CBCS Sem-1 "Abhijnana shakuntalam"; Role of Anasuya and Priyamvada

Significance of the role of Anasuya and Priyamvada

In Kalidasa’s most popular and arguably the greatest play Abhijnansakuntalam, we have Kanva, Vidushaka, Anasuya, Priyamvada and Gautami as minor characters but they perform their respective roles with utmost sincerity and responsibility. Anasuya and Priyamvada are depicted as the best friends of Shakuntala and have sisterly affection towards Shakuntala. Priyamvada shows a disposition, youthful and vivacious while Anasuya is rather serious.

Anasuya and Priyamvada pervade in the first half of the play and have significant role life of Sakuntala in the hermitage of Kanva. Anasuya was the help to Sakuntala in distress, logically handling every situation while Priyamvada, as the name suggests was pleasing andsweet spoken. Both the girls are quick enough to find that Sakuntala has fallen deeply in love and also well aware about the mental state of love-lornShakuntala. They also gave an excellent idea to Shakuntala to write a love letter to the King and conceal it in flowers that can be delivered into his hands under the pretext of offering flowers so that she can foster and strengthen her relationship with him

When sage Durvasacursed Sakuntala for ignoring his pious presence, it was Priyamvada who pleaded Sakuntala’s absent mindedness and obtained from the sage forgiveness and asked for showing mercy in so far that the curse would be lifted on the production of some token of recognition.Moreover, both Priyamvada and Anasuya are so dutiful, docile and loyal that they say nothing about the curse to any one; they do not even communicate it to Sakuntala as they thought it was not advisable to worry her with it as the token of recognition could easily be produced when the time is ripe.  In Act IV when Sakuntala departs from the hermitage to King Dushyanta palace, both of her friends wept bitterly and felt deserted.

Priyamvada and Anasuya play a pivotal role in the development of the romantic relationship between Dushyanta and Shakuntala in the early stages of the play. They made a chance to Dusyanta to appear before her in the guise of protection from the bee by saying that: “Who are we to protect you? Call to mind Dushyanta; the penance groves are under the royal protection.” Priyamvada persuades Dusyanta to ask more about Sakuntala and thereby satisfying Dushyanya’s curiosity about her lineage. Anasuya is careful enough to provide the hospitality to their renowned guest and begs his pardon politely for not receiving and engaging Dusyanta properly. She inquires about the cause of Sakuntala's illness consoles her that grief would be easy to bear if shared with a loving person.Anasuya seeks Sakuntala'sopinion in writing a love letter to Dusyanta, which was suggested by Priyamvada.They decorated Sakuntala using materials available at the hermitage when she is set to return to her husband.On her departure, they felt that they were orphans and cried bitterly in spite of Kashyap’s warning that ascetics should not have such emotions.

Thus, in the characterization of Anasuya and Priyamvada, Kalidasa has taken much liberty compared to his other maids.Unlike other maids Kanva assured a good future to them giving them marriage, though they do not appear in the play after Shakuntala’s departure.