Page 11 - GALIET LOVE, FATE AND REMORSE: Sakuntala IV

Galiet & Galiet
things of Sakuntala’s fondness to add to his cherished portrait: the acacia flower brushing her cheeks and the lotus-fibre necklace between her breasts (VI, 20). Sakuntala is portrayed at the blessed instant when King Dushyanta rescues her: frightened, she covers her face from the buzzing bee ready to suckle the nectar from the lotus on her face. King Dushyanta is so enraptured by her image that the incident becomes real: he threatens the imaginary bee with locking her inside a lotus. He also gets angry with the clown for waking him up to his senses.
A female guard enters with a document, which requires the King’s immediate attention. Dhana, a wealthy and childless merchant has perished in a shipwreck. King Dushyanta instructs that Dhana’s inheritance be given to his unborn child rather than to the crown. In sympathy, King Dushyanta also proclaims that whenever subjects suffer the loss of a loving relative, he will be a relative to them. At once, King Dushyanta realizes that he faces the same destiny as Dhana. He faints as a result of his double remorse: wifeless and childless, he foresees the bitter end of his dynasty.
Misrakesi chooses not to intervene trusting Aditi’s words that the gods will see to
King Dushyanta and Sakuntala’s reunion. When Miskaresi leaves, an invisible form snatches the clown. Just as King Dushyanta strings his bow and aims dangerously at the invisible form, Matali, charioteer of Indra7, appears with the clown telling him that he has been given “demons for a target” (VI,34). On behalf of Indra, she rouses him to anger and asks him to help them in overcoming the Durjaya daemons. King Dushyanta leaves with Matali on the chariot and directs the clown to inform his Minister Pisuna to handle royal matters while on his journey.
The Ring. It is beautiful and meaningful that a fisherman ought to accidentally find the King’s ring inside a carp’s belly in Indra’s river. The ring, a keepsake originally given by the King to Anusuya to save Sakuntala from exhaustion at watering the trees (I,29), becomes twice their savior: it is that which breaks Durvasas’ curse8 and that which acts as a token of recognition of King Dushyanta and Sakuntala’s loving communion at Kanva’s hermitage. Therefore, King
7 Indra is chief of the gods. Please refer to first page of this essay.
8 Durvasas’ curse is read in Act IV. When he sees that Sakuntala is distracted and is not available to receive him hospitably, he curses her by making the king forget her. Sakuntala’s friend, Priyamvada, persuades him partly. Durvasas in turn, tells that the curse will be broken only when the King recognizes his own token previously given as a gift.
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