Menaka ( Sk . ) Is a character in Hindu mythology, one of the most beautiful celestial nymphs apsaras , who gained fame thanks to the drama Kalidasa " Abhidzhnyana-Shakuntala ." The king of the gods, Indra, sent Menaka so that she would seduce the sage Vishwamitra and distract him from austerity. When Vishwamitra saw how naked Menaka was taking bath in the lake, lust awoke in his heart. The sage interrupted his meditation and for several years engaged in a beautiful apsarah love. Menaka really fell in love with Vishwamitra, but he, realizing that he was the victim of the wiles of Indra, became very angry and cursed Menaka. As a result of the curse, Menaka and Vishwamitra were forever separated. Later, Menaka became the mother of Shakuntala , who grew up in the ashram of the sage Kanva and gave birth to her son Bharat the king Dushyante .