"I have arrived at this place as a divine messenger. I bring a message: you must bring back Shakuntala and her son to your kingdom. In a kingdom where the king is deceitful, the wrath of the gods is inevitable. The crops fail, people die of starvation, housewives forsake virtue, and men live idle lives. Such a king is dethroned and insulted at the hands of foreign invaders."
The King replied, "O rishiraj , I do know that Shakuntala is virtuous. Her son is indeed my own. But if I had accepted her based solely on her words, people would have slandered me. I did not go back on my word. I will go to the ashram of Sage Kanva by the Malini River and bring back my queen and son."
The sage said, "O King, she did not return to her father's home. Though the sage wished to take her back, she refused. Once a father gives his daughter away in marriage, keeping her in his house afterward is condemned by society. Shakuntala reminded her father of this and chose to live a hermit's life with her son at the ashram of Sage Kashyapa."
The king fell silent, acknowledging his own actions, and then said, "Indeed, I shall go to Sage Kashyapa's ashram and bring back my son and Shakuntala." To fulfill his promise, the king returned to his kingdom with Queen Shakuntala and Prince Bharata in a royal chariot and declared Bharata's coronation.
In private, the king told Shakuntala, "O Devi, I never doubted your chastity. But I am not only your husband—I am also a king, and the path I take becomes the path of my subjects. People would have assumed I had ulterior motives in accepting you, so I had to deny your words. And for the harsh words you spoke to me—I forgive you."
The two spent many years together in worldly life, and after handing over the kingdom to Bharata, they ascended to the heavenly realms.
---
When the story ended, Priyavashini asked, "Father, earlier you said this girl was born with a special purpose. Was that purpose only to give birth to a mighty son?"
The great guru replied, "No, daughter. She was born to bring forth a strong and righteous ruler through the Puru dynasty. In that, she succeeded."
Devadatta smiled slightly and said, "Gurudev, I have heard this tale from my guru as well. Today, I remembered—he said it was the story of King Dushyanta of the Puru line. He also said my life bears many similarities to his."
All the girls in the ashram looked eagerly at Devadatta. Anupriya and Priyavashini felt a growing unease. In a meditative state, a vision reappeared before their minds.
The guru said, "You speak rightly, my son. Though your lifestyle differs from Dushyanta's, the coming destruction will see both your lives play a major role in shaping this society."
"How, Gurudev?" Devadatta asked.
The guru smiled and said, "It is futile to try and learn everything before its time. You must wait for the right moment. Each of you must prepare for the coming upheaval in the world. Only then can the crisis be resolved."
---
All had listened silently. Then the Devkanya spoke, "Father, I often see visions of a great destruction in my dreams. What is the reason for this?"
The sage slightly furrowed his brows and replied, "Daughter, explain in detail. The other girls in the ashram will also benefit."
The Devkanya sat quietly for a moment, her head bowed, perhaps a little embarrassed. She glanced around and said, "Father, last night I dreamt of a water-covered land, the entire earth submerged. There was wailing all around. In that moment, a woman cried out in sorrow, 'O Great One, awaken! I am your creation—I am your daughter Madhavi. Save your creation from being submerged in this vast flood!'"
"At that moment, a gigantic fish emerged from the water, its tail sweeping through the waves. Upon its back were ten men and one woman—unique, without a second. That is all I saw."
After saying this, the Devkanya fell silent, face flushed, eyes cast down. She began tracing shapes in the dirt. The guru, understanding that more remained unsaid and that it could not be voiced in front of a man, said,
"Child, the dream you saw is a cosmic truth. The woman you saw is Marisha, and the ten men are the Prachetas. The great fish is a form of our Supreme Lord. The woman who pleads to save creation is none other than Mother Earth herself. The Supreme One is the source of creation, preservation, and destruction—therefore, he is also called Father."
---
With this reply, a deeper fog of questions descended. Who is this Marisha? And why does her face so closely resemble that of the Devkanya?
Anupriya seemed to hear all these questions echoing in her own mind and asked, "Who is Marisha, Father? And why did the Lord take the form of a fish?"
The guru said, "Let that be all for today, daughter. I will tell you the rest another day. Devadatta has come a long way. He needs food and rest. Before that, my son, arrange some food for your companion. Tomorrow morning, your parents will arrive. After your meal, you must rest too. We have a busy day ahead preparing for their arrival."
Everyone bowed to the guru and left.
---
The Devkanya returned to her cottage and continued her assigned tasks, pondering to herself, "Did Guru-Father realize I was hesitant to speak everything aloud? But how can I talk to him alone? Maybe if I went to the place where he meditates... no, that might stir his anger. It wouldn't be right."
"Tomorrow the ashram will be full of visitors all day. Father will be busy performing the sacred rites. Many sages and ascetics will come. Small cottages have been set up nearby for their rest."
She went to the lotus pond for her evening rituals. There, she saw Devadatta watering his horse. Suddenly she remembered—when she first saw him, he held the reins, but after that, he had walked alone. Where had the horse been? She brushed the thought aside and went ahead to fill her water pot.