Shloka 18
Adhyāya 71: Kaca and the Saṃjīvanī-vidyā
Devayānī–Śukra Episode
शकुन्तलोवाच यथायमागमो मह्ाां यथा चेदम भूत् पुरा । शृणु राजन् यथातत्त्वं यथास्मि दुहिता मुने:,शकुन्तलाने कहा--राजन्! ये सब बातें मुझे जिस प्रकार ज्ञात हुई हैं, मेरा यह जन्म आदि पूर्वकालमें जिस प्रकार हुआ है और मैं जिस प्रकार कण्व मुनिकी पुत्री हूँ, वह सब वृत्तान्त ठीक-ठीक बता रही हूँ; सुनिये
śakuntalovāca yathāyam āgamo mahān yathā cedam abhūt purā | śṛṇu rājan yathātattvaṃ yathāsmi duhitā muneḥ ||
Śakuntalā said: “O King, just as this great account has come down to me, and just as these events truly happened in former times—listen. I will relate everything in accordance with the facts: how my birth occurred and in what manner I am the daughter of the sage.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and responsible speech: Śakuntalā commits to narrating her origin 'yathātattvam'—as it truly is—showing that moral clarity and rightful recognition depend on accurate testimony and fidelity to facts.
Śakuntalā addresses King Duṣyanta and prepares to recount the true story of her birth and how she is connected to the sage (Kaṇva), asking the king to listen as she explains the events as they occurred in the past.