What is the difference between the Shakuntala episode in the Mahabharata and in Kalidas play?

The same episode is transformed by Kalidas. In his version, Shakuntala is pregnant, and accompanied by others who speak for her in court. But through the device of the curse—which means the king has genuinely forgotten Shakuntala—Kalidas exonerates him, where, in the Mahabharat, Dushyanta is guilty.

What is the significance of the hunt in the opening scene of Kalidasa’s play Abhijnanasakuntalam?

In the early part of the play, deer symbolize innocence, especially Shakuntala’s sheltered innocence, while the pursuit of deer symbolizes the King’s romantic appetites (and the taming of those appetites).

How does Kalidasa portray Shakuntala?

In Abhijnana Sakuntalam, Kalidasa presents Shakuntala as an embodiment of beauty, feminine charm and womanhood. Kalidasa has presented her in the mould of the ideal heroine of Sanskrit literature as laid down in the texts of Sanskrit dramaturgy. Shakuntala has been presented as an ideal woman like Savitri, and Sita.

What is the theme of Abhigyan Shakuntalam?

Kalidasa remakes the story into a love idyll whose characters represent a pristine aristocratic ideal: The Themes Discussed In Abhijnana Shakuntala, the girl, sentimental, selfless, alive to little but the delicacies of nature, and therefore the king, first servant of the dharma (religious and social law and duties).

Is Shakuntala part of Mahabharata?

Shakuntala (Sanskrit: Śakuntalā) is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption being Kalidasa’s play Abhijñānaśākuntala (The Sign of Shakuntala).

Who was Raja dushyant?

Dushyanta (Sanskrit: दुष्यन्त) was a great king of India Indian literature. He was the husband of Shakuntala and the father of the Emperor Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalidasa’s play The Recognition of Sakuntala ( c. 300 CE).

Who cursed Shakuntala?

Durvasa’s curse One day, a powerful rishi, Durvasa, came to the ashrama but, lost in her thoughts about Dushyanta, Shakuntala failed to greet him properly. Incensed by this slight, the rishi cursed Shakuntala, saying that the person she was dreaming of would forget about her altogether.

Why Abhijnana Shakuntala is considered as the best drama of Kalidasa?

Abhijnanashakuntala, (Sanskrit: “The Recognition of Shakuntala”) drama by Kalidasa composed about the 5th century ce that is generally considered to be the greatest Indian literary work of any period. As in all of Kalidasa’s works, the beauty of nature is depicted with an inimitable elegance of metaphor.

Did Dushyanta believe Shakuntala Why do you think he did not believe her?

Much before Durvasa could curse Shakuntala, Dushyant had forgotten about her, because he was a king and he had a kingdom to run which was obviously more important than the promises he had made in some lust-driven moment to a maiden of the forest, in the fringes of the kingdom which may clearly be symbolic of the …

What kind of play is abhigyan shakuntalam?

Abhijnanashakuntalam (Devanagari: अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तळम्, IAST: Abhijñānaśākuntalam), also known as Shakuntala, The Recognition of Shakuntala, The Sign of Shakuntala, and many other variants, is a Sanskrit play by the ancient Indian poet Kālidāsa, dramatizing the story of Śakuntalā told in the epic Mahābhārata and regarded …

What are the dominant Rasas used in Abhijnanasakuntalam?

Kalidas has presented three main Rasa of life in this work, Srngaram (Love), Karunyam (Compassion), and Shantam (peace) the remaining all six Rasas are also there but the concentration of Kalidas is more upon the main three.

How is the Mahabharata different from Kalidasa’s version of the story?

The Mahabharata story is slightly different from Kalidasa’s version. The primary thrust in the Mahabharata is to teach us the nuances of dharma through the poignant love story of Shakuntala and king Dushyanta. Dushyanta was a powerful and virtuous king.

Where did Kalidasa get his ideas from?

Kalidasa’s writings draw heavily from ancient Hindu texts, including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata —two vast Sanskrit epics filled with mythology and Hindu teachings. Get the entire Shakuntala LitChart as a printable PDF.

What is the primary thrust of the Mahabharata?

The primary thrust in the Mahabharata is to teach us the nuances of dharma through the poignant love story of Shakuntala and king Dushyanta. Dushyanta was a powerful and virtuous king. Once, while he was out hunting in the forests, he came across a picturesque hermitage which was as peaceful as it was beautiful.

What is the story of Bharata about?

The story has a natural place there, for Bharata, Shakuntala’s son, is the eponymous ancestor of the princes who play the leading part in the epic. With no little abbreviation of its epic breadth, the story runs as follows:– THE EPIC TALE Once that strong-armed king, with a mighty host of men and chariots, entered a thick wood.