कण्व उवाच एवमुक्तस्तया शक्रः संदिदेश सदागतिम्। प्रातिष्ठत तदा काले मेनका वायुना सह॥
Kanva said: Having been thus addressed, Indra commanded the wind to be present with Menaka when she would be present before the Rishi.
अथापश्यद् वरारोहा तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषम्। विश्वामित्रं तप्यमानं मेनका भीरुराश्रमे॥
The timid and the beautiful girl then entered the hermitage and saw Vishvamitra, who had destroyed all his sins by penances and who was still engaged in austere penances.
अभिवाद्य ततः सा तं प्राक्रीडदृषिसंनिधौ। अपोवाह च वासोऽस्या मारुतः शशिसंनिभम्॥
Having saluted the Rishi, she then began to sport near him. At this very time Maruta robbed of her cloth, which was as white as the moon (light.)
सागच्छत् त्वरिता भूमि वासस्तदभिलिप्सती। स्मयमानेव सव्रीडं मारुतं वरवर्णिनी॥
And that beautiful girl in great bashfulness began to run after the cloth to catch it and she appeared to express her great annoyance at the conduct of Maruta (wind).
पश्यतस्तस्य तत्ररप्यग्निसमतेजसः। विश्वामित्रस्ततस्तां तु विषमस्थामनिन्दिताम्॥ गृद्धां वाससि सम्भ्रान्तां मेनकां मुनिसत्तमः। अनिर्देश्यवयोरूपामपश्यद् विवृतां तदा॥
She did all this before that great Rishi Vishvamitra, as effulgent as the fire and he saw her in that state. He marked that she was of faultless features. In her nude state, the best of the Rishis saw that Menaka was exceedingly beautiful, with no marks of age on her person.
तस्या रूपगुणान् दृष्ट्वा स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा। चकार भावं संसर्गात् तया कामवशं गतः॥
Seeing her great beauty and accomplishments, that best of Rishis was filled with desire and wished for her company.
न्यमन्त्रयत चाप्येनां सा चाप्यैच्छदनिन्दिता। तौ तत्र सुचिरं कालमुभौ व्यहरतां तदा॥ रममाणौ यथाकामं यथैकदिवसं तथा। जनयामास स मुनिर्मेनकायां शकुन्तलाम्॥ प्रस्थे हिमवतो रम्ये मालिनीमभितो नदीम्। जातमुत्सृज्य तं गर्भ मेनका मालिनीमनु॥ कृतकार्या ततस्तूर्णमगच्छच्छक्रसंसदम्। तं वने विजने गर्भ सिंहव्याघ्रसमाकुले॥ दृष्ट्वा शयानं शकुनाः समन्तात् पर्यवारयन्। नेमां हिंस्युर्वने बालां क्रव्यादा मांसगृद्धिनः॥
He invited her to come to him and that faultless featured beauty too accepted his invitation. They then passed many days in each others' company. Sporting with each other, they passed many years and thought that it was but only a day. That Rishi begot Shakuntala on her. Menaka went to the banks of the river Malini which passed playfully through the beautiful valley of the Himalaya mountains and there she gave birth to a daughter. She then left the child there (on the banks of the river) and went away. Thus having been successful in her mission, she soon returned to Indra. Some vultures, seeing that the child lay in the deep forest abounding in lions and tigers, sat round it to protect it from harm, so that no carnivorous animals might take her life.
पर्यरक्षन्त तां तत्र शकुन्ता मेनकात्मजाम्। उपस्प्रष्टुं गतश्चाहमपश्यं शयितामिमाम्॥ निर्जने विपिने रम्ये शकुन्तैः परिवारिताम्। आनयित्वा ततश्चैनां दुहितृत्वे न्यवेशयम्॥ शरीरकृत् प्राणदाता यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जते। क्रमेणैते त्रयोऽप्युक्ताः पितरो धर्मशासने॥ ॥
The vultures protected the life of Menaka's child. I had gone there to perform my ablutions. I saw the child lying. In the deep solitude of the forest, surrounded by the vultures. Bringing her here, I have made her my daughter. According to the scriptures, the maker of the body, the protector of life and the giver of food, these three, are in their order considered to be fathers.
निर्जने तु वने यस्माच्छकुन्तैः परिवारिता। शकुन्तलेति नामास्याः कृतं चापि ततो मया॥
Because she was found in the solitude of the forest, protected by the Shakuntas (birds), she has been named Shakuntala (protected by birds.)
एवं दुहितरं विद्धि मम विप्र शकुन्तलाम्। शकुन्तला च पितरं मन्यते मामनिन्दिता॥
O Brahmana, know that it is thus that Shakuntala has become my daughter. And faultless Shakuntala also regards me as her father.
शकुन्तलोवाच एतदाचष्ट पृष्टः सन् मम जन्म महर्षये। सुतां कण्वस्य मामेवं विद्धि त्वं मनुजाधिप।॥ कण्वं हि पितरं मन्ये पितरं स्वमजानती। इति ते कथितं राजन् यथावृत्तं श्रुतं मया॥
Shakuntala said: Thus the great Rishi (Kanva), when asked, told (the Brahmana) the account of my birth. O king of men, you must know that I have thus become the daughter of Kanva. Not knowing who is my real father, I regard Kanva as my father. Thus have I told you, O king, all that I heard about my birth.