आत्मा वै पुत्रनामासि स जीव शरदः शतम्। उपजिघ्रन्ति पितरो मन्त्रेणानेन मूर्धनि
You are indeed called 'son,' the self; may you live a hundred autumns. Fathers smell their sons' heads with this mantra.
पोषणं त्वदधीनं मे सन्तानमपि चाक्षयम्। तस्मात्त्वं जीव मे पुत्र स सुखी शरदां शतम्
Your nourishment depends on me, and my lineage is everlasting; therefore, live, my son, and be happy for a hundred autumns.
एको भूत्वा द्विधा भूत इति वादः प्रवर्तते। त्वदङ्गेभ्यः प्रसूतोऽयं पुरुषात्पुरुषः परः
The saying goes: 'Having become one, he became two.' This one was born from your limbs, a person from a person, supreme.
सरसीवामलेऽऽत्मानं द्वितीयं पश्य ते सुतम्। `सरसीवामले सोमं प्रेक्षात्मानं त्वमात्मनि
See your son as your second self, like the moon reflected in a clear lake; see yourself in him, as you see the moon in water.
यथाचाहवनीयोऽग्निर्वर्हपत्यात्प्रणीयते। एवं त्वत्तः प्रणीतोऽयं त्वमेकः सन्द्विधा कृतः
Just as the fire for sacrifice is led from the household fire, so too was he led forth from you; you are one, yet made two.
मृगापकृष्टेन हि वै मृगयां परिधावता। अहमासादिता राजन्कुमारी पितुराश्रमे
While hunting, drawn by the chase, I was found, O king, as a maiden in my father's hermitage.
उर्वशी पूर्वचित्तिश्च सहजन्या च मेनका। विश्वाची च घृताची च षडेवाप्सरसां वराः
Urvaśī, Pūrvacitti, Sahajanyā, Menakā, Viśvācī, and Ghṛtācī—these six are the foremost of the Apsarases.
तासां वै मेनका नाम ब्रह्मयोनिर्वराप्सराः। दिवः संप्राप्य जगतीं विश्वामित्रादजीजनत्
Among them, Menakā is named as the best Apsaras, born from Brahma; having descended from heaven to earth, she gave birth to Viśvāmitra's child.
श्रीमानृषिर्धर्मपरो वैश्वानर इवापरः। ब्रह्मयोनिः कुशो नाम विश्वामित्रपितामहः
The illustrious sage, devoted to righteousness, like another Vaiśvānara, is Brahmayoni, called Kuśa, the grandfather of Viśvāmitra.
कुशस्य पुत्रो बलवान्कुशनाभश्च धार्मिकः। गाधिस्तस्य सुतो राजन्विश्वामित्रस्तु गाधिजः
Kuśa's son was the powerful and righteous Kuśanābha; his son was Gādhi, and Viśvāmitra was born of Gādhi, O King.
एवंविधो मम पिता मेनका जननी वरा।' सा मां हिमवतः पृष्ठे सुषुवे मेनकाऽप्सराः
Such was my father, and Menakā, the distinguished Apsaras, is my mother; she gave birth to me, Menakā the Apsaras, on the slopes of Himavat.
परित्यज्य च मां याता परात्मजमिवासती। `पक्षिणः पुम्यवन्तस्ते सहिता धर्मतस्तदा
Abandoning me, she departed, as one who has forsaken her own child; then, righteous birds gathered together and protected me.
पक्षैस्तैरभिगुप्ता च तस्मादस्मि शकुन्तला। ततोऽहमृषिणा दृष्टा काश्यपेन महात्मना
Guarded by those wings, I was thus called Śakuntalā; then I was seen by the great-souled sage Kāśyapa.
जलार्थमग्निहोत्रस्य गतं दृष्ट्वा तु पक्षिणः। न्यासभूतामिव मुनेः प्रददुर्मां दयावतः
The birds, seeing me who had come for the water of the sacrificial fire, compassionately gave me, as if I were a deposit, to the sage.
कण्वस्त्वालोक्य मां प्रीतो हसन्तीति हविर्भुजः। स माऽरणिमिवादाय स्वमाश्रममुपागमत्
The sacrificer Kaṇva, seeing me, was pleased and smiled; taking me as one would take fire from kindling, he brought me to his own hermitage.
सा वै संभाविता राजन्ननुक्रोशान्महर्षिणा। तेनैव स्वसुतेवाहं राजन्वै वरवर्णिनी
There, O King, I was honored by the great sage out of compassion; by him, I was raised like his own daughter, O King, woman of noble form.
विश्वामित्रसुता चाहं वर्धिता मुनिना नृप। यौवने वर्तमानां च दृष्टवानसि मां नृप
I am the daughter of Viśvāmitra, O King, raised by the sage; you have seen me, O King, as I was entering my youth.
आश्रमे पर्णशालायां कुमारीं विजने तदा। धात्रा प्रचोदितां शून्ये पित्रा विरहितां मिथः
In the hermitage, in a leaf-hut, you saw me, a maiden, alone, prompted by fate, bereft of my father, in solitude.
वाग्भिस्त्वं सूनृताभिर्मामपत्यार्थमचूचुदः। अकार्षीस्त्वाश्रमे वासं धर्मकामार्थनिश्चितम्
With gentle and true words, you wooed me for the sake of offspring; you dwelt in the hermitage, firmly resolved on righteousness, desire, and purpose.
गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन विधिना पाणिमग्रहीः। साऽहं कुलं च शीलं च सत्यवादित्वमात्मनः
By the Gandharva rite of marriage, according to custom, you took my hand; I am aware of your lineage, conduct, and truthfulness.
स्वधर्मं च पुरस्कृत्य त्वामद्य शरणं गता। तस्मान्नर्हसि संश्रुत्य तथेति वितथं वचः
Upholding my own duty, I have now sought your protection; therefore, having promised, you should not speak a false word.
स्वधर्मं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा परित्यक्तुमुपस्थिताम्। त्वन्नाथां लोकनाथस्त्वं नार्हसि त्वमनागसम्
Having set aside my own duty and come to be abandoned, with you as my only protector, you, the lord of men, should not forsake me, who am without fault.
किं नु कर्माशुभं पूर्वं कृतवत्यस्मि पार्थिव। यदहं बान्धवैस्त्यक्ता बाल्ये संप्रति वै त्वया
What evil deed did I commit before, O King, that I have been abandoned by my relatives in childhood, and now by you?
कामं त्वया परित्यक्ता गमिष्याम्यहमाश्रमम्। इमं बालं तु संत्युक्तं नार्हस्यात्मजमात्मना
Indeed, though abandoned by you, I will return to the hermitage; but this child, your own son, you should not forsake.
न पुत्रमभिजानामि त्वयि जातं शकुन्तले। असत्वचना नार्यः कस्ते श्रद्धास्यते वचः
I do not recognize this son as born from me and you, Shakuntala. Women speak untruths; who will believe your words?
अश्रद्धेयमिदं वाक्यं कथयन्ती न लज्जसे। विशेषतो मत्सकाशे दुष्टतापसि गम्यताम्
You shamelessly speak these unbelievable words, especially in my presence, O wicked ascetic woman; go away.
क्व महर्षिस्तपस्युग्रः क्वाप्सराः सा च मेनका। क्व च त्वमेवं कृपणा तापसीवेषधारिणी
Where is that great sage, fierce in his austerities, and where is that apsara Menaka? And where are you, so pitiable, dressed as an ascetic woman?
अतिकायश्च पुत्रस्ते बालोऽतिबलवानयम्। कथमल्पेन कालेन सालस्कन्ध इवोद्गतः
Your son is of great stature, and though a child, he is exceedingly strong. How has he grown so tall, like the trunk of a sala tree, in such a short time?
सुनिकृष्टा च योनिस्ते पुंश्चली प्रतिभासि मे। यदृच्छया कामरागाज्जाता मेनकया ह्यसि
Your birth is most lowly; you seem to me a wanton woman. You were born from Menaka by chance, out of lustful desire.
सर्वमेव परोक्षं मे यत्त्वं वदसि तापसि। `सर्वा वामाः स्त्रियो लोके सर्वाः कामपरायणाः
Everything you say to me is hidden, O ascetic woman. 'All women in the world are fickle, all are devoted to desire.'