The Recognition of Sakuntula through a critical lens view.
By Elias Avila
A Closer look into the correlation between emotions and nature
As I take a closer look into Kalidasa’s writings I learn more about him and his methods of literature. In The Recognition of Sakuntula Kalidasa references nature to human emotion and state of mind. This could be because he was known to have a vast knowledge of nature, or simply because he was raised in the Himalayas and was an outdoorsman. In his works Kalidasa finds that for every emotion there is an aspect of nature that’s its counterpart. I plan on dissecting how his references of lunar eclipses, snakes, and spring go hand in hand with human emotions.
When King Dushyanta reunites with Sakuntula he is overwhelmed with emotion. He is stricken with the grief of not recognizing her right away, and living a life without his wife and son. He has the opportunity to do right and care for his family, yet he is blind. This is a point in time of his life that he refers to a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse takes place when the moon gets in the way of the sun’s rays unto the earth. In this symbolism King Dushyanta is the earth. The sun is all of his blessings. His ranking in the caste system, his respect, physical and mental abilities; and of course Sakuntula. The moon represents the curse placed on him that casted a darkness unto him. Usually in various works of literature the moon is referenced to mood swings and an unstable behavior. In sci-fi the moon turns man into a werewolf. It is interesting to know that back then in Kalidasa’s time the moon can be seen in the same way.
King Dushyanta loved Sakuntula. He found her to be a precious jewel hidden away in the forests and protected by the people of the hermitage. He planned to make her his wife and wear her proudly. I use the word “wear” because one could say that she was his trophy wife. He fell in love with her at first siight and impulsively married her. In the reading, Dushyanta said that he was “Blind as the man who tore at his neck, believing his garland a snake.” A garland is a decoration that could be hung at home, or even around your neck like jewelry. Sakuntula is represented here as the garland. She was the precious jewel that Dushyanta chose to wear proudly around his neck. Now since he was blind at this time he failed to see that the garland was in fact his wife. He believed that somehow it was a snake that got a hold of his neck and there to cause him harm. The snake is a very popular symbol in literature throughout the world, from the Christian bible all the way to Disney’s Jungle Book. The snake can be seen as deceiving, manipulative, or even poisonous. The fact that Dushyanta believed Sakuntula could have been a snake made him doubt that he was in a clear state of mind. He was blind.
After Sakuntala accepts Dushyanta back into her life he is excited, and right way pictures their new life together: “Then let the vine take this flower back as a sign of her reunion with spring.” In this quote King Dushyanta represents the vine. He has reconciled with his flower (Sakuntula). Spring is also represented throughout the word in various forms of art as a new beginning. Winter is the cold season where plants usually don’t survive. They wither away until the sun rays warm the earth. Once the earth (Dushyanta) is warmed by the sun (his blessings, and fortune) it gives life to new vegetation. This is the season of spring. Sakuntula is the beautiful decorative flower that Dushyanta longed for. She at his side completed the transition from a cold and dark season into one with new life and hope.
One thing that the people of every country can share is our connection with nature. We all have different views and theories, but together we answer several of life’s questions. We compare and contrast what we know through literature, music, and other forms of art. When reading the works of kalidasa I found similarities with the bible, Shakespeare, Greek Myths, and Egyptian myths. It’s inspiring to see how people from every part of the world recognize our connection with nature. Through the symbolic references in nature we can recognize that we share the same views of snakes as others do. We all see the sun as the center of the universe. We all appreciate the coming of spring as the chance to experience a new beginning.
Kalidasa is considered a great writer of his time for many reasons. He is able to connect nature with human emotions. During the period when he was alive there weren’t many explanations for natural occurrences. He gave reasoning behind natural phenomenon as well as human mental, and physical emotion. Kalidasa’s rendition of Sakuntula helped introduce the European world to Sanskrit culture. This allowed his audience to be entertained with his plays, and given the inspiration to think for themselves. I feel that at this time in history this was necessary for the progression of India. A few great minds could break down great problems and open the minds of others. Every couple of generations the world is inspired by someone. I strongly feel that Kalidasa could be considered one of them.