Dushyanth marries Sakunthala, while sage Kanva, her foster father, is away. Dushyanth then leaves for his kingdom, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. Dushyanth promises Sakunthala that he will send his army and a palanquin for her, so that she, as the chief queen, will be taken to his country with all honours due to her. When Kanva returns to his hermitage, Sakunthala tells him about her marriage. Kanva says that she is the daughter of a king (Saktuntala is the daughter of Viswamitra, the king turned sage), so she has done nothing wrong in marrying a king. Kanva is happy that Sakunthala’s marriage was observed according to the Sastras. He says her son will be a great emperor. Dushyanth will always keep to dharma, and will never lose his kingdom. Sakunthala gives birth to a boy, who is named Sarvadamana, which means he can control all.
In course of time, Dushyanth forgets all about Sakunthala. Absence of an individual from the scene makes us forget them. This is what Mantara points out to Kaikeyi in the Ramayana. She says that Kaikeyi erred in sending Bharata to her father’s country — Kekeya. With Bharata away for so long, people have forgotten all about him, and he will never gain any benefits in Ayodhya, says Mantara. With Sakuntala at a distance from him, Dushyanth forgets her. When he and Sakunthala had been married, he had promised Sakunthala that her son would succeed him (Dushyanth) to the throne. But if Sarvadamana remained in Kanva’s ashram, how could this happen?
So, Kanva tells Sakunthala that she should be with her husband. The young must seek out those older than them. Bhaktas must go to temples to pay obeisance to God. Subjects should go to meet their king. And in the same way, Sakunthala and her son should go to meet Dushyanth, says Kanva.
