Tell me, O amiable and beautiful one, where has the
illustrious Rishi gone?'
"Sakuntala then answered, 'My illustrious father hath gone away from the
asylum to fetch fruit. Wait but a moment and thou wilt see him when he
arrives.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'The king not seeing the Rishi and addressed thus
by her, beheld that the maiden was exceedingly beautiful and endued with
perfect symmetry of shape. And he saw that she was of sweet smiles. And
she stood decked with the beauty of her faultless features, her ascetic
penances, and her humility. And he saw that she was in the bloom of youth.
He therefore asked her, 'Who art thou? And whose daughter, O beautiful
one? Why hast thou come into the woods also? O handsome one, gifted with
so much beauty and such virtues, whence hast thou come? O charming one, at
the very first glance hast thou stolen my heart! I desire to learn all
about thee; therefore tell me all.' And thus addressed by the monarch, the
maiden smilingly replied in these sweet words, 'O Dushmanta, I am the
daughter of the virtuous, wise, high-souled, and illustrious ascetic
Kanwa.'
"Dushmanta, hearing this, replied, 'The universally-worshipped and highly-
blessed Rishi is one whose seed hath been drawn up. Even Dharma himself
might fall off from his course but an ascetic of rigid vows can never fall
off so. Therefore, O thou of the fairest complexion, how hast thou been
born as his daughter? This great doubt of mine it behoveth thee to
dispel.
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