DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.638#0237
PRELUDE TO THE BHARATA WAR 159
The maiden answered: "My illustrious sire is gather-
ing herbs, but if thou wilt tarry he will return ere
long."
Dushyanta was entranced by the beauty and sweet
smiles of the gentle girl, an1 his heart was moved to-
wards her, for she was in th \ bloom of youth. So he
spake, saying: " Who art thou, O fairest one ? Whence
comest thou, and why dost thou wander alone in the
woods ? O comely maiden, thou hast taken captive my
heart."
The bright - eyed one made answer: " I am the
daughter of the holy and high-souled Kanva, the ever-
wise and ever-constant."
Said the king: "But Kanva is chaste and austere and
hath ever been a celibate, nor can he have broken his
rigid vow. How came it that thou wert born the
daughter of such a one?"
Then the maiden, who was named Shakuntala, be-
cause that the birds (shakunta) had nursed her, revealed
unto the king the secret of her birth. Her real sire was
Vishwamitra1, the holy sage who had been a Kshatriya
and was made a Brahman in reward for his austerities.
It came to pass that Indra became alarmed at his growing
Power, and he feared that the mighty sage of blazing
energy would, by reason of his penances, cast down even
™m, the king of the gods, from his heavenly seat. So
indra commanded Menaka, the beauteous Ap'sara, to dis-
turb the holy meditations of the sage, for he had already
achieved such power that he created a second world and
many stars. The nymph called on the wind god and on
the god of love, and they went with her towards Vish-
wamitra.
Menaka danced before the brooding sage; then the
1 Pron. vish-wah-mit'ra.
The maiden answered: "My illustrious sire is gather-
ing herbs, but if thou wilt tarry he will return ere
long."
Dushyanta was entranced by the beauty and sweet
smiles of the gentle girl, an1 his heart was moved to-
wards her, for she was in th \ bloom of youth. So he
spake, saying: " Who art thou, O fairest one ? Whence
comest thou, and why dost thou wander alone in the
woods ? O comely maiden, thou hast taken captive my
heart."
The bright - eyed one made answer: " I am the
daughter of the holy and high-souled Kanva, the ever-
wise and ever-constant."
Said the king: "But Kanva is chaste and austere and
hath ever been a celibate, nor can he have broken his
rigid vow. How came it that thou wert born the
daughter of such a one?"
Then the maiden, who was named Shakuntala, be-
cause that the birds (shakunta) had nursed her, revealed
unto the king the secret of her birth. Her real sire was
Vishwamitra1, the holy sage who had been a Kshatriya
and was made a Brahman in reward for his austerities.
It came to pass that Indra became alarmed at his growing
Power, and he feared that the mighty sage of blazing
energy would, by reason of his penances, cast down even
™m, the king of the gods, from his heavenly seat. So
indra commanded Menaka, the beauteous Ap'sara, to dis-
turb the holy meditations of the sage, for he had already
achieved such power that he created a second world and
many stars. The nymph called on the wind god and on
the god of love, and they went with her towards Vish-
wamitra.
Menaka danced before the brooding sage; then the
1 Pron. vish-wah-mit'ra.