ऋते च गर्दभीक्षीरात्पयः पास्यति मे सुतः।' ऋतेपि त्वां च दुष्यन्त शैलराजावतंसिकाम्। चतुरन्तामिमामुर्वीं पुत्रो मे पालयिष्यति
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 will rule this entire earth.
शकुन्तले तव सुतश्चक्रवर्ती भविष्यति। एवमुक्तं महेन्द्रेण भविष्यति न चान्यथा
O Śakuntalā, your son will become a universal emperor; thus spoke the great Indra, and it will not be otherwise.
साक्षित्वे बहवो ह्युक्ता देवदूतादयो मया। न ब्रुवन्ति तथा सत्यमुताहो नानृतं किल
Many witnesses have been named by me, such as divine messengers and others; they do not speak the truth in this way, nor do they utter falsehood.
असाक्षिणी मन्दबाग्या गमिष्यामि यथागतम्
Without a witness and unfortunate, I will depart as I came.
एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं प्रातिष्ठत शकुन्तला। `तस्याः क्रोधसमुत्थोग्निः सधूमो मूर्ध्न्यदृश्यत
Having spoken thus, Śakuntalā set out; the fire of anger, with smoke, was seen on her head.
संनियम्यात्मनोऽङ्गेषु ततः क्रोधाग्निमात्मजम्। प्रस्थितैवानवद्याङ्गी सह पुत्रेण वै वनम्
Restraining the fire of anger born from herself in her limbs, the flawless-bodied woman departed with her son into the forest.
अथान्तरिक्षे दुष्यन्तं वागुवाचाशरीरिणी। ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यैर्मन्त्रिभिश्चाभिसंवृतम्
Then, in the sky, a bodiless voice spoke to Duṣyanta, who was surrounded by priests, preceptors, teachers, and ministers.
माता भस्त्रा पितुः पुत्रो यस्माज्जातः स एव सः। भरस्व पुत्रं दौष्यन्तिं सत्यमाह शकुन्तला
Just as a bellows is the mother and the son is born from the father, so he is indeed the same; accept your son, O Duṣyanta, Śakuntalā has spoken the truth.
सर्वेभ्यो ह्यङ्गमङ्गेभ्यः साक्षादुत्पद्यते सुतः। आत्मा चैव सुतो नाम तेनैव तव पौरव
A son is born directly from all the limbs; the self is called 'son' for this reason, O Paurava.
आहितं ह्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं परिरक्ष इमं सुतम्। अनन्यां त्वं प्रतीक्षस्व मावमंस्थाः शकुन्तलाम्
Having placed yourself in him, protect this son; wait for the one who is not another, do not disregard Śakuntalā.
स्त्रियः पवित्रमतुलमेतद्दुष्यन्त धर्मतः। मासि मासि रजो ह्यासां दुरितान्यपकर्षति
Women are pure and unequaled in this, O Duṣyanta, according to dharma; month by month, their flow removes impurities.
ततः सर्वाणि भूतानि व्याजह्रस्तं समन्ततः
Then all beings spoke out together from every direction.
रेतोधाः पुत्र उन्नयति नरदेव यमक्षयात्। त्वं चास्य धाता गर्भस्य सत्यमाह शकुन्तला
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.
पतिर्जायां प्रविशति स तस्यां जायते पुनः। अन्योन्यप्रकृतिर्ह्येषा मावमंस्थाः शकुन्तलाम्
The husband enters the wife, and in her he is born again; this is their mutual nature, do not disregard Śakuntalā.
जाया जनयते पुत्रमात्मनोऽङ्गाद्द्विधा कृतम्। तस्माद्भरस्व दुष्यन्त पुत्रं शाकुन्तलं नृप
The wife gives birth to a son from her own body, made in two parts; therefore, O Duṣyanta, bear your son Śākuntala, O king.
सुभूतिरेषा न त्याज्या जीवितं जीवयात्मजम्। शाकुन्तलं महात्मानं दुष्यन्त भर पौरवम्
This is a good fortune, not to be abandoned; let your life sustain your own son. O Duṣyanta, support the great-souled Śākuntala, the Paurava.
भर्तव्योऽयं त्वया यस्मादस्माकं वचनादपि। तस्माद्भवत्वयं नाम्ना भरतो नाम ते सुतः
Because he is to be maintained by you even more than by our command, therefore let this son of yours be named Bharata.
भरताद्भारती कीर्तिर्येनेदं भारतं कुलम्। अपरे ये च पूर्वे च भारता इति तेऽभवन्
From Bharata comes the renowned name by which this lineage is called Bhārata; those who came before and after are known as Bhāratas.
एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः। पतिव्रतेति संहृष्टाः पुष्पवृष्टिं ववर्षिरे
Having spoken thus, the gods and the ascetic sages, rich in austerity, joyfully showered down a rain of flowers, delighted, calling her a devoted wife.
तच्छ्रुत्वा पौरवो वाक्यं व्याहृतं वे दिवौकसाम्। `सिंहासनात्समुत्थाय प्रणम्य च दिवौकसः
Hearing the words spoken by the gods, the descendant of Puru rose from his throne and bowed to the immortals.
पुरोहितममात्यांश्च संप्रहृष्टोऽब्रवीदिदम्। शृण्वन्त्वेतद्भवन्तोऽपि देवदूतस्य भाषितम्
Rejoicing, he addressed his priest and ministers, saying: 'Let all of you also hear these words spoken by the divine messenger.'
शृण्वन्तु देवतानां च महर्षीणां च भाषितम्'। अहमप्येवमेवैनं जानामि सुतमात्मजम्
'Let the words of the gods and the great sages be heard as well; I too know this son as truly my own.'
यद्यहं वचनादस्या गृह्णीयामिममात्मजम्। भवेद्धि शङ्का लोकस्य नैवं शुद्धो भवेदयम्
If I were to accept this son as my own merely on her word, there would be doubt among the people, and he would not be considered pure.
तां विशोध्य तदा राजा देवैः सह महर्षिभिः। हृष्टः प्रमुदितश्चापि प्रतिजग्राह तं सुतम्
Therefore, having clarified the matter together with the gods and great sages, the king, joyful and delighted, accepted that son.
ततस्तस्य तदा राजा पितृकर्माणि सर्वशः। कारयामास मुदितः प्रीतिमानात्मजस्य ह। मूर्ध्नि चैनं समाघ्राय सस्नेहं परिषस्वजे
Then the king, filled with happiness and affection for his son, performed all the ancestral rites; he embraced him with love, smelling his head.
सभाज्यमानो विप्रैश्च स्तूयमानश्च बन्दिभिः। मुदं स परमां लेभे पुत्रस्पर्शनजां नृपः
Honored by the Brahmins and praised by bards, the king experienced supreme joy from touching his son.
स्वां चैव भार्यां धर्मज्ञः पूजयामास धर्मतः। अब्रवीच्चैव तां राजा सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः
The righteous king also honored his own wife according to dharma, and gently spoke these words to her with soothing intent.
लोकस्यायं परोक्षस्तु संबन्धो नौ पुराऽभवत्। कृतो लोकसमक्षोऽद्य संबन्धो वै पुनः कृतः
'Previously, our relationship was hidden from the world; today, in the presence of all, our bond has been openly established again.'
तस्मादेतन्मया तस्य तन्निमित्तं प्रभाषितम्
Therefore, for that reason, I spoke thus about him.
शङ्केत वाऽयं लोकोऽथ स्त्रीभावान्मयि संगतम्। तस्मादेतन्मया चापि तच्छुद्ध्यर्थं विचारितम्
The people might suspect that, because of your womanhood, there was some impropriety with me; therefore, I also considered this for the sake of your purity.