Foster-daughter of sage कण्व .

Birth. शकुन्तला was a daughter born to विश्वामित्र of the अप्सरा woman called मेनका . विश्वामित्र was engaged in intense तपस् on the banks of river मालिनी in the हिमालयस् . इन्द्र deputed मेनका to break the महर्षि 's तपस् . She enticed him away from his तपस् and got pregnant by him. But she forsook the child on the banks of मालिनी and returned to देवलोक .

Childhood. Birds gathered round the forsaken orphan-child. While शकुन्तस् that is birds were petting the child कण्व came that way, saw the child and took it with him to the आश्रम . As शकुन्तस् had petted it, the child was named शकुन्तला .

As queen

King दुष्यन्त of the lunar dynasty married शकुन्तला and to the couple was born the famous भरत . This is the original story about शकुन्तला 's married life. All the Indian languages contain two different versions of शकुन्तला 's life. One version is that related in व्यास 's भारत and the second is that contained in कालिदास 's शाकुन्तल . Many scholars opine that in the matter of the शकुन्तला episode कालिदास has gone a step further and for the better, and therefore both the versions of the story are to be carefully studied by us.

व्यास 's शकुन्तला

शकुन्तला , now grown up as a maiden, was alone in the आश्रम when King दुष्यन्त , out in the forest on a hunting expedition, came there. In the absence of her foster-father कण्व , शकुन्तला welcomed the King. They fell in love with each other and the King married शकुन्तला according to the गान्धर्व way of marriage and lived with her for a few days. शकुन्तला became pregnant. The King returned to his palace.

कण्व returned to the आश्रम and he was pleased that what had been destined to take place had happened. In due course of time शकुन्तला delivered a boy, who was named सर्वदमन . When the child was grown up, कण्व sent his mother along with him to दुष्यन्त 's palace. The King did not recognise them, but a celestial voice convinced him that the child was his own son. The King heartily welcomed his wife and son and शकुन्तला lived in the palace as his honoured wife.

कालिदास 's शकुन्तला

कण्व brought up शकुन्तला born to विश्वामित्र of मेनका in his आश्रम and she had two companions called अनसूया and प्रियंवदा . All the three grew up and became maidens.

King दुष्यन्त , who went out hunting in the forest followed a deer to कण्व 's आश्रम where he saw शकुन्तला watering the garden with her companions. कण्व was then away at चक्रतीर्थ . दुष्यन्त , who fell in love with शकुन्तला , married her according to the गान्धर्व rules and lived with her at the आश्रम for a few days. Meanwhile शकुन्तला became pregnant, and emissaries from the palace came and the King returned with them. He left the आश्रम after promising शकुन्तला that he would soon return to her. He gave her his signet ring.

Sad over the separation from दुष्यन्त and immersed in thought about him, शकुन्तला was sitting there in the आश्रम when दुर्वासस् came there. She did not see the महर्षि nor welcome him respectfully. He got angry at this and cursed her that she be forgotten by him about whom she was so intensely thinking. शकुन्तला did not hear the curse either, but her companions who heard it begged pardon of the मुनि on behalf of शकुन्तला and prayed for absolution from the curse. Then he said that if शकुन्तला showed the King any sign about their relationship the King would remember her. Her companions did not tell शकुन्तला about the above incidents. कण्व gladly welcomed शकुन्तला 's wedding with दुष्यन्त .

Days and months passed by, yet दुष्यन्त did not return and कण्व sent शकुन्तला , in whom signs of pregnancy had become prominent, to the palace of the King in the company of गौतमी and शार्ङ्गरव . अनसूया reminded शकुन्तला to take particular care of the signet ring. On their way to the palace शकुन्तला and others bathed in the सोमवारतीर्थ , and nobody noticed शकुन्तला losing from her finger the ring in the तीर्थ . They reached the King's palace. None noticed them. दुष्यन्त did not remember having even seen her. The signet ring was missing. After leaving शकुन्तला at the palace her companions returned to the आश्रम . मेनका , whose heart melted at the pathetic wailings of शकुन्तला led her to कश्यप 's आश्रम , left her there and returned to देवलोक .

The signet ring lost by शकुन्तला was swallowed by a fish, which was netted by a fisherman, who went about the streets to sell the ring extracted from inside the fish. Servants of the King took the fisherman captive. At the sight of the ring thoughts about the past dawned on the King and he remembered all about शकुन्तला . His days became sad pondering over separation from शकुन्तला .

शकुन्तला delivered a boy at the आश्रम of कश्यप . The child was named सर्वदमन and he grew up as a courageous boy.

On his return from the देवासुर war, दुष्यन्त entered कश्यप 's आश्रम where he saw सर्वदमन counting the teeth of a lion he had captured. Having heard details about him from the boy the King went inside the आश्रम and saw कश्यप and शकुन्तला . He returned with शकुन्तला and the boy to the palace with कश्यप 's blessings. It was this boy सर्वदमन , who afterwards became भरत , the famous emperor of India.