Critical Edition
शकुन्तलोवाच एवमुक्तस्तया शक्रः संदिदेश सदागतिम् प्रातिष्ठत तदा काले मेनका वायुना सह
M. N. Dutt: Kanva said: Having been thus addressed, Indra commanded the wind to be present with Menaka when she would be present before the Rishi.
अथापश्यद्वरारोहा तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषम् विश्वामित्रं तपस्यन्तं मेनका भीरुराश्रमे
M. N. Dutt: The timid and the beautiful girl then entered the hermitage and saw Vishvamitra, who had destroyed all his sins by penances and who was still engaged in austere penances.
अभिवाद्य ततः सा तं प्राक्रीडदृषिसंनिधौ अपोवाह च वासोऽस्या मारुतः शशिसंनिभम्
M. N. Dutt: Having saluted the Rishi, she then began to sport near him. At this very time Maruta robbed of her cloth, which was as white as the moon (light.)
सागच्छत्त्वरिता भूमिं वासस्तदभिलिङ्गती उत्स्मयन्तीव सव्रीडं मारुतं वरवर्णिनी
M. N. Dutt: And that beautiful girl in great bashfulness began to run after the cloth to catch it and she appeared to express her great annoyance at the conduct of Maruta (wind).
Supplementary Passages:
1.66.4 After 4, N ins.: *601 पश्यतस्तत्र तस्यर्षेरप्यग्निसमतेजसः विश्वामित्रस्ततस्तां तु विषमस्थामनिन्दिताम्
गृद्धां वाससि संभ्रान्तां मेनकां मुनिसत्तमः अनिर्देश्यवयोरूपामपश्यद्विवृतां तदा
AI Translation: The best of sages saw Menakā, who was distracted and eager for clothes, who was naked and whose form was indescribable.
तस्या रूपगुणं दृष्ट्वा स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा चकार भावं संसर्गे तया कामवशं गतः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing her great beauty and accomplishments, that best of Rishis was filled with desire and wished for her company.
न्यमन्त्रयत चाप्येनां सा चाप्यैच्छदनिन्दिता तौ तत्र सुचिरं कालं वने व्यहरतामुभौ रममाणौ यथाकामं यथैकदिवसं तथा
AI Translation: And he asked her to be his wife, and she, the blameless one, consented. And the two of them lived a long time in that forest, enjoying themselves as they pleased, as if it were only one day.
Supplementary Passages:
1.66.7 After 7, D4 S (G3 om. lines 3-6; M5 om. 1-3) ins.: *602 एवं वर्षसहस्राणामतीतं नाभ्यचिन्तयत् कामक्रोधावजितवान्मुनिर्नित्यं क्षमान्वितः चिरार्जितस्य तपसः क्षयं स कृतवानृषिः तपसः संक्षयादेव मुनिर्मोहं विवेश सः मोहाभिभूतः क्रोधात्मा ग्रसन्मूलफलं मुनिः पादैर्जलरवं कृत्वा अन्तर्द्वीपे कुटीं गतः मेनका गन्तुकामा वै शुश्राव जलनिस्वनम् तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽसावाकाशादेति याति च अद्य संज्ञां विजानामि येन केन तपःक्षयम् हन्त निर्यामि चेत्युक्त्वा ऋतुस्नाता तु मेनका कामरागाभिभूतस्य मुनेः पार्श्वं जगाम सा
जनयामास स मुनिर्मेनकायां शकुन्तलाम् प्रस्थे हिमवतो रम्ये मालिनीमभितो नदीम्
AI Translation: The sage begot Shākuntala from Menakā. On the slope of the Himālaya, near the river Mālinī.
Supplementary Passages:
1.66.8 After 8, D4 S (except G6) ins.: *603 देवगर्भोपमां बलां सर्वाभरणभूषिताम् शयानां शयने रम्ये मेनका वाक्यमब्रवीत् महर्षेरुग्रतपसस्तेजस्त्वमविनाशिनी तस्मात्स्वर्गं गमिष्यामि देवकार्यार्थमागता
जातमुत्सृज्य तं गर्भं मेनका मालिनीमनु कृतकार्या ततस्तूर्णमगच्छच्छक्रसंसदम्
AI Translation: Having given birth to the child, Menakā followed Mālinī And quickly went to the assembly of Indra, having accomplished her task.
तं वने विजने गर्भं सिंहव्याघ्रसमाकुले दृष्ट्वा शयानं शकुनाः समन्तात्पर्यवारयन्
AI Translation: Seeing him lying in the forest, in the solitude, in the womb, full of lions and tigers, the birds surrounded him from all sides.
नेमां हिंस्युर्वने बालां क्रव्यादा मांसगृद्धिनः पर्यरक्षन्त तां तत्र शकुन्ता मेनकात्मजाम्
AI Translation: May the flesh-eating birds, greedy for meat, not harm this child in the forest. The birds protected her there, the daughter of Menakā.
उपस्प्रष्टुं गतश्चाहमपश्यं शयितामिमाम् निर्जने विपिनेऽरण्ये शकुन्तैः परिवारिताम् आनयित्वा ततश्चैनां दुहितृत्वे न्ययोजयम्
AI Translation: Having gone to touch her, I saw her lying there in the desolate forest, surrounded by birds. Having brought her there, I appointed her as my daughter.
Supplementary Passages:
1.66.12 After 12ab, D4 (marg.) S ins.: *604 मां दृष्ट्वैवाभ्यपद्यन्त पादयोः पतिता द्विजाः अब्रुवञ्शकुनाः सर्वे कलं मधुरभाषिणः विश्वामित्रसुतां ब्रह्मन्न्यासभूतां भरस्व वै कामक्रोधावजितवान्सखा ते कौशिकीं गतः तस्मात्पोषय पुत्रीं ते दयावन्निति तेऽब्रुवन् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञोऽहं दयावान्सर्वजन्तुषु
शरीरकृत्प्राणदाता यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जते क्रमेण ते त्रयोऽप्युक्ताः पितरो धर्मनिश्चये
AI Translation: He who creates the body, gives life, and whose food is eaten, These three are said in order to be the fathers, in the determination of Dharma.
निर्जने च वने यस्माच्छकुन्तैः परिरक्षिता शकुन्तलेति नामास्याः कृतं चापि ततो मया
M. N. Dutt: Because she was found in the solitude of the forest, protected by the Shakuntas (birds), she has been named Shakuntala (protected by birds.)
एवं दुहितरं विद्धि मम सौम्य शकुन्तलाम् शकुन्तला च पितरं मन्यते मामनिन्दिता
M. N. Dutt: O Brahmana, know that it is thus that Shakuntala has become my daughter. And faultless Shakuntala also regards me as her father.
एतदाचष्ट पृष्टः सन्मम जन्म महर्षये सुतां कण्वस्य मामेवं विद्धि त्वं मनुजाधिप
AI Translation: Thus questioned, he told me about his birth to the great sage. O king of men, know me to be the daughter of Kanva in this way.
कण्वं हि पितरं मन्ये पितरं स्वमजानती इति ते कथितं राजन्यथावृत्तं श्रुतं मया
AI Translation: I consider Kanva to be my father, not knowing my own father. Thus, O king, I have told you what happened, as I heard it.