FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.20.13

श्रीशकुन्तलोवाच विश्वामित्रात्मजैवाहं त्यक्ता मेनकया वने । वेदैतद् भगवान् कण्वो वीर किं करवाम ते ॥ १३ ॥
śrī-śakuntalovāca
[shree-shakuntalovaacha]
viśvāmitrātmajaivāhaṁ
[vishvaamitraatmajaivaaham]
tyaktā menakayā vane
[tyaktaa menakayaa vane]
vedaitad bhagavān kaṇvo
[vedaitad bhagavaan kanvo]
vīra kiṁ karavāma te
[veera kim karavaama te]
Word-for-word
śrī-śakuntalā uvāca — Śrī Śakuntalā replied viśvāmitra-ātmajā — the daughter of Viśvāmitra eva — indeed aham — I (am) tyaktā — left menakayā — by Menakā vane — in the forest veda — knows etat — all these incidents bhagavān — the most powerful saintly person kaṇvaḥ — Kaṇva Muni vīra — O hero kim — what karavāma — can I do te — for you.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śakuntalovāca
śrī-śakuntalā uvāca
Śrī Śakuntalā replied
viśvāmitrātmajaivāhaṁ
viśvāmitra-ātmajā
the daughter of Viśvāmitra
eva
indeed
aham
I (am)
tyaktā menakayā vane
tyaktā
left
menakayā
by Menakā
vane
in the forest
vedaitad bhagavān kaṇvo
veda
knows
etat
all these incidents
bhagavān
the most powerful saintly person
kaṇvaḥ
Kaṇva Muni
vīra kiṁ karavāma te
vīra
O hero
kim
what
karavāma
can I do
te
for you.
Śakuntalā said: I am the daughter of Viśvāmitra. My mother, Menakā, left me in the forest. O hero, the most powerful saint Kaṇva Muni knows all about this. Now let me know, how may I serve you?
Purport

Śakuntalā informed Mahārāja Duṣmanta that although she never saw or knew her father or mother, Kaṇva Muni knew everything about her, and she had heard from him that she was the daughter of Viśvāmitra and that her mother was Menakā, who had left her in the forest.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śakuntalā said: I am the daughter of Viśvāmitra. My mother, Menakā, left me in the forest. O hero, the most powerful sage Kaṇva knows this. O hero, how may I serve you? Kanva knows. I have heard this from Kanva’s mouth, but I do not know my mother or father.
Personal Guidance
Śakuntalā is the daughter of Viśvāmitra, abandoned by Menakā, raised by Kaṇva. Many great souls have parents on three layers — biological, abandoning, and adoptive — and they are no less great for it.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose patchwork parentage have I quietly held against them?
  • Whose abandoned beginning may have produced a Śakuntalā I should now recognize?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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