Mahabharata – 140

by

Sankar Mukherjee

&

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                                   Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Dushmanta the king of Hasthinapur narried Shakuntala secretly at the ashrama of sage Kanva.cDushmanta then went away to his palace,cShakuntala was left all alone in the ashrama of sage Kanva.In course of time Shakuntala became carrying. Shakuntala gave birth to a beautiful & spirited baby.The great sage Kanva observed religious rites fit for a kshatriya boy as per the rules.The boy gradually grew older in the ashrama of Kanva and turned out to be a strong,powerful handsome youth.Born & brought up in the forest, he played around with the wild animals in the forest and grew to be a fearless, mighty and extremely active youth. At the age of six years. he used to ride  the wild animals & climb trees. Also he used to bring lions, tigers, elephants in the ashrama & tied them in the nearby trees of the ashrama for which the residents of the ashrama named him Sarvadamana.

In course of time the boy grew to become a handsome and intelligent young man – Seeing his activity & might the great sage Kanva said to Shakuntala --- This is the right time for him to become the crown prince. Then he  commanded his disciples to take Shakuntala with her son to the palace of Dushmanta. If a woman lives in his father’s place for a long time after marriage she may deviate from righteousnes. And that is not desirable.You should take her to her husband presently.And his disciples proceeded towards the Hasthinapur along with Shakuntala & his son. And the lotus eyed Shakuntala with her son resplendent in divine  light reached  Hastinapur the capital of king Dushmanta.The royal gate keeper informed the king as to the arrival of Shakuntala.On approval of the king, they allowed Shakuntala to enter the royal palace with her spirited son who looked  like the Sun.In the mean time the ashrama boys who accompanied Shakuntala left the palace & the city of Hastinapur to go back to their sylvan retreat.

Shakuntala after paying due respect to the king said --- Oh king! This is your son. Oh king! In the past you begot this divine son in my womb. You promised earlier that my son should be the crown prince. Remember the promise you made at the ashrama of the great sage Kanva.Now this boy is of age.I brought him here. Keep your promise. 

On hearing Shakuntala, the king Dushmanta remembered his past affairs with Shakuntala vividly. But he denied the facts. He said, Oh I do not remember that I had any relation with you ever on any plane of dharma, artha or kama. How is it that you are my wife? It seems that you are a wicked ascetic. Who sent you here?

Hearing this the poor Shakuntala felt terriblly humuliated. Shocked it seemed that she lost he consciousness for a time.So she stood there without any stir like a pillar. Swayed by anger & restlessness her eyes became copper coloured. Her lips trembled.She looked at the king in a meaningful way. It seemed as if she would burn the king with her gaze.A little later she hid her anger. She earned great prowess through penance. Anger fuelled this prowess. But she controlled it. Thereafter, after a moment’s reflection, while gazing at the king constantly she spoke to the king in sorrow & anger --- Oh king! Even though you remember everything in details why do you speak like a common man? Your heart knows whether I am telling you lie or not.So speak like a honest witnes. Don’t make yourself & your soul the butt of ridicule by telling lies. The person who represents his self as different from what actually he is, is but a thief who steals his self from the self.He can commit any type of sin & crime. Oh king! You think that you are wise.But you are not aware of the fact that your individual soul had no beginning. The soul is always aware of what a person feels & thinks. It is aware of what a person does & speaks. You are committing sin before your soul that had no begining. People commit sin in a secluded place & think that they are unseen by any body.But the soul of the every person is a witness to what he does.The gods can do also espy whatever one does in a sequestered place hidden from the eye of the society.

Moreover Sun, Moon, Wind, Fire, Sky, Earth, Water, Mind, God of Death, days, night, morning prayer & evening prayer keeps all  the information about the individual soul.The individual soul is the witness of all the acts of oneself. Pleased by the honest act of a person the god of death forgives all his misconducts. But that individual soul is displeased by the wicked act of a person.The god of death puts  him in distress.The person who ignores his self & soul & projects himself  in a different way is cursed by the gods.Because his soul will not bear witness  to what he professes.I am a faithful wife.I am here on my own. Don’t ignore me.The wife is always adorable even if she comes on her own. You are not ready to welcome me.You are ignoring me at the court.You treat me as if I am a lowly women. Why? And am I crying in vain? You are not hearing me.I am praying to stay with you & if you do not keep my prayer then your head will be broken into hundred pieces.