Shloka 15
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
श्रीदुष्मन्त उवाच उपपन्नमिदं सुभ्रु जाताया: कुशिकान्वये । स्वयं हि वृणुते राज्ञां कन्यका: सदृशं वरम् ॥ १५ ॥
śrī-duṣmanta uvāca upapannam idaṁ subhru jātāyāḥ kuśikānvaye svayaṁ hi vṛṇute rājñāṁ kanyakāḥ sadṛśaṁ varam
Raja Duṣmanta menjawab: Wahai sūbhrū yang beralis indah, engkau lahir dalam keturunan Kuśika; maka sambutanmu memang sesuai dengan keluargamu. Lagipun, puteri raja lazimnya memilih sendiri suami yang sepadan.
In her reception of Mahārāja Duṣmanta, Śakuntalā clearly said, “Your Majesty may stay here, and you may accept whatever reception I can offer.” Thus she indicated that she wanted Mahārāja Duṣmanta as her husband. As far as Mahārāja Duṣmanta was concerned, he desired Śakuntalā as his wife from the very beginning, as soon as he saw her, so the agreement to unite as husband and wife was natural. To induce Śakuntalā to accept the marriage, Mahārāja Duṣmanta reminded her that as the daughter of a king she could select her husband in an open assembly. In the history of Āryan civilization there have been many instances in which famous princesses have selected their husbands in open competitions. For example, it was in such a competition that Sītādevī accepted Lord Rāmacandra as her husband and that Draupadī accepted Arjuna, and there are many other instances. So marriage by agreement or by selecting one’s own husband in an open competition is allowed. There are eight kinds of marriage, of which marriage by agreement is called gāndharva marriage. Generally the parents select the husband or wife for their daughter or son, but gāndharva marriage takes place by personal selection. Still, although marriage by personal selection or by agreement took place in the past, we find no such thing as divorce by disagreement. Of course, divorce by disagreement took place among low-class men, but marriage by agreement was found even in the very highest classes, especially in the royal kṣatriya families. Mahārāja Duṣmanta’s acceptance of Śakuntalā as his wife was sanctioned by Vedic culture. How the marriage took place is described in the next verse.
FAQs
This verse indicates that a maiden may choose a suitable bridegroom among qualified kings, emphasizing appropriateness and equality in virtue and stature.
In their conversation, Duṣmanta reassures the young woman that her situation is proper and honorable, praising her noble lineage and the accepted custom of a maiden choosing a worthy husband.
Seek relationships grounded in compatibility and shared values, and speak respectfully—recognizing dignity, character, and suitability rather than impulse alone.