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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1




"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said so unto the Earth, O king, the
divine Brahman bade her farewell. And the Creator then commanded all the
gods saying, 'To ease the Earth of her burden, go ye and have your births
in her according to your respective parts and seek ye strife (with the
Asuras already born there)'. And the Creator of all, summoning also all
the tribes of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras, spake unto them these words
of deep import, 'Go ye and be born amongst men according to your
respective parts in forms that ye like.'

"And all the gods with Indra, on hearing these words of the Lord of the
celestials--words that were true, desirable under the circumstances, and
fraught with benefit,--accepted them. And they all having resolved to
come down on earth in their respected parts, then went to Narayana, the
slayer of all foes, at Vaikunth--the one who has the discus and the mace
in his hands, who is clad in purple, who is of great splendour, who hath
the lotus on his navel, who is the slayer of the foes of the gods, who is
of eyes looking down upon his wide chest (in yoga attitude), who is the
lord of the Prajapati himself, the sovereign of all the gods, of mighty
strength, who hath the mark of the auspicious whirl on his breast, who is
the mover of every one's faculties and who is adored by all the gods.
Him, Indra the most exalted of persons, addressed, saying, "Be
incarnate." And Hari replied,--'Let it be.'"



SECTION LXV

(Sambhava Parva)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Indra had a consultation with Narayana about
the latter's descent on the earth from heaven with all the gods according
to their respective parts. And, having commanded all the dwellers in
heaven, Indra returned from the abode of Narayana. And the dwellers in
heaven gradually became incarnate on earth for the destruction of the
Asuras and for the welfare of the three worlds. And then, O tiger among
kings, the celestials had their births, according as they pleased, in the
races of Brahmarshis and royal sages. And they slew the Danavas,
Rakshasas, Gandharvas and Snakes, other man-eaters, and many other
creatures. And, O bull in the Bharata race, the Danavas, Rakshasas and
Gandharvas and Snakes, could not slay the incarnate celestials even in
their infancy, so strong they were.'

"Janamejaya said, 'I desire to hear from the beginning of the births of
the gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, men, Yakshas and
Rakshasas. Therefore, it behoveth thee to tell me about the births of all
creatures.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Indeed, I shall, having bowed down to the
Self-create, tell thee in detail the origin of the celestials and other
creatures. It is known that Brahman hath six spiritual sons, viz.,
Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu. And Marichi's son is
Kasyapa, and from Kasyapa have sprung these creatures. Unto Daksha (one
of the Prajapatis) were born thirteen daughters of great good fortune.
The daughters of Daksha are, O tiger among men and prince of the Bharata
race, Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Danayu, Sinhika, Krodha, Pradha, Viswa,
Vinata, Kapila, Muni, and Kadru. The sons and grandsons of these, gifted
with great energy, are countless. From Aditi have sprung the twelve
Adityas who are the lords of the universe. And, O Bharata, as they are
according to their names, I shall recount them to thee. They are Dhatri,
Mitra, Aryaman, Sakra, Varuna, Ansa, Vaga, Vivaswat, Usha, Savitri,
Tvashtri, and Vishnu. The youngest, however, is superior to them all in
merit. Diti had one son called Hiranyakasipu. And the illustrious
Hiranyakasipu had five sons, all famous throughout the world. The eldest
of them all was Prahlada, the next was Sahradha; the third was Anuhrada;
and after him were Sivi and Vashkala. And, O Bharata, it is known
everywhere that Prahlada had three sons. They were Virochana, Kumbha, and
Nikumbha. And unto Virochana was born a son, Vali, of great prowess. And
the son of Vali is known to be the great Asura, Vana. And blessed with
good fortune, Vana was a follower of Rudra, and was known also by the
name of Mahakala. And Danu had forty sons, O Bharata! The eldest of them
all was Viprachitti of great fame Samvara, and Namuchi and Pauloman;
Asiloman, and Kesi and Durjaya; Ayahsiras, Aswasiras, and the powerful
Aswasanku; also Gaganamardhan, and Vegavat, and he called Ketumat;
Swarbhanu, Aswa, Aswapati, Vrishaparvan, and then Ajaka; and Aswagriva,
and Sukshama, and Tuhunda of great strength, Ekapada, and Ekachakra,
Virupaksha, Mahodara, and Nichandra, and Nikumbha, Kupata, and then
Kapata; Sarabha, and Sulabha, Surya, and then Chandramas; these in the
race of Danu are stated to be well-known. The Surya and Chandramas (the
Sun and the Moon) of the celestials are other persons, and not the sons
of Danu as mentioned above. The following ten, gifted with great strength
and vigour, were also, O king, born in the race of Danu;--Ekaksha,
Amritapa of heroic courage, Pralamva and Naraka, Vatrapi, Satrutapana,
and Satha, the great Asura; Gavishtha, and Vanayu, and the Danava called
Dirghajiva. And, O Bharata, the sons and the grandsons of these were
known to be countless. And Sinhika gave birth to Rahu, the persecutor of
the Sun and the Moon, and to three others, Suchandra, Chandrahantri, and
Chandrapramardana. And the countless progeny of Krura (krodha) were as
crooked and wicked as herself. And the tribe was wrathful, of crooked
deeds, and persecutors of their foes. And Danayu also had four sons who
were bulls among the Asuras. They were Vikshara, Vala, Vira, and Vritra
the great Asura. And the sons of Kala were all like Yama himself and
smiter of all foes. And they were of great energy, and oppressors of all
foes. And the sons of Kala were Vinasana and Krodha, and then
Krodhahantri, and Krodhasatru. And there were many others among the sons
of Kala. And Sukra, the son of a Rishi, was the chief priest of the
Asuras. And the celebrated Sukra had four sons who were priests of the
Asuras. And they were Tashtadhara and Atri, and two others of fierce
deeds. They were like the Sun himself in energy, and set their hearts on
acquiring the regions of Brahman.

"Thus hath been recited by me, as heard in the Purana, of progeny of the
gods and the Asuras, both of great strength and energy. I am incapable, O
king, of counting the descendants of these, countless as they are, are
not much known to fame.

"And the sons of Vinata were Tarkhya and Arishtanemi, and Garuda and
Aruna, and Aruni and Varuni. And Sesha or Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka,
Kumara, and Kulika are known to be the sons of Kadru; and Bhimasena,
Ugrasena, Suparna, Varuna, Gopati, and Dhritarashtra, and Suryavarchas
the seventh, Satyavachas, Arkaparna, Prayuta, Bhima, and Chitraratha
known to fame, of great learning, and a controller of his passions, and
then Kalisiras, and, O king, Parjanya, the fourteenth in the list, Kali,
the fifteenth, and Narada, the sixteenth--these Devas and Gandharvas are
known to be the sons of Muni (Daksha's daughter as mentioned before). I
shall recount many others, O Bharata! Anavadya Manu, Vansa, Asura,
Marganapria, Anupa, Subhaga, Vasi, were the daughters brought forth by
Pradha, Siddha, and Purna, and Varhin, and Purnayus of great fame,
Brahmacharin, Ratiguna, and Suparna who was the seventh; Viswavasu,
Bhanu, and Suchandra who was the tenth, were also the sons of Pradha. All
these were celestial Gandharvas. And it is also known that this Pradha of
great fortune, through the celestial Rishi (Kasyapa, her husband),
brought forth the sacred of the Apsaras, Alamvusha, Misrakesi,
Vidyutparna, Tilottama, Aruna, Rakshita, Rambha, Manorama, Kesini,
Suvahu, Surata, Suraja, and Supria were the daughters, and Ativahu and
the celebrated Haha and Huhu, and Tumvuru were the sons--the best of
Gandharvas--of Pradha and Amrita. The Brahmanas, kine, Gandharvas, and
Apsaras, were born of Kapila as stated in the Purana.

"Thus hath been recited to thee by me the birth of all creatures duly--of
Gandharvas and Apsaras, of Snakes, Suparnas, Rudras, and Maruts; of kine
and of Brahmanas blessed with great good fortune, and of sacred deeds.
And this account (if read) extendeth the span of life, is sacred, worthy
of all praise, and giveth pleasure to the ear. It should be always heard
and recited to others, in a proper frame of mind.

"He who duly readeth this account of the birth of all high-souled
creatures in the presence of the gods and Brahmanas, obtaineth large
progeny, good fortune, and fame, and attaineth also to excellent worlds
hereafter.'"



SECTION LXVI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'It is known that the spiritual sons of Brahman were
the six great Rishis (already mentioned). There was another of the name
of Sthanu. And the sons of Sthanu, gifted with great energy, were, it is
known, eleven. They were Mrigavayadha, Sarpa, Niriti of great fame:
Ajaikapat, Ahivradhna, and Pinaki, the oppressor of foes; Dahana and
Iswara, and Kapali of great splendour; and Sthanu, and the illustrious
Bharga. These are called the eleven Rudras. It hath been already said,
that Marichi, Angiras. Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu--these six great
Rishis of great energy--are the sons of Brahman. It is well-known in the
world that Angiras's sons are three,--Vrihaspati, Utathya, and Samvarta,
all of rigid vows. And, O king, it is said that the sons of Atri are
numerous. And, being great Rishis, they are all conversant with the
Vedas, crowned with ascetic success, and of souls in perfect peace. And,
O tiger among kings, the sons of Pulastya of great wisdom are Rakshasas,
Monkeys, Kinnaras (half-men and half-horses), and Yakshas. And, O king,
the son of Pulaha were, it is said, the Salabhas (the winged insects),
the lions, the Kimpurushas (half-lions and half-men), the tigers, bears,
and wolves. And the sons of Kratu, sacred as sacrifices, are the
companions of Surya, (the Valikhilyas), known in three worlds and devoted
to truth and vows. And, O protector of the Earth, the illustrious Rishi
Daksha, of soul in complete peace, and of great asceticism, sprung from
the right toe of Brahman. And from the left toe of Brahman sprang the
wife of the high-souled Daksha. And the Muni begat upon her fifty
daughters; and all those daughters were of faultless features and limbs
and of eyes like lotus-petals. And the lord Daksha, not having any sons,
made those daughters his Putrikas (so that their sons might belong both
to himself and to their husbands). And Daksha bestowed, according to the
sacred ordinance, ten of his daughters on Dharma, twenty-seven on Chandra
(the Moon), and thirteen on Kasyapa. Listen as I recount the wives of
Dharma according to their names. They are ten in all--Kirti, Lakshmi,
Dhriti, Medha, Pushti, Sraddha, Kria, Buddhi, Lajja, and Mali. These are
the wives of Dharma as appointed by the Self-create. It is known also
throughout the world that the wives of Soma (Moon) are twenty-seven. And
the wives of Soma, all of sacred vows, are employed in indicating time;
and they are the Nakshatras and the Yoginis and they became so for
assisting the courses of the worlds.

"And Brahman had another son named Manu. And Manu had a son of the name
of Prajapati. And the sons of Prajapati were eight and were called Vasus
whom I shall name in detail. They were Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Aha, Anila,
Anala, Pratyusha, and Prabhasa. These eight are known as the Vasus. Of
these, Dhara and the truth-knowing Dhruva were born of Dhumra; Chandramas
(Soma) and Swasana (Anila) were born of the intelligent Swasa; Aha was
the son of Rata: and Hutasana (Anala) of Sandilya; and Pratyusha and
Prabhasa were the sons of Prabhata. And Dhara had two sons, Dravina and
Huta-havya-vaha. And the son of Dhruva is the illustrious Kala (Time),
the destroyer of the worlds. And Soma's son is the resplendent Varchas.
And Varchas begot upon his wife Manohara three sons--Sisira, and Ramana.
And the son of Aha were Jyotih, Sama, Santa, and also Muni. And the son
of Agni is the handsome Kumara born in a forest of reeds. And, he is also
called Kartikeya because he was reared by Krittika and others. And, after
Kartikeya, there were born his three brothers Sakha, Visakha, Naigameya.
And the wife of Anila is Siva, and Siva's son were Manojava and
Avijnataagati. These two were the sons of Anila. The son of Pratyusha,
you must know, is the Rishi named Devala; and Devala had two sons who
were both exceedingly forgiving and of great mental power. And the sister
of Vrihaspati, the first of women, uttering the sacred truth, engaged in
ascetic penances, roamed over the whole earth; and she became the wife of
Prabhasa, the eighth Vasu. And she brought forth the illustrious
Viswakarman, the founder of all arts. And he was the originator of a
thousand arts, the engineer of the immortals, the maker of all kinds of
ornaments, and the first of artists. And he it was who constructed the
celestial cars of the gods, and mankind are enabled to live in
consequence of the inventions of that illustrious one. And he is
worshipped, for that reason, by men. And he is eternal and immutable,
this Viswakarman.

"And the illustrious Dharma, the dispenser of all happiness, assuming a
human countenance, came out through the right breast of Brahman. And
Ahasta (Dharma) hath three excellent sons capable of charming every
creature. And they are Sama, Kama, Harsha (Peace, Desire, and Joy). And
by their energy they are supporting the worlds. And the wife of Kama is
Rati, of Sama is Prapti; and the wife of Harsha is Nanda. And upon them,
indeed, are the worlds made to depend.

"And the son of Marichi is Kasyapa. And Kasyapa's offspring are the gods
and the Asuras. And, therefore, is Kasyapa, the Father of the worlds. And
Tvashtri, of the form of Vadava (a mare), became the wife of Savitri. And
she gave birth, in the skies, to two greatly fortunate twins, the Aswins.
And, O king, the sons of Aditi are twelve with Indra heading them all.
And the youngest of them all was Vishnu upon whom the worlds depend.

"These are the thirty-three gods (the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the
twelve Adityas, Prajapati, and Vashatkara). I shall now recount their
progeny according to their Pakshas, Kulas, and Ganas. The Rudras, the
Saddhyas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the Bhargavas, and the Viswedevas are
each reckoned as a Paksha. Garuda the son of Vinata and the mighty Aruna
also, and the illustrious Vrihaspati are reckoned among the Adityas. The
twin Aswins, all annual plants, and all inferior animals, are reckoned
among the Guhyakas.

"These are the Ganas of the gods recited to thee, O king! This recitation
washes men of all sins.

"The illustrious Bhrigu came out, ripping open the breast of Brahman. The
learned Sukra is Bhrigu's son. And the learned Sukra becoming a planet
and engaged according to the command of the Self-existent in pouring and
withholding rain, and in dispensing and remitting calamities, traverses,
for sustaining the lives of all the creatures in the three worlds,
through the skies. And the learned Sukra, of great intelligence and
wisdom, of rigid vows, leading the life of a Brahmacharin, divided
himself in twain by power of asceticism, and became the spiritual guide
of both the Daityas and the gods. And after Sukra was thus employed by
Brahman in seeking the welfare (of the gods and the Asuras), Bhrigu begot
another excellent son. This was Chyavana who was like the blazing sun, of
virtuous soul, and of great fame. And he came out of his mother's womb in
anger and became the cause of his mother's release, O king (from the
hands of the Rakshasas). And Arushi, the daughter of Manu, became the
wife of the wise Chyavana. And, on her was begotten Aurva of great
reputation. And he came out, ripping open the thigh of Arushi. And Aurva
begot Richika. And Richika even in his boyhood became possessed of great
power and energy, and of every virtue. And Richika begot Jamadagni. And
the high-souled Jamadagni had four sons. And the youngest of them all was
Rama (Parasurama). And Rama was superior to all his brothers in the
possession of good qualities. And he was skilful in all weapons, and
became the slayer of the Kshatriyas. And he had his passions under
complete control. And Aurva had a hundred sons with Jamadagni the eldest.
And these hundred sons had offspring by thousands spread over this earth.

"And Brahman had two other sons, viz., Dhatri and Vidhatri who stayed
with Manu. Their sister is the auspicious Lakshmi having her abode amid
lotuses. And the spiritual sons of Lakshmi are the sky-ranging horses.
And the daughter born of Sukra, named Divi, became the eldest wife of
Varuna. Of her were born a son named Vala and a daughter named Sura
(wine), to the joy of the gods. And Adharma (Sin) was born when creatures
(from want of food) began to devour one another. And Adharma always
destroys every creature. And Adharma hath Niriti for his wife, whence the
Rakshasas who are called Nairitas (offspring of Niriti). And she hath
also three other cruel sons always engaged in sinful deeds. They are
Bhaya (fear), Mahabhaya (terror), and Mrityu (Death) who is always
engaged in slaying every created thing. And, as he is all-destroying, he
hath no wife, and no son. And Tamra brought forth five daughters known
throughout the worlds. They are Kaki (crow), Syeni (hawk), Phasi (hen),
Dhritarashtri (goose), and Suki (parrot). And Kaki brought forth the
crows; Syeni, the hawks, the cocks and vultures, Dhritarashtri, all ducks
and swans; and she also brought forth all Chakravakas; and the fair Suki,
of amiable qualities, and possessing all auspicious signs brought forth
all the parrots. And Krodha gave birth to nine daughters, all of wrathful
disposition. And their names were Mrigi, Mrigamanda, Hari, Bhadramana,
Matangi, Sarduli, Sweta, Surabhi, and the agreeable Surasa blessed with
every virtue. And, O foremost of men, the offspring of Mrigi are all
animals of the deer species. And the offspring of Mrigamanda are all
animals of the bear species and those called Srimara (sweet-footed). And
Bhadramana begot the celestial elephants, Airavata. And the offspring of
Hari are all animals of the simian species endued with great activity, so
also all the horses. And those animals also, that are called Go-langula
(the cow-tailed), are said to be the offspring of Hari. And Sarduli begot
lions and tigers in numbers, and also leopards and all other strong
animals. And, O king, the offspring of Matangi are all the elephants. And
Sweta begat the large elephant known by the name of Sweta, endued with
great speed. And, O king, Surabhi gave birth to two daughters, the
amiable Rohini and the far-famed Gandharvi. And, O Bharata, she had also
two other daughters named Vimala and Anala. From Rohini have sprung all
kine, and from Gandharvi all animals of the horse species. And Anala
begat the seven kinds of trees yielding pulpy fruits. (They are the date,
the palm, the hintala, the tali, the little date, the nut, and the
cocoanut.) And she had also another daughter called Suki (the mother of
the parrot species). And Surasa bore a son called Kanka (a species of
long-feathered birds). And Syeni, the wife of Aruna, gave birth to two
sons of great energy and strength, named Sampati and the mighty Jatayu.
Surasa also bore the Nagas, and Kadru, the Punnagas (snakes). And Vinata
had two sons Garuda and Aruna, known far and wide. And, O king of men, O
foremost of intelligent persons, thus hath the genealogy of all the
principal creatures been fully described by me. By listening to this, a
man is fully cleansed of all his sins, and acquireth great knowledge, and
finally attaineth to the first of states in after-life!'"



SECTION LXVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'O worshipful one, I wish to hear from thee in detail
about the birth, among men, of the gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the
Rakshasas, the lions, the tigers, and the other animals, the snakes, the
birds, and in fact, of all creatures. I wish also to hear about the acts
and achievements of those, in due order, after they became incarnate in
human forms.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'O king of men, I shall first tell thee all about
those celestials and Danavas that were born among men--The first of
Danavas, who was known by the name of Viprachitti, became that bull among
men, noted as Jarasandha. And, O king, that son of Diti, who was known as
Hiranyakasipu, was known in this world among men as the powerful
Sisupala. He who had been known as Samhlada, the younger brother of
Prahlada, became among men the famous Salya, that bull amongst Valhikas.
The spirited Anuhlada who had been the youngest became noted in the world
as Dhrishtaketu. And, O king, that son of Diti who had been known as Sivi
became on earth the famous monarch Druma. And he who was known as the
great Asura Vashkala became on earth the great Bhagadatta. The five great
Asuras gifted with great energy, Ayahsira, Aswasira, the spirited
Aysanku, Gaganamurdhan, and Vegavat, were all born in the royal line of
Kekaya and all became great monarchs. That other Asura of mighty energy
who was known by the name of Ketumat became on earth the monarch
Amitaujas of terrible deeds. That great Asura who was known as Swarbhanu
became on earth the monarch Ugrasena of fierce deeds. That great Asura
who was known as Aswa became on earth the monarch Asoka of exceeding
energy and invincible in battle. And, O king, the younger brother of Aswa
who was known as Aswapati, a son of Diti, became on earth the mighty
monarch Hardikya. The great and fortunate Asura who was known as
Vrishaparvan became noted on earth as king Dirghaprajna. And, O king, the
younger brother of Vrishaparvan who was known by the name of Ajaka became
noted on earth as king Salwa. The powerful and mighty Asura who was known
as Aswagriva became noted on earth as king Rochamana. And, O king, the
Asura who was known as Sukshma, endued with great intelligence and whose
achievements also were great, became on earth the famous king
Vrihadratha. And that first of Asuras who was known by the name of
Tuhunda, became noted on earth as the monarch, Senavindu. That Asura of
great strength who was known as Ishupa became the monarch Nagnajita of
famous prowess. The great Asura who was known as Ekachakra became noted
on earth as Pritivindhya. The great Asura Virupaksha capable of
displaying various modes of fight became noted on earth as king
Chitravarman. The first of Danavas, the heroic Hara, who humbled the
pride of all foes became on earth the famous and fortunate Suvahu. The
Asura Suhtra of great energy and the destroyer of foemen, became noted on
earth as the fortunate monarch, Munjakesa. That Asura of great
intelligence called Nikumbha, who was never vanquished in battle was born
on earth as king Devadhipa, the first among monarchs. That great Asura
known amongst the sons of Diti by the name of Sarabha became on earth the
royal sage called Paurava. And, O king, the great Asura of exceeding
energy, the fortunate Kupatha, was born on earth as the famous monarch
Suparswa. The great Asura, O king, who was called Kratha, was born on
earth as the royal sage Parvateya of form resplendent like a golden
mountain. He amongst the Asura who was known as Salabha the second,
became on earth the monarch Prahlada in the country of the Valhikas. The
foremost, among the sons of Diti known by the name of Chandra and
handsome as the lord of the stars himself, became on earth noted as
Chandravarman, the king of the Kamvojas. That bull amongst the Danavas
who was known by the name of Arka became on earth, O king, the royal sage
Rishika. That best of Asuras who was known as Mritapa became on earth, O
best of kings, the monarch, Pascimanupaka. That great Asura of surpassing
energy known as Garishtha became noted on earth as king Drumasena. The
great Asura who was known as Mayura became noted on earth as the monarch
Viswa. He who was the younger brother of Mayura and called Suparna became
noted on earth as the monarch, Kalakirti. The mighty Asura who was known
as Chandrahantri became on earth the royal sage Sunaka. The great Asura
who was called Chandravinasana became noted on earth as the monarch,
Janaki. That bull amongst the Danavas, O prince of the Kuru race, who was
called Dhirghajihva, became noted on earth as Kasiraja. The Graha who was
brought forth by Sinhika and who persecuted the Sun and the Moon became
noted on earth as the monarch Kratha. The eldest of the four sons of
Danayu, who was known by the name of Vikshara, became known on earth the
spirited monarch, Vasumitra. The second brother of Vikshara, the great
Asura, was born on earth as the king of the country, called Pandya. That
best of Asuras who was known by the name of Valina became on earth the
monarch Paundramatsyaka. And, O king, that great Asura who was known as
Vritra became on earth the royal sage known by the name of Manimat. That
Asura who was the younger brother of Vritra and known as Krodhahantri
became noted on earth as king Danda. That other Asura who was known by
the name Krodhavardhana became noted on earth as the monarch, Dandadhara.
The eight sons of the Kaleyas that were born on earth all became great
kings endued with the prowess of tigers. The eldest of them all became
king Jayatsena in Magadha. The second of them, in prowess, like Indra,
became noted on earth as Aparajita. The third of them, endued with great
energy and power of producing deception, was born on earth as the king of
the Nishadas gifted with great prowess. That other amongst them who was
known as the fourth was noted on earth as Srenimat, that best of royal
sages. That great Asura amongst them who was the fifth, became noted on
earth as king Mahanjas, the oppressor of enemies. That great Asura
possessing great intelligence who was the sixth of them became noted on
earth as Abhiru, that best of royal sages. The seventh of them became
known throughout earth, from the centre to the sea, as king Samudrasena
well acquainted with the truths of the scriptures. The eighth of the
Kaleyas known as Vrihat became on earth a virtuous king ever engaged in
the good of all creatures. The mighty Danava known by the name of Kukshi
became on earth as Parvatiya from his brightness as of a golden mountain.
The mighty Asura Krathana gifted with great energy became noted on earth
as the monarch Suryaksha. The great Asura of handsome features known by
the name of Surya, became on earth the monarch of the Valhikas by name
Darada, that foremost of all kings. And, O king, from the tribe of Asuras
called Krodhavasa, of whom I have already spoken to thee, were born many
heroic kings on earth. Madraka, and Karnaveshta, Siddhartha, and also
Kitaka; Suvira, and Suvahu, and Mahavira, and also Valhika, Kratha,
Vichitra, Suratha, and the handsome king Nila; and Chiravasa, and
Bhumipala; and Dantavakra, and he who was called Durjaya; that tiger
amongst kings named Rukmi; and king Janamejaya, Ashada, and Vayuvega, and
also Bhuritejas; Ekalavya, and Sumitra, Vatadhana, and also Gomukha; the
tribe of kings called the Karushakas, and also Khemadhurti; Srutayu, and
Udvaha, and also Vrihatsena; Kshema, Ugratirtha, the king of the
Kalingas; and Matimat, and he was known as king Iswara; these first of
kings were all born of the Asura class called Krodhavasa.

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We do not know the women's names, but their voices are quite distinct. All are pregnant. But while the first woman awaits the birth of her baby with a moon-like serenity, the other two are not so lucky. One, whose previous pregnancies have failed to go to term, is experiencing a heartbreaking late miscarriage; the other is a young student whose accidental pregnancy will end in her child being put up for adoption.

Sylvia Plath's only play was never intended for the stage, being broadcast instead on BBC radio in August 1962. Less than six months later, Plath killed herself, but not before the burst of astonishing creative energy that produced her extraordinary, terrifying Ariel poems.

Anyone who knows Plath's poetry will see the connection between Three Women and Plath's subsequent poems, particularly in the way she talks about the agony of childbirth, the rush of love for this tiny alien being, and both the wonder and wounded rawness of motherhood. It is a beautiful piece, full of startling imagery that draws you in through the sheer intensity of its femaleness, and because it so precisely articulates the emotions that are often thought but seldom voiced by women - certainly not in the early 1960s - about men, motherhood and our relationship to our bodies.

It's been 20 years since there has been an attempt at a professional stage version and - in a theatre world that happily accepts the poetic offerings of Sarah Kane and Debbie Tucker Green, or the staged possibilities of The Waves, one of Plath's own inspirations for the piece, I see no reason why it shouldn't be brought to life. Sadly, it doesn't breathe here, in a production by Robert Shaw that is clearly a labour of love, but which never finds a way to give the internal a physical reality. Plath's poetry, like most babies, is more robust than it appears - and won't break if treated with a little less reverence and considerably more grit.

Instead, what we are offered is tinkling piano music, mournful mood lighting, an innocuous pale setting, as well as three perfectly good but indisputably ladylike performances that capture none of the wounded redness of Plath's poetry, and do her the disservice of making her sound bleached and somewhat prissy. It's a pity. What might have been a wonder ends up a mere curiosity.

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