Ashok Kaushik 
Abhigyan Shakuntalam 

Plausibly the greatest Sanskrit maestro, Mahakavi Kalidas wrote Abhigyan Shakuntalam nearly 2, 500 years ago. This immortal love story is also the bedrock foundation of India’s rich socio-cultural edifice. The story has been described in the form of a play. The dialogues are full of romance, thrill and zest for life. Two young persons-Dushyant and Shakuntala -fall in love with each other in the lap of nature. Then comes separation. Finally, they unite, thanks to the ring that is found by a fisherman under the most weird circumstances. This ring was given by Dushyant to Shakuntala and lost by the latter.A love tale has never been so finely described by any other Sanskrit scholar. Kalidas was one of the navratnas of emperor Vikramaditya. He has used fine Sanskrit verses to push the story ahead at a fast pace. Dialogues are terse, in context with the story and heart-piercing, especially the romantic ones between Shakuntala and Dushyant.This classical play has been staged in various parts of the world. It has also been translated in many global languages. Centuries after it was created, it still remains an enthralling piece of literary perfection.