life sustain your own son. O Duṣyanta, support the great-souled Śākuntala, the Paurava. Because he is to be maintained by you even more than by our command, let this son of yours be named Bharata. From Bharata comes the renowned name by which this lineage is called Bhārata; all those who came before and after are known as Bhāratas.” As these words resounded, the gods and ascetic sages, radiant with austerity, joyfully showered flowers upon Śakuntalā, praising her as a devoted wife. Hearing the words spoken by the gods, the descendant of Puru, Duṣyanta, rose from his throne and bowed to the immortals. Filled with joy, he turned to his priests and ministers and said, “Let all of you hear these words spoken by the divine messenger. Let the words of the gods and the great sages be heard as well; I too know this son as truly my own. “If I had accepted this son as my own merely on her word, there would have been doubt among the people, and he would not have been considered pure. Therefore, having the matter clarified by the gods and great sages, I now accept this son with joy and delight.” Overflowing with happiness and affection for his son, the king performed all the ancestral rites, embracing the boy with love and smelling his head. Honored by the Brahmins and praised by bards, Duṣyanta experienced supreme joy in holding his son. The righteous king also honored his wife in accordance with dharma, gently addressing her with soothing words: “Previously, our relationship was hidden from the world; today, in the presence of all, our bond has been openly established again. That is why I spoke as I did. The people might have suspected, because you are a woman, that there was some impropriety with me; therefore, I also considered this for the sake of your purity.