Shakuntala’s grief

The Kalidasa Mahakavya Abhinjanashakunthalam is the story of King Dushyantha and Shakunthala retold from the Mahabharatha.

King Dushyantha while hunting in the forest meets the beautiful Ashrama kanya Shakunthala and they fall in love..Without the consent of her father she agrees for the Gandharva vivah with the king. When he leaves to his palace, he promises to come back and escort her to the palace. He gives her a signet ring.
One day Shakuntala was lost in thoughts while the sage Durvasa appears. She fails to notice him.
The temperamental sage curses her: “He whose thoughts have engrossed you would not remember you anymore.”
Shakuntala’s grief had no bounds, she pleads to the saint for mercy to take back the curse. The sage calms down and tell her the king would remember her when she shows him a souvenir given by him.
Shakunthala was pregnant and her father sends her to the palace. On the way she lost the signet ring and Durva’s curse comes true. She comes back to the ashram rejected by the king. She gave birth to a boy. They live in the Ashram.

Once Maharishi Viswamitra came in search of Kashyap muni. He felt the sanctity of the Kashyapashram in the thick forest. The singing of the birds and the fragrance of wild flowers welcomed him. He sat under the Ashoka tree and sent his shishya to inform his presence.
Meanwhile a young boy runs to him and sits on his lap. Viswamitra felt an affection to the boy and hugs him. His mother comes in search of the kid.
The young woman attracted the sage’s attention. She looked very familiar. “I know you. You are Menaka.” he said to himself.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I’m Shakunthala. I’m Kashyap muni’s dasi.” she whispered.”When I was born my parents seperated and my mother left me in this ashram”. There was pain in her voice.
Raja Dushyanth married me but abandoned due to the curse of Maharshi Durvasa.
“Who is your father?” Viswamitra asked.
“Brahmashri Viswamitra” she said.
“She is my daughter! Menaka is her mother.” Viswamitra held her affectionately and whispered. “I’m Viswamitra, your father.”
Tears flowing down her cheeks, Shakuntala touched her father’s feet for blessings. “This is my fate, father. I blame no one.”
Viswamitra overwhelmed by the purity of his daughter’s noble thoughts, blessed her. “You will join your husband soon and lead the life of a queen.”
His blessings came true and she lived in the palace with her son Bharatha. It is after the Prince Bharatha, the country got its name, Bharat.