Shakuntala and Dushyanta

While hunting in a dense forest, King Dushyanta arrived at the peaceful hermitage of Sage Kanva. There, he encountered Shakuntala, the beautiful foster daughter of the sage. The two fell instantly in love and were married in a secret Gandharva ceremony. Before returning to his kingdom to fulfill his royal duties, Dushyanta gave Shakuntala his signet ring as a token of his promise to bring her to the palace. One day, lost in thoughts of her husband, Shakuntala failed to notice the arrival of the hot-tempered Sage Durvasa. Feeling insulted, Durvasa cursed her, decreeing that the person she was thinking of would forget her entirely. He later softened the curse, stating that Dushyanta would remember her only upon seeing a personal token. When Shakuntala traveled to the capital to reunite with the King, she accidentally lost the signet ring in a river. Without the token, Dushyanta failed to recognize her and turned her away. Heartbroken, Shakuntala retreated to the mountains where she gave birth to their son, Bharata. Years later, a fisherman found the ring inside a fish and brought it to the King. The moment Dushyanta saw the ring, the curse broke, and his memories flooded back. He eventually found Shakuntala and their brave son in a celestial retreat, leading to a joyful reunion and the crowning of Bharata, whose name would later define the land of India.