pering thighs, of all forms of marriage, the Gandharva one is
regarded as the first.'

"Sakuntala, hearing this, said, 'O king, my father hath gone away from
this asylum to bring fruit. Wait but a moment; he will bestow me on thee.'

"Dushmanta replied, 'O beautiful and faultless one, I desire that thou
shouldst be my life's companion. Know thou that I exist for thee, and my
heart is in thee. One is certainly one's own friend, and one certainly
may depend upon one's own self. Therefore, according to the ordinance,
thou canst certainly bestow thyself. There are, in all, eight kinds of
marriages. These are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura, Gandharva,
Rakshasa, and Paisacha, the eighth. Manu, the son of the self-create,
hath spoken of the appropriateness of all these forms according to their
order. Know, O faultless one, that the first four of these are fit for
Brahmanas, and the first six for Kshatriyas. As regards kings, even the
Rakshasa form is permissible. The Asura form is permitted to Vaisyas and
Sudras. Of the first five the three are proper, the other two being
improper. The Paisacha and the Asura forms should never be practised.
These are the institutes of religion, and one should act according to
them. The Gandharva and the Rakshasa form are consistent with the
practices of Kshatriyas. Thou needst not entertain the least fear. There
is not the least doubt that either according to any one of these
last-mentioned forms, or according to a union of both of them, our
wedding may take place. O thou of the fairest complexion, full of desire
I am, thou also in a similar mood mayst become my wife according to the
Gandharva form.'

"Sakuntala, having listened to all this, answered, 'If this be the course
sanctioned by religion, if, indeed, I am my own disposer, hear, O thou
foremost one of Puru's race, what my terms are. Promise truly to give me
what I ask thee. The son that shall be begotten on me shall become thy
heir-apparent. This, O king, is my fixed resolve. O Dushmanta, if thou
grant this, then let our union take place.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The monarch, without taking time to consider at
once told her, 'Let it be so. I will even take thee, O thou of agreeable
smiles, with me to my capital. I tell thee truly. O beautiful one, thou
deservest all this.' And so saying, that first of kings wedded the
handsome Sakuntala of graceful gait, and knew her as a husband. And
assuring her duly, he went away, tel