Dushmanta said: -
1. O princess, O blessed lady, all that you have said is well-spoken. O beautiful lady, be my wife. Tell me what I shall do (for you).
2-3. I shall present you, this very day, gold and golden-garlands, robes, ear-rings, white and beautiful pearls and gems, golden coins and finest carpets, collected from various countries. Let the whole of my kingdom be yours. O beautiful lady, be my wife.
4. O handsome lady, O timid maiden, O beauty of tapering thighs, marry me according to the Gandharva form, for the form of marriage is said to be the best.
Sakuntala said: -
5. O king, my father has gone from the hermitage to collect fruits. Kindly wait for a moment. He will bestow me upon you.
Dushmanta said: -
6. O beautiful lady, O faultless beauty, I desire that you yourself should accept me. Know that I exist for you. Know also, my heart is completely in you.
7. One is certainly one’s own friend; one can certainly depend upon one’s own self. Therefore, according to the ordinance, you yourself should bestow your own self on others.
8-9. According to the ordinance, there are eight kinds of marriages, namely, Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura. Gandharva, Rakshasas and Paishacha. The son of the self-created (Brahma), Manu, has spoken which of these forms (of marriages) is appropriate to each of the four castes.
10. O faultless beauty, know that the first four forms are appropriate to the Brahmanas and the first six for Kshatriyas.
11. To the kings, even the Rakshasas form is permissible. The Asura form is permissible to the Vaishyas and Shudras. Of the first five (forms), three are proper and two improper.
12. The Paishacha and Asura forms should never be adopted (by any man). These are the ordinances of the scriptures and man should act according to them.
13. The Gandharva and the Rakshasas forms are proper to the Kshatriyas, therefore, you need no entertain the least fear. There is not the least doubt that either according to one single form or according to the mixed form of these two, marriage is proper to us, (and we may be married).
14. O beautiful lady, I am full of desire, so are you. You should, therefore, become my wife according to the Gandharva form.
Sakuntala said: -
14. O best of the Puru race, if this are the dictates of the scriptures and if I am really my own disposer, know then my terms.
15. Promise to give me what I ask, in this lonely place, alone, between ourselves. The son that will be here after born of me,
16. Must become the hire-apparent (to your throne). O Dushmanta, I tell you the truth. If this be the case, we may be united.
Vaishampayana said: -
17. The king, without taking time to consider the demand, told her at once, “O beauty of sweet smiles, let it be so. I shall even take you to my capital.
19-20. O handsome maiden, I tell you the truth. You deserve all this. I promise to do what you ask. So saying, the royal sage, (Dushmanta) married the beautiful Sakuntala of graceful walking, according for the due rites; and she accepted him as her husband. He returned to his capital after assuring her of his promise. He repeatedly told her,
21. “I shall send for you my troops of the four sorts. O beauty of sweet smiles, it is thus (with all honour). I shall take you to my capital.”
22. O Janamejaya, having thus promised to her, the king went away. The king, as he went (towards his capital), began to think of Kanwa.
23. (He thought), “What would the illustrious ascetic do 24when he would hear all. Thus thinking on his way, he entered his capital.
24. The moment the king had gone away, Kanwa came to the hermitage. But Sakuntala did not go out to receive her father for shame.
25. The great ascetic Kanwa, possessed of spiritual knowledge (sight), knew all. Having thus seen everything with his spiritual sight, the illustrious man was pleased and said,
26. “O amiable child, the act that you have committed today in secret without having waited (to receive my permission), has not been destructive of your virtue.
27. The marriage according to the Gandharva form, without Mantras and between a willing woman and a willing man, is said to be the best to a Kshatriya.
28. The best of men Dushmanta, is virtuous- minded and high-souled. O Sakuntala, you have accepted (this Dushmanta) for your husband.
29. The son, whom you will give birth to, will be mighty and illustrious in this world. He will extend his sway over the whole of this earth bounded by the sea.
30. When that illustrious king of kings (your son) will march out against his foes, his army will be irresistible to all opposition.”
31. Sakuntala, then came to her fatigued father and washed his feet. She took down the heavy load that was on his shoulder and placed the fruits in proper order. Then she said: -
32. “(O father), you should give your grace to my husband, king Dushmanta, the best of men.
Kanwa said: -
33. O beautiful child, I am prepared to bless him for your sake. But O blessed girl, receive from me the boon you desire to have.
Vaishampayana said: -
34. Thereupon, Sakuntala, moved with the desire to do good to Dushmanta, asked the boon that Paurava kings should be ever virtuous and never to be deprived of their thrones.
Thus ends the seventy third chapter, the history of sakuntala, in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.