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Appointment with Kalidasa
greater intensity of convincing human experience. The first three acts complete the stage of union by the gandharva marriage; the reason of separation is found in the interlude of the fourth act in the form of the curse of Durvasas; the actual separation occurs in the fifth act when Duşyanta, losing his memory due to the curse, rejects Sakuntala; the sixth act is a preparation for the reunion; which is shown in
the inal seventh act.
Duşyanta comes to the hermitage of Kanva by chance, in the pursuit of a deer he is about to kill. He is stopped by the hermits as the deer belongs to the hermitage. Duşyanta accepts the plea, is invited in the asrama, and meets Kanva's daughter Sakuntala, along with her companions Anasuya and Priyarivada, watering the trees in the hermitage; Kanva is away on a long pilgrimage to Somatirtha which he has undertaken in order to pacify the adverse fate of Sakuntala. Dusyanta is terribly attracted by the natural unadorned beauty of the girls, particularly of Sakuntala, and considers whether he can take Sakuntala as his wife. The story of Sakuntala's birth. and the knowledge that she is the daughter of a celestial nymph and the royal sage Visvamitra convinces him that there is nothing untoward from the religious angle in his desire for her. Sakuntala too has been moved by the sight of Dusyanta and experiences the stirrings of love, whicn she feels 'contrary to the tapovana life' in her innocence. Both have responded naturally to the impetus of love. Dusyanta is no longer interested in his hunting project. He confesses to his companion the Vidüṣaka his feelings for Sakuntala. The Vidüşaka ridicules the idea, first, with several objections Trying to marry a Tapasa-kanya, a daughter of a Brahmin sage, was against the normal religious code; Duşyanta's attraction for the girl may be a passing fancy, like a person tasting a sour tamarind as a change from sweet things; and if Duşyanta were to entice this girl and reject her after he had his pleasure it would be a moral crime, because it would ruin the entire life of an innocent girl. Duşyanta answers these objections convincingly; religion is no bar to this love, as Kanva is only a foster-father to Sakuntala; Sakuntala's beauty is heavenly; a person must be out of his senses not to want her permanently as his life's partner. The Viduşake convinced of Dusyanta's deep attachment and sincere love tells him to stock enough provender for himself as the journey of love is going to be a long one. Duşyanta wants an opportunity to go back to the aśrama; this is unexpectedly provided. The hermits find that in the absence of Kanva their daily sacrifices are disturbed by invisible demons; they invite Dusyanta to live in the hermitage to guard their sacrifices. But at this moment a message comes from Duşyanta's mother asking him to return to the Capital. The mother is observing the vow of Putra-pinda-palana; Duşyanta is childless; the completion of the vow will take place in four days, and Dusyanta's presence on the religious occasion was necessary. Caught in a dilemma, Dusyanta decides to send the Viduşaka in his place, dismisses the army, and remains alone in the tapovana to do his religious duty for the ascetics. The opportunity to be near Sakuntala in his spare time naturally helps the development of mutual love. While Dusyanta is
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