Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,041

Date uploaded in London – 1 August 2026

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Part 90

Sakuntala and Saakuntalam

Śakuntalā (शकुन्तला).—The daughter of Viśvāmitra and Menakā; was brought up in Kaṇva’s āśrama with nīvāra food; Duṣyanta who came there was entertained and was accepted as her Lord by Gāndharva vidhi. Gave birth to the future Bharata and came to the king’s palace with the child; was refused admission by the king who had forgotten her. A voice in the air urged the king to accept her and he did so;¹ a queen of Duṣyanta and mother of Bharata.  Bharata  became a universal monarch, and gave his name to India which came to be called Bharatavarsa.

The Abhijnana Shakuntalam

The Abhijnana Shakuntalam is a renowned Sanskrit play by Kalidasa, depicting the story of Sakuntala from the Mahabharata. The play chronicles the love between King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, who faces trials due to a curse that makes the king forget her. After losing a ring that signifies their union, fate ultimately leads to their reunion and the birth of their son Bharata, an ancestor of the Kauravas and Pandavas. The play has inspired numerous translations and adaptations globally. William Jones translated the play into English and published it in 1792 under the title

Sacontalá; : or, The fatal ring: an Indian drama By 

CÁLIDÁS.

Sir William Jones: Translated the play into English in 1789 as Sacontalá or The Fatal Ring and famously compared Kālidāsa to Shakespeare, calling him the “Shakespeare of India” for his deep insight into human nature.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Wrote an ecstatic epigram stating that Śākuntalā combines the early blossoms of spring and late fruits of autumn, encompassing earth and heaven in a single name. He was also inspired by its prologue for his own Faust.

Alexander von Humboldt: Praised Kālidāsa as a masterly describer of nature who combined creative fancy with delicate expressions of feeling, giving the playwright a lofty rank among global poets.

Friedrich Schlegel: Noted that despite its exotic and foreign setting, the general structure of Śākuntalā bears a striking and favorable resemblance to European romantic drama. [1]

Modern Critics: View the text through comparative frameworks like ecocriticism, analyzing how the deep bond between Śākuntalā and the natural forest world anticipates modern environmental and ecofeminist thought.

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Shalmali dwipa

Salmali Dwipa is one of the seven concentric insular continents (sapta-dwipa) described in ancient Hindu cosmology and Puranic texts. It derives its name from the large Shalmali (silk-cotton) tree that characterizes the land, and is traditionally said to be surrounded by an ocean of wine (Sura-samudra)

Australia Connection: Many modern alternative interpretations and independent researchers correlate Shalmali Dwipa with Australia, noting the presence of native silk-cotton (Shalmali) or similar kapok trees.

Eastern Europe, East Africa, or regions of Southeast Asia, because these cosmological descriptions use symbolic geography rather than literal modern borders.

My opinion

No two clocks agree; no two identifications agree. It is sheer waste of time to identify them with modern geographical locations. I still wonder why did they say it. Identifying such dwipas in America and Australia is also not wise. They were described as Patala loka. So, all the seven Dwipas must be within Asia, and  may be coastal East Africa .

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Salatura

Known historically as the birthplace of Pāṇini, the famous ancient linguist and grammarian who formalized Sanskrit. Documented by the 7th-century Chinese traveler Xuanzang, who noted a local memorial statue dedicated to Pāṇini.

Location: Near modern-day Lahore in Pakistan.

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Sama Veda

Samaveda is one of the four Vedas . It is known for its focus on melodies, chants, and musical aspects. Most of the hymns are from the Rigveda. This Veda plays a significant role in rituals and worship, with its hymns sung for ceremonial purposes. It is also associated with the development of Indian music. It must be as old as Rig Veda, that is 4000 BCE to 2000 BCE.

Rigvedic origin: 1,474 to 1,771 verses are sourced from the Rigveda (primarily books 8 and 9).

Original compositions: Only about 75 to 99 verses are uniquely native to the Samaveda itself

Ritual Timing: Performed during major sacrificial ceremonies, particularly when the juice of the Soma plant was mixed and offered as a drink to the gods.

Regional Schools (Sakhas): Preserved through oral traditions across different parts of India, notably the Kauthuma tradition in Gujarat, Ranayaniya in Maharashtra, and Jaiminiya in Southern India.

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Sambhu

Śaṃbhu (शंभु).—a. [śaṃ-bhū-ḍu] Causing happiness, granting prosperity.

 Name of Śiva. Sambhavi is goddess.

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Samiti – committee

English word Committee is derived from Rig Vedic word Samiti. English pronunciation is wrong; C=S. Committee should be pronounced SAMITI.

Samiti (समिति) denotes an ‘assembly’ of the Vedic tribe. It is already mentioned in the Rigveda, and  sometimes in connexion with Sabhā. Ludwig considers that the Samiti included all the people, primarily the viśaḥ, ‘subjects’, but also the Maghavans and Brahmins if they desired, though the Sabhā was their special assembly

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Samudrika lakshana

Samudrika Lakshana is an ancient Indian science of body features. It interprets physical marks, shapes, and structures to understand a person’s character, fortune, and life path.

• Samudrika Lakshanam (Agathiyar): Authored by the sage Agathiyar, this historic text focuses heavily on South Indian traditions, life histories, and the categorization of physical features.
• Rati Rahasya by Kokkoka: A medieval Sanskrit text that classifies bodily and psycho-physical traits, particularly detailing the physical classifications of women (such as Padmini, Chitrini, Shankini, and Hastini).
• Samudrikam / Samudrika Shastra Chapters: Found within broader ancient manuscripts, these texts systematically record face shapes, cranial structure, hair patterns, palm lines, and moles to interpret character and destiny.

Hindus have divided arts under 64 branches. An expert is expected to master all those subjects. A popular Tamil hymn is praising Goddess Saraswati as the one who bestows everyone with these 64 “arts”. One of them is the art of knowing the character of a man by studying his features. This is called Samudrika Lakshna.

Throughout Sanskrit scriptures like Ramayana and Sangam Tamil poems we come across Aajaanu Baahu, eyes like  lotus petal etc. So the science of body features must have existed even before the epics.

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Sandana/ Sandal wood

The sandana tree—more commonly known as the sandalwood tree (specifically Santalum album)—is a sacred evergreen tree famed for its heavy, yellow, highly aromatic wood and essential oils.

Sandal paste is used to decorate idols and statues of Gods and Goddesses in Indian Temples.

It is used by male and female for coolness.

It is considered an auspicious symbol and offered at the gates of Wedding Halls to the guests.

The pasted applied on Gods is valued very much. In Temples like Guruvayur they offer it on green leaves.

It is used in Ayurvedic medicines and treatment.

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Santhaana Lakshmi

One of the Eight Lakshmi forms; bestower of good children.

Santānalakṣmī (सन्तानलक्ष्मी, “Progeny Lakṣmī”):—One of the eight primary forms of Lakṣmī (aṣṭalakṣmī) represented as the bestower of offspring. She has six arms, carries two kalashas (water pitcher with mango leaves and a coconut on it), sword, shield, a child on her lap, a hand in abhaya-mudra and th eo ther holding the child. The child holds a lotus.

  Adi Lakshmi: The first form, giving spiritual wealth and inner peace.

  Dhana Lakshmi: The giver of money, gold, and material riches.

  Dhanya Lakshmi: The goddess of food, crops, and farming.

  Gaja Lakshmi: The giver of animal wealth, power, and royal status.

  Santana Lakshmi: The protector of family, children, and future generations.

  Dhairya Lakshmi (Veera Lakshmi): The source of great courage, strength, and bravery.

  Vijaya Lakshmi: The bringer of success and victory in all tasks.

  Vidya Lakshmi: The provider of education, intellect, and arts knowledge.

To be continued…………………

Tags- santhana Lakshmi, sakuntala, part 90, Hindu Dictionary, Ashta Lakshmi.