CC-I : Theme of love in Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam

 

            The major theme of Kalidasa's play Abhijnanashakuntalam is true love-the course of which is often fraught with complication and misunderstandings. In the story, King Dusyanta is so smitten with the beauteous of Sakuntala that he promises to make her his queen. Of course, King Dusyanta already was a whole host of wives, but he aims to make Sakuntala the head of them all. However, in his infatuation, the king neglects to considered the complication Shakuntala will bring to which already crowded household. Queen Hamsapadika pouts over king Duhsanta's preoccupation with the younger wives, he sends his clown Madhavya to pacify her.

        When one studies the structured aspects of the play, it becomes evidence that apart from the curse motif and the restoration motif, there is present "a pattern of dream, illusion, forgetfulness, recollection, recognition all of Which intricately interwoven. One also finds a fine blend of romance and fairy tell with the elements of comedy in Shakuntala"-, observes Romila Thapar. The meeting of king Dusyanta with Sakuntala also symbolizes of two words, and this union of a man and nature is a celebration of joyous festival of love and Dream of fulfillment. In fact, romance and love lie at the core of the play.

            In the description of love scenes in the Play, an extravagance of emotion and passion has been played. The play in the first half unfolds the beginning and consolidation of his love for Shakuntala-the awakening  of his sensual responses to her physical charms which are voiced in metaphorical language-"Her lower lip has the rich Sheen of young shoots,| her arms the very grace of tender twinning stems; | her limbs enchanting as a lovely flower | glow with the radiance of magical youth". The word in the play is a world of fairies, enchantment and myths. The hero of the play Duhsanta meet Sakuntala in the forest. The forest subs as the meeting point for the couples and nature has been used as a backdrop to enhance the romantic effect of the romantic tales. The opening lines takes the readers into world of romance and adventure. The king leaves his Kingdom to enter a new Kingdom. It is a mythical world when the thin border between realism and romance vanishes.

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