dushyanta

Dushyanta is a legendary king in ancient Indian literature, traditionally described as a ruler of the Bharata dynasty. He is best known for his role in Kalidasa’s Sanskrit drama Abhijnanasakuntalam (The Recognition of Shakuntala), where he is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata, after whom the Bharata lineage is named. The story situates him as a powerful king who meets Shakuntala, the hermitage-born daughter of Vishvamitra and Menaka, and falls in love with her.

In the drama, Dushyanta and Shakuntala enter into a love marriage conducted in a forest setting. He gives her a ring as a token of his pledge. Due to a curse pronounced by the sage Durvasa, Dushyanta gradually forgets Shakuntala after returning to his capital. Shakuntala travels to the court to claim him, but his memory remains clouded until the ring—lost by Shakuntala and later found by a fisherman—serves as the token of recognition. When the king sees the ring again, his memory returns and he and Shakuntala are briefly united. They have a son named Bharata, the future eponym of the Bharata dynasty.

Dushyanta’s tale has had a lasting influence on Indian literature and performing arts, illustrating themes of love, memory, recognition, and the duties of kingship. In some late sources and genealogies, he is referenced within the broader Bharata lineage that connects to later dynastic histories, including those recounted in the Mahabharata. The character remains a central figure in discussions of Kalidasa’s work and its adaptation into theater and art.