Shakuntala

In the epics

Shakuntala appears in the Mahābhārata: Dressed in the attire of an ascetic.

Source: Drimigo Scripture KG (CC BY 4.0). Many characters share a name across the epics — this is one notable figure who bore it, not a claim about the name's only meaning.

Traditional associations

In Hindu tradition, names are sometimes chosen by the baby's rashi (moon sign) or nakshatra (birth star). This is cultural tradition, not a rule. Traditional rashi (by first letter, as commonly listed in this corpus) — not a personalized astrological reading, and not the same as the traditional first-syllable (akshara) method some families use.

• Rashi: Kanya
• Nakshatra: Chitra
• More names starting with S

Names with a similar meaning

Names that share a word with “Meanings families give: Bird, born of birds, classical heroine; Bird, Shakuntala of Kalidasa”. Meanings are the common reading rather than a ruling — the same name is often glossed differently by different sources.

• Sakuntala — Bird protected, heroine of Kalidasa
• Pihu — Meanings families give: Sound of a bird; Chirping of birds; sweet sound; Sweet sound, chirping of birds; Sweet sound, chirping bird
• Kuhu — Meanings families give: Singing of birds, cuckoo sound; Song of the cuckoo; sweet melodious bird
• Shakunthala — Bird, nurtured by birds, classical
• Sahana — Meanings families give: Patience, raga name; Patient, enduring, tolerant; Patience, tolerance; a classical raga; Patience, endurance, musical raga
• Sohini — A classical raga; beautiful one

Other names under Kanya rashi

• Dhruv — Meanings families give: Pole star, constant; Pole star, fixed, immovable; Pole star, fixed and unwavering
• Parth — Meanings families give: Prince, Arjuna; Arjuna, prince; Son of Pritha, another name for Arjuna the great hero; Arjuna, son of Pritha, earthly; Son of Pritha; name of Arjuna; Arjuna, one who never misses the target; Arjuna, king, prince
• Prisha — Meanings families give: Beloved, God's gift; Beloved, darling; Beloved, God gifted, talent
• Priyanka — Meanings families give: Lovable, beautiful; Favourite, dear one, lovable; Lovable, dear one; Lovable, dear, beautiful; Lovable, dear one, winning heart; Loveable, charming, dear; Lovable, dear; Lovable, dear, beloved
• Pooja — Meanings families give: Prayer, worship, adoration; Worship, prayer; Worship, prayer, reverence; Worship, prayer, adoration
• Pranav — Meanings families give: Sacred syllable Om; The sacred syllable Om, the cosmic sound of creation; Sacred Om syllable; Sacred syllable Om, life force; Sacred syllable Om, holy sound

Traditional association, recorded because families use it when choosing — see all Kanya names.

Where this comes from

Shakuntala has no entry in the classical Sanskrit dictionary we check against, which is common for modern and non-Sanskrit names. Its meaning comes from our compiled name corpus, the least-sourced dataset on this site — we say so plainly on Sources & methodology rather than implying an authority we cannot name.