Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.300

v1.c5.300

¹ K. has spun the Çakuntalā episode far out, and in part botched it very tastelessly. How wonderfully did the author of this poetic pearl of the MBh. make the innocent forest maid answer the king when he first bids her to give herself to him! Instead of this one verse, wholly to the point and almost literally repeating the words spoken by her in another connection, the southern botchwork puts a long speech on the awfulness of the holy ones and the Brahmans into the good child’s mouth, as also moral reflections on father, daughter, and wife (çl. 94.6 = Rām., i, 32.22). She is then so cunning, too, in her fear of what the world says, as to demand first of all a solemn marriage with all the ceremonies of the law. And the love-goaded king now calls to his Purohita, and has himself married to her by him! When Kaṇva comes home, Çakuntalā dares not face him, but he gets her to tell what has happened to her, which, of course, is done here sagad-gadam, and he then magnificently announces that he knew it at once through his “godlike eye”, but consoles her, and says :