Abhijnanasakuntalam: Sakuntala’s departure from the Hermitage of Kanva

Sakuntala’s departure from the Hermitage of Kanva

Q. Sakuntala’s departure from the Hermitage of Kanva

Answer: The scene of Sakuntala’s departure from the Hermitage of Kanva is one of the most touching and beautiful scenes of the play, Abhijnanasakuntalam. Kalidas’s treatment and understanding of nature is best exhibited in the scene when Sakuntala leaves for the King’s Court. It is both touching and elevating.

When Maharshi, the great sage, Kanva says that the time is ripe for Sakuntala to leave for her husband’ house, preparations commence almost immediately. The mother Goutami, the ever benedictory maternal spirit of the entire hermitage, groom her with perfumes, cosmetic, herbs and dresses that become her station as a queen. Priyamvada and Anushuya assist her in this job. The entire hermitage becomes moved by this preparation of its beloved daughter, Sakuntala. Nature, in Kalidasa, is not seen as an inert and objective presence or a setting where the scene unfolds. But as a living entity who directly participates in the happenings of the ashrama, and particularly the life of Sakuntala, who is very much its child.

Sakuntala, after being dressed by Anushuya, Priyamvada and Goutami, first pays obeisance to her elders, goes around the sacred fire, bahnimata. After this ritual permission is taken from the all-encompassing, all-consuming and all-pervading fire, Sakuntala addresses the plant life of the hermitage. She tells them:

“Ye she who never touched water before watering you/ never touched a leaf despite many desires to do so/ engaged in celebration when your buds blossomed/ is living for her husband’s home, bid me, adieu.”

In response, Nature blessed her on her journey, and does so through the song of a song-bird, Kokila. The bird, in her soft melodious voice carries the blessing of the mute trees to Sakuntala as she embarks on her journey. Sakuntala reflects on the song of the Kokila and states how she understands that to be a permission granted to her by Mother Nature and the plants of the hermitage.

She gladly takes a step forward, when the moving scene unfolds, which has become one of the most recognisable and immortal images from the play. A deer cub, whom Sakunta has nursed from its very childhood, holds her back by the end of her cloth. Sakuntala is almost moved to tears by her love and compassion for the little fawn but answers the call of duty in the only way she knows. She gently tears herself away from the fawn, caresses it and promises to be back again.

The entire hermitage raises its hands in unison to bless Sakuntala on her way to the Royal Court of Duhsanta. Sakuntala painfully takes her leave from it as well. This is the way the trees and the entire nature react as Sakuntala leaves the ashram for the house of her husband. Then Kanva, the great sage and master to a thousand pupils (thus Kulapati) takes her by the edge of a water tank and advises her on her manners and mores for the life to come.

Kanva advises Sakuntala to be respectful to the elders and serve them to be a friend to the other wives of Duhsanta and not to go against the husband, even if he mistreats her. He further advises her to be generous to her husband’s relatives and never to be proud of her fortune and position. After listening to this advice with her characteristic gentleness, Sakuntala steps out for her husband’s house, accompanied by Srangarava and Saraswata, two of Kanva's disciples and her son, Sarvadamana to meet Duhsanta in the court. Thus, the scene of Sakuntala’a leavinto from the hermitage of Kanva comes to an end.

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