Who is Shakuntala from Gods, Demons, and Others and what is their importance?

Shakuntala was the daughter of the goddess Menaka and the sage Viswamitra. Her father immediately rejected her, and her mother abandoned her. Shakuntala was left on a bed of leaves beside the river, where the birds protected her. She was discovered there by the sage Kanva, who raised her. She grew up to be a beautiful young woman and caught the attention of King Dushyanta while he was out hunting. The king, smitten, marries Shakuntala right there and then, and promises her that he will send his chariot to bring her to the palace. The King never returns.