thee not, therefore, O tiger among kings, to abandon a son who is such.  Therefore, O lord of Earth, cherish thy own self, truth, and virtue by cherishing thy son.  O lion among monarchs, it behoveth thee not to support this deceitfulness.  The dedication of a tank is more meritorious than that of a hundred wells.  A sacrifice again is more meritorious than the dedication of a tank.  A son is more meritorious than a sacrifice.  Truth is more meritorious than a hundred sons.  A hundred horse-sacrifices had once been weighed against Truth, and Truth was found heavier than a hundred horse-sacrifices.  O king, Truth, I ween, may be equal to the study of, the entire Vedas and ablutions in all holy places.  There is no virtue equal to Truth:  there is nothing superior to Truth.  O king, Truth is God himself; Truth is the highest vow.  Therefore, violate not thy pledge, O monarch!  Let Truth and thee be even united.  If thou placest no credit in my words, I shall of my own accord go hence.  Indeed, thy companionship should be avoided.  But thou, O Dushmanta, that when thou art gone, this son of mine shall rule the whole Earth surrounded by the four seas and adorned with the king of the mountains.”

“Vaisampayana continued, ’Sakuntala having spoken to the monarch in this wise, left his presence.  But as soon as she had left, a voice from the skies, emanating from no visible shape, thus spoke unto Dushmanta as he was sitting surrounded by his occasional and household priests, his preceptors, and ministers.  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.’