Said Shakuntala: “O king, I was that child who was abandoned by the nymph, and now thou dost know how Kanva came to be my sire.” The king said: “Blessed are thy words, O princess. Thou art of royal birth. Be thou my bride, O beautiful maid, and thou wilt have garlands of gold and golden ear-rings and white pearls and rich robes; my kingdom also will be thine, O timid one; wed thou me in Gandharva mode, which of all marriages is the best.”[192] [192] The Gandharva marriage was legalized by Manu, but only for members of the Kshatriya (kings and warriors) caste. Then Shakuntala promised to be the king's bride, on condition that he would choose her son as the heir to his throne. “As thou desirest, so let it be,” said Dushyanta. And the fair one became his bride. Ere Dushyanta went away he promised Shakuntala that he would send a mighty host to escort her to his palace. When Kanva returned, the maiden did not leave her hiding-place to greet him; but he searched out and found her, and he read her heart. “Thou hast not broken the law,” he said. “Dushyanta, thine husband, is noble and true, and a son will be born unto thee who will achieve great renown.” In time fair Shakuntala became the mother of a comely boy, and the wheel mark[193] was on his hands. He grew to be strong and brave, and when but six years old he sported with young lions, for he was suckled by a lioness; he rode on the backs of lions and tigers and wild boars in the midst of the forest. He was called All-tamer, because that he tamed everything. [193] A sign of martial and royal origin. Now when Kanva perceived that the boy was of unequalled prowess, he spake to Shakuntala and said: “The time hath come when he must be anointed as heir to the throne.” So he bade his disciples to escort mother and son unto the city of Gajasahvaya[194], where Dushyanta had his royal palace. [194] _Pron._ Gaj-as-ah-va´ya. So it came that Shakuntala once again stood before the king, and she said unto him: “Lo! I have brought unto thee this thy son, O Dushyanta. Fulfil the promise thou didst make aforetime, and let him be anointed as thine heir.” Dushyanta had no pleasure in her words, and made answer: “I have no memory of thee. Who are thou and whence cometh thou, O wicked hermit woman? I never took thee for wife, nor care I whether thou art to linger here or to depart speedily.”