Dushyanta

In the Mahabharata, the later of the
two great Hindu epics, Dushyanta
is a king of the Lunar Line and
the husband of Shakuntala. Their
romance is also described in Kalidasa’s
drama Abhijnanashakuntala. Dushyanta
meets Shakuntala, who is living in a forest ashram (abode of an ascetic), while
he is hunting in the forest. They fall in
love and are married by their mutual
consent. After a short time Dushyanta
has to return to his kingdom, with
Shakuntala to follow soon after. In the
meantime, Shakuntala has been cursed
by the sage Durvasas that her beloved
will completely forget her, although
Durvasas later modifies the curse, and
says that Dushyanta will remember
everything if Shakuntala can show him
any proof of their union. The bulk of the
story in both episodes is concerned
with Shakuntala’s trials and tribulations
as she strives to regain her rightful place
as queen. In both versions, Dushyanta
is a minor character, but clearly an
essential one.
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Dushyanta