And the voice said, 'The mother is but the
sheath of flesh; the son sprung from the father is the father himself.
Therefore, O Dushmanta, cherish thy son, and insult not Sakuntala. O best
of men, the son, who is but a form of one's own seed, rescueth (ancestors)
from the region of Yama. Thou art the progenitor of this boy. Sakuntala
hath spoken the truth. The husband, dividing his body in twain, is born
of his wife in the form of son. Therefore, O Dushmanta, cherish, O monarch,
thy son born of Sakuntala. To live by forsaking one's living son is a
great misfortune. Therefore, O thou of Puru's race, cherish thy high-
souled son born of Sakuntala--And because this child is to be cherished by
thee even at our word, therefore shall this thy son be known by the name
of Bharata (the cherished).' Hearing these words uttered by the dwellers
in heaven, the monarch of Puru's race became overjoyed and spoke as
follows unto his priests and ministers, 'Hear ye these words uttered by
the celestial messenger? I myself know this one to be my son. If I had
taken him as my son on the strength of Sakuntala's words alone, my people
would have been suspicious and my son also would not have been regarded as
pure.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'The monarch, then, O thou of Bharata's race,
seeing the purity of his son established by the celestial messenger,
became exceedingly glad. And he took unto him that son with joy. And the
king with a joyous heart then performed all those rites upon his son that
a father should perform.
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