Dushyant

Dushyant / दुष्यंत

Dushyant was a Puru king, husband of Shakuntala and father of Bharat.
Within a short time Dushyant became emperor and ruled his subjects justly.
Once, while he was out hunting, tired and thirsty, Dushyant wandered away from his attendants. He happened to arrive at sage Kanva's hermitage.
Sage Kanva being absent, he was received by Shakuntala, the beautiful adopted daughter of the sage. The king fell immediately in love with her.
On inquiring about her parents, Shakuntala told him the story of Vishvamitra and Menka and how she was found by the sage Kanva. Enamoured by her beauty, the king spent more time at the hermitage than he had planned.
Agreeing to her condition, that their child would become king, Dushyant married Shakuntala according to the Gandharv form of marriage. Promising to send an escort, he returned to his kingdom.
Time went by, but no escort had arrived. In the meantime, Shakuntala gave birth to a child named Bharat.
Kanva then realised it was time for her to go to her husband and sent her to Hastinapur, the capital of Dushyant, escorted by some other disciples. But Dushyant refused to recognize her or acknowledge their marriage and child. Shakuntala tried in vain to make him remember.
She was just leaving when a celestial voice confirmed Shakuntala's story. Bharat was installed as king and the couple was reunited.