Introduction
Shakuntala is the daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the apsara Menaka. Abandoned by her mother, she was raised in the forest hermitage of the sage Kanva. She is best known from the Mahabharata and from Kalidasa's play as the wife of King Dushyanta and mother of Bharata.
This article follows the Mahabharata, where her story is told, and links her to the Ramayana through Vishwamitra and Menaka.
Family
- Father: Vishwamitra
- Mother: Menaka
- Husband: Dushyanta
- Siblings: Madhuchhanda
- Son: Bharata (son of Dushyanta)
Birth
Indra sent Menaka to disturb Vishwamitra's penance, and their union produced a daughter. Menaka left the child in the forest, where birds (shakunta) protected her, giving her the name Shakuntala. Kanva raised her.
Marriage
King Dushyanta met her while hunting, and they were married by mutual consent (gandharva marriage). In Kalidasa's play, a curse causes him to forget her, until a ring is found. Their son was Bharata, the ancestor of the Kuru dynasty.