“_Shakuntala hath uttered what is true. Therefore, O Dushyanta, cherish thy son, and became thou wilt cherish him by command of the gods, let his name be Bharata (‘the cherished’)_.” When the king heard these words, he spoke to his counsellors and said: “The celestial messenger hath spoken.... Had I welcomed this my son by pledge of Shakuntala alone, men would suspect the truth of her words and doubt his royal birth.” Thereafter Dushyanta embraced his son and kissed him, and he honoured Shakuntala as his chief rani[195]; he said to her, soothingly: “From all men have I concealed our union; and for the sake of thine own good name I hesitated to acknowledge thee. Forgive my harsh words, as I forgive thine. Thou didst speak passionately because thou lovest me well, O great-eyed and fair one, whom I love also.” [195] Queen. The son of Shakuntala was then anointed as heir to the throne, and he was named Bharata.[196] [196] This story is the plot of “Shakuntala”, the Sanskrit drama of the poet Kalidasa, who lived in the fifth century A.D. He makes the king give the heroine a ring, which she loses while bathing. A fish swallows the ring, and it is found by a fisherman, who delivers it to the king. Then suddenly His Majesty remembers his bride, whom he had forgotten and already denied. The misfortunes of the monarch and maid resulted from the curse of the sage Durvasas. _Pron._ Sha-koon´-ta-lah. When Dushyanta died, Bharata became king. Great was his fame, as befitted a descendant of Chandra.[197] He was a mighty warrior, and none could withstand him in battle; he made great conquests, and extended his kingdom all over Hindustan, which was called Bharatavarsha.[198] [197] _Pron._ chun´dra (“ch” as in “change”). Also Soma, the moon god. [198] Subsequently the name for India as a whole. King Bharata was the sire of King Hastin, who built the great city of Hastinapur; King Hastin begot King Kuru, and King Kuru begot King Shantanu.