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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, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, Angaraparna
became inflamed with wrath and drawing his bow to a circle began to shoot
his arrows like venomous snakes at the Pandavas. Then Dhananjaya, the son
of Pandu, wielding a good shield and the torch he held in his hand,
warded off all those arrows and addressing the Gandharva again said, 'O
Gandharva, seek not to terrify those that are skilled in weapons, for
weapons hurled at them vanish like froth. I think, O Gandharva, that ye
are superior (in prowess) to men; therefore shall I fight with thee,
using celestial weapons and not with any crooked means. This fiery weapon
(that I shall hurl at thee), Vrihaspati the revered preceptor of Indra,
gave unto Bharadwaja, from whom it was obtained by Agnivesya, and from
Agnivesya by my preceptor, that foremost of Brahmanas, Drona, who gave it
away to me.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Saying these words, the Pandava wrathfully
hurled at the Gandharva that blazing weapon made of fire which burnt the
Gandharva's chariot in a trice. Deprived of consciousness by the force of
that weapon, the mighty Gandharva was falling, head downward, from his
chariot. Dhananjaya seized him by the hair of his head adorned with
garlands of flowers and thus dragged the unconscious Gandharva towards
his brothers. Beholding this, that Gandharva's wife Kumbhinasi, desirous
of saving her husband, ran towards Yudhishthira and sought his
protection. The Gandharvi said, 'O exalted one, extend to me thy
protection! O, set my husband free! O lord, I am Kumbhinasi by name, the
wife of this Gandharva, who seeketh thy protection!' Beholding her (so
afflicted), the mighty Yudhishthira addressed Arjuna and said, 'O slayer
of foes, O child, who would slay a foe who hath been vanquished in fight,
who hath been deprived of fame, who is protected by a woman, and who hath
no prowess?' Arjuna replied, saying, 'Keep thou thy life, O Gandharva! Go
hence, and grieve not I Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, commandeth
me to show thee mercy.'

"The Gandharva replied, 'I have been vanquished by thee, I shall,
therefore, abandon my former name Angaraparna (the blazing vehicle). In
name alone, O friend, I should not be boastful when my pride in my
strength hath been overcome: I have been fortunate in that I have
obtained thee; O Arjuna, that wielder of celestial weapons! I like to
impart to thee the power of (producing) illusions which Gandharvas alone
have. My excellent and variegated chariot hath been burnt by means of thy
fiery weapon. I who had formerly been called after my excellent chariot
should now be called after my burnt chariot. The science of producing
illusions that I have spoken of was formerly obtained by me by ascetic
penances. That science I will today impart to the giver of my life-thy
illustrious self! What good luck doth he not deserve who, after
overcoming a foe by his might, giveth him life when that foe asketh for
it? This science is called Chakshushi. It was communicated by Manu unto
Soma and by Soma unto Viswavasu, and lastly by Viswavasu unto me.
Communicated by my preceptor, that science, having come unto me who am
without energy, is gradually becoming fruitless. I have spoken to thee
about its origin and transmission. Listen now to its power! One may see
(by its aid) whatever one wisheth to see, and in whatever way he liketh
(generally or particularly). One can acquire this science only after
standing on one leg for six months. I shall however, communicate to thee
this science without thyself being obliged to observe any rigid vow. O
king, it is for this knowledge that we are superior to men. And as we are
capable of seeing everything by spiritual sight, we are equal to the
gods. O best of men, I intend to give thee and each of thy brothers a
hundred steeds born in the country of the Gandharvas. Of celestial colour
and endued with the speed of the mind, those horses are employed in
bearing the celestial, and the Gandharvas. They may be lean-fleshed but
they tire not, nor doth their speed suffer on that account. In days of
yore the thunderbolt was created for the chief of the celestials in order
that he might slay (the Asura) Vritra with it. But hurled at Vritra's
head it broke in a thousand pieces. The celestials worship with reverence
those fragments of the thunderbolt. That which is known in the three
worlds as glory is but a portion of the thunderbolt. The hand of the
Brahmana with which he poureth libations on the sacrificial fire, the
chariot upon which the Kshatriya fighteth, the charity of the Vaisya, and
the service of the Sudra rendered unto the three other classes, are all
fragments of the thunderbolt. It hath been said that horses, forming as
they do a portion of the Kshatriya's chariot, are, on that account,
unslayable. Again horses which form a portion of the Kshatriya's chariot,
are the offspring of Vadava. Those amongst them that are born in the
region of the Gandharvas can go everywhere and assume any hue and speed
at the will of their owners. These horses of mine that I give thee will
always gratify thy wishes."

"On hearing these words of the Gandharva, Arjuna said, 'O Gandharva, if
from satisfaction for having obtained thy life at my hands in a situation
of danger, thou givest me thy science, and these horses, I would not
accept thy gift.' The Gandharva replied, saying, 'A meeting with an
illustrious person is ever a source of gratification; besides thou hast
given me my life. Gratified with thee, I will give thee my science. That
the obligation, however, may not all be on one side, I will take from
thee, O Vibhatsu, O bull in Bharata's race, thy excellent and eternal
weapon of fire!'

"Arjuna said, 'I would accept thy horses in exchange for my weapon. Let
our friendship last for ever. O friend, tell us for what we human beings
have to stand in fear of the Gandharvas. Chastisers of foes that we are
and virtuous and conversant with the Vedas, tell us, O Gandharva, why in
travelling in the night-time we have been censured by thee.'

"The Gandharva said, 'Ye are without wives (though ye have completed the
period of study). Ye are without a particular Asrama (mode of life).
Lastly, ye are out without a Brahmana walking before, therefore, ye sons
of Pandu, ye have been censured by me. The Yakshas, Rakshasas,
Gandharvas, Pisachas, Uragas and Danavas, are possessed of wisdom and
intelligence, and acquainted with the history of the Kuru race. O hero, I
have heard too from Narada and other celestial Rishis about the good
deeds of your wise ancestors. I myself, too, while roaming over the whole
earth bounded by her belt of seas, have witnessed the prowess of thy
great race. O Arjuna, I have personal knowledge of thy preceptor, the
illustrious son of Bharadwaja, celebrated throughout the three worlds for
his knowledge of the Vedas and the science of arms. O tiger in Kuru's
race, O son of Pritha, I also know Dharma, Vayu, Sakra, the twin Aswins,
and Pandu,--these six perpetuators of Kuru race,--these excellent
celestials and human progenitors of you all. I also know that you five
brothers are learned and high-souled, that ye are foremost of all
wielders of weapons, that ye are brave and virtuous and observant of
vows. Knowing that your understanding and hearts are excellent and your
behaviour faultless, I have yet censured you. For, O thou of Kuru's race,
it behoveth no man endued with might of arms to bear with patience any
ill usage in the sight of his wife. Especially as, O son of Kunti, our
might increaseth during the hours of darkness, accompanied by my wife I
was filled with wrath. O best of vow-observing men, I have, however, been
vanquished by thee in battle. Listen to me as I tell thee the reasons
that have led to my discomfiture. The Brahmacharya is a very superior
mode of life, and as thou art in that mode now, it is for this, O Partha,
that I have been defeated by thee in battle. O chastiser of foes, if any
married Kshatriya fight with us at night, he can never escape, with life.
But, O Partha, a married Kshatriya, who is sanctified with Brahma, and
who hath assigned the cares of his State to a priest, might vanquish! all
wanderers in the night. O child of Tapati, men should therefore, ever
employ learned priests possessing self-command for the acquisition of
every good luck they desire. That Brahmana is worthy of being the king's
priest who is learned in the Vedas and the six branches thereof, who is
pure and truthful, who is of virtuous soul and possessed of self-command.
The monarch becometh ever victorious and finally earneth heaven who hath
for his priest a Brahmana conversant with the rules of morality, who is a
master of words, and is pure and of good behaviour. The king should
always select an accomplished priest in order to acquire what he hath not
and protect what he hath. He who desireth his own prosperity should ever
be guided by his priest, for he may then obtain ever the whole earth
surrounded by her belt of seas. O son of Tapati, a king, who is without a
Brahmana, can never acquire any land by his bravery or glory of birth
alone. Know, therefore, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, that the kingdom
lasteth for ever in which Brahmanas have power.'"



SECTION CLXXIII

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"Arjuna said, 'Thou hast addressed me (more than once) as Tapatya. I
therefore wish to know what the precise significance of this word is, O
virtuous Gandharva, being sons of Kunti, we are, indeed, Kaunteyas. But
who is Tapati that we should be called Tapatyas?'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the Gandharva related to
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, the (following) story well-known in the
three worlds.'

"The Gandharva said, 'O son of Pritha, O foremost of all intelligent men,
I will duly recite to you in full this charming narrative. O, listen with
attention to what I say in explanation of why I have addressed thee as
Tapatya. That one in heaven who pervadeth by his light the whole
firmament had a daughter named Tapati equal unto himself. Tapati, the
daughter of the god Vivaswat, was the younger sister of Savitri, and she
was celebrated throughout the three worlds and devoted to ascetic
penances. There was no woman amongst the celestials, the Asuras, the
Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Apsaras, and the Gandharvas, who was equal to
her in beauty. Of perfect, symmetrical and faultless features, of black
and large eyes, and in beautiful attire, the girl was chaste and of
perfect conduct. And, O Bharata, seeing her Savitri (the sun) thought
that there was none in the three worlds who, for his beauty,
accomplishments, behaviour, and learning, deserved to be her husband.
Beholding her attain the age of puberty and, therefore, worthy of being
bestowed on a husband, her father knew no peace of mind, always thinking
of the person he should select. At that time, O son of Kunti, Riksha's
son, that bull amongst the Kurus, the mighty king Samvarana, was duly
worshipping Surya with offerings of Arghya and flower-garlands and
scents, and with vows and fasts and ascetic penances of various kinds.
Indeed, Samvarana was worshipping Surya constantly in all his glory, with
devotion and humility and piety. And beholding Samvarana conversant with
all rules of virtue and unequalled on earth for beauty, Surya regarded
him as the fit husband for his daughter, Tapati. And, O thou of Kuru's
race, Vivaswat then resolved to bestow his daughter on that best of
kings, viz., Samvarana, the scion of a race of world-wide fame. As Surya
himself in the heavens filleth the firmament with his splendour, so did
king Samvarana on earth fill every region with the splendour of his good
achievements. And all men, O Partha, except Brahmanas, worshipped
Samvarana. Blest with good luck, king Samvarana excelled Soma in soothing
the hearts of friends and Surya in scorching the hearts of foes. And, O
Kaurava, Tapana (Surya) himself was resolved upon bestowing his daughter
Tapati upon king Samvarana, who was possessed of such virtues and
accomplishments.

"Once on a time, O Partha, king Samvarana, endued with beauty (of person)
and immeasurable prowess, went on a hunting expedition to the under-woods
on the mountain-breast. While wandering in quest of deer, the excellent
steed the king rode, overcome, O Partha, with hunger, thirst and fatigue,
died on the mountains. Abandoning the steed, the king, O Arjuna, began to
wander about upon the mountain-breast on foot and in course of his
wandering the monarch saw a maiden of large eyes and unrivalled beauty,
That grinder of hostile host--that tiger among kings--himself without a
companion, beholding there that maiden without a companion, stood
motionless gazing at her steadfastly. For her beauty, the monarch for
some moment believed her to be (the goddess) Sri herself. Next he
regarded her to be the embodiment of the rays emanating from Surya. In
splendour of her person she resembled a flame of fire, though in
benignity and loveliness she resembled a spotless digit of the moon. And
standing on the mountain-breast, the black-eyed maiden appeared like a
bright statue of gold. The mountain itself with its creepers and plants,
because of the beauty and attire of that damsel, seemed to be converted
into gold. The sight of that maiden inspired the monarch with a contempt
for all women that he had seen before. By beholding her, the king
regarded his eye-sight truly blessed. Nothing the king had seen from the
day of his birth could equal, he thought, the beauty of that girl. The
king's heart and eyes were captivated by that damsel, as if they were
bound with a cord and he remained rooted to that spot, deprived of his
senses. The monarch thought that the artificer of so much beauty had
created it only after churning the whole world of gods Asuras and human
beings. Entertaining these various thoughts, king Samvarana regarded that
maiden as unrivalled in the three worlds for wealth of beauty.

"And the monarch of pure descent, beholding the beautiful maiden, was
pierced with Kama's (Cupid's) shafts and lost his peace of mind. Burnt
with the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden,
still innocent, though in her full youth, saying, 'Who art thou and
whose? Why also dost thou stay here? O thou of sweet smiles, why dost
thou wander alone in these solitary woods? Of every feature perfectly
faultless, and decked with every ornament, thou seemest to be the coveted
ornament of these ornaments themselves! Thou seemest not to be of
celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human
origin. O excellent lady, the best of women that I have ever seen or
heard of would not compare with thee in beauty! O thou of handsome face,
at sight of thee lovelier than the moon and graced with eyes like
lotus-petals, the god of desire is grinding me.'

"King Samvarana thus addressed that damsel in the forest, who however,
spoke not a word unto the monarch burning with desire. Instead, like
lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in
the very sight of the monarch. The king then wandered through the whole
forest, like one out of his senses, in search of that girl of eyes like
lotus-petals. Failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in
copious lamentations and for a time stood motionless with grief.'"



SECTION CLXXIV

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva continued, 'When that maiden disappeared, that feller of
hostile ranks deprived of his senses by Kama (concupiscence) himself fell
down on the earth. And as the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet
smiles and prominent and round hips appeared again before him, and
smiling sweetly, said unto that perpetuator of Kuru's race these honeyed
words, 'Rise, rise, O chastiser of foes! Blest be thou; it behoveth thee
not, O tiger among kings, to lose thy reason, a celebrated man as thou
art in the world.' Addressed in these honeyed words, the king opened his
eyes and saw before him that selfsame girl of swelling hips. The monarch
who was burning with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed
damsel in accents, weak with emotion, and said, 'Blest be thou O
excellent woman of black eyes! As I am burning with desire and paying
thee court, O, accept me! My life is ebbing away. O thou of large eyes,
for thy sake it is, O thou of the splendour of the filaments of the
lotus, that Kama is incessantly piercing me with his keen shafts without
stopping for a moment! O amiable and cheerful girl, I have been bitten by
Kama who is even like a venomous viper. O thou of swelling and large
hips, have mercy on me! O thou of handsome and faultless features, O thou
of face like unto the lotus-petal or the moon, O thou of voice sweet as
that of singing Kinnaras, my life now depends on thee! Without thee, O
timid one, I am unable to live! O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, Kama is
piercing me incessantly! O large-eyed girl, be merciful unto me! It
becometh thee not, O black-eyed maid, to cast me off; O handsome girl, it
behoveth thee to relieve me from such affliction by giving me thy love!
At first sight thou hast attracted my heart. My mind wandereth! Beholding
thee I like not to cast my eyes on any other woman! Be merciful! I am thy
obedient slave--thy adorer! O, accept me! O beautiful lady, O large-eyed
girl at the sight of thee, the god of desire hath entered my heart, and
is piercing me with his shafts! O thou of lotus-eyes, the flame of desire
burneth within me! O, extinguish that flame with the water of thy love
poured on it! O beautiful lady, by becoming mine, pacify thou the
irrepressible god of desire that hath appeared here armed with his deadly
bow and arrows and that is piercing me incessantly with those keen shafts
of his! O thou of the fairest complexion, wed me according to the
Gandharva form, for, O thou of tapering hips, of all forms of marriage
the Gandharva hath been said to be the best.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Hearing those words of the monarch, Tapati
made answer, 'O king, I am not the mistress of my own self! Be it known
that I am a maiden under the control of my father. If thou really
entertainest an affection for me, demand me of my father. Thou sayest, O
king, that thy heart hath been robbed by me. But thou also hast, at first
sight, robbed me of my heart; I am not the mistress of my body, and
therefore, O best of kings, I do not approach thee; women are never
independent. What girl is there in the three worlds that would not desire
thee for her husband, as thou art kind unto all thy dependents and as
thou art born in a pure race? Therefore, when the opportunity comes, ask
my father Aditya for my hand with worship, ascetic penances, and vows. If
my father bestoweth me upon thee, then, O king, I shall ever be thy
obedient wife. My name is Tapati and I am the younger sister of Savitri,
and the daughter, O bull amongst Kshatriyas of Savitri, of (Sun) the
illuminator of the universe.'"



SECTION CLXXV

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva continued, 'Saying this, Tapati of faultless features,
ascended the skies. The monarch thereupon again fell down on the earth.
His ministers and followers searching for him throughout the forest at
length came upon him lying on that solitary spot, and beholding that
excellent king, that mighty bowman, thus lying forsaken on the ground
like a rainbow dropped from the firmament, his minister-in-chief became
like one burnt by a flame of fire. Advancing hastily with affection and
respect, the minister raised that best of monarchs lying prostrate on the
ground and deprived of his senses by desire. Old in wisdom as in age, old
in achievements as in policy, the minister, after having raised the
prostrate monarch, became easy (in mind). Addressing the king in sweet
words that were also for his good, he said, 'Blest be thou, O sinless
one! Fear not, O tiger among kings!' The minister thought that the
monarch, that great feller of hostile ranks in battle, had been lying on
the ground overcome with hunger, thirst, and fatigue. The old man then
sprinkled over the crownless head of the monarch water that was cold and
rendered fragrant with lotus-petals. Slowly regaining his consciousness,
the mighty monarch sent away all his attendants with the exception of his
minister only. After those attendants had retired at his command, the
king sat upon the mountain-breast. Having purified himself duly, the king
sat upon that chief of mountains, and began, with joined palms and
upturned face, to worship Surya. King Samvarana, that smiter of all foes,
thought also of his chief priest Vasishtha, that best of Rishis. The king
continued to sit there day and night without intermission. The Brahmana
sage Vasishtha came there on the twelfth day: that great Rishi of soul
under perfect command knew at once by his ascetic power that the monarch
had lost his senses in consequence of Tapati. And that virtuous and best
of Munis, as soon as he knew this, desirous of benefiting the monarch who
was ever observant of vows, addressed him and gave him every assurance.
The illustrious Rishi, in the very sight of that monarch, ascended upward
to interview Surya, himself possessed of the splendour of that luminary.
The Brahmana then approached with joined hands the god of a thousand rays
and introduced himself cheerfully unto him, saying, 'I am Vasishtha.'
Then Vivaswat of great energy said unto that best of Rishis, 'Welcome art
thou, O great Rishi! Tell me what is in thy mind. O thou of great good
fortune, whatever thou demandest of me, O foremost of eloquent men, I
will confer on thee, however difficult it may be for me!' Thus addressed
by Surya, the Rishi of great ascetic merit, bowing unto the god of light,
replied, saying, 'O Vibhavasu, this thy daughter, Tapati, the younger
sister of Savitri, I ask of thee for Samvarana! That monarch is of mighty
achievements, conversant with virtue, and of high soul. O
firmament-ranger, Samvarana will make a worthy husband for thy daughter.'
Thus addressed by the Rishi Vibhakara, resolved upon bestowing his
daughter upon Samvarana, saluted the Rishi, and replied unto him, saying,
'Oh, Samvarana is the best of monarchs, thou art the best of Rishis,
Tapati is the best of women. What should we do, therefore, but bestow her
on Samvarana?' With these words, the god Tapana, made over his daughter,
Tapati, of every feature perfectly faultless, unto the illustrious
Vasishtha to bestow her upon Samvarana. And the great Rishi then accepted
the girl, Tapati, and taking leave of Surya, came back to the spot, where
that bull amongst the Kurus, of celestial achievements, was. King
Samvarana, possessed by love and with his heart fixed on Tapati,
beholding that celestial maiden of sweet smiles led by Vasishtha, became
exceedingly glad. And Tapati of fair eyebrows came down from the
firmament like lightning from the clouds, dazzling the ten points of the
heavens. And the illustrious Rishi Vasishtha of pure soul approached the
monarch after the latter's twelve nights' vow was over. It was thus that
king Samvarana obtained a wife after having worshipped with like the full
moon. And that mighty bowman, that foremost one in Kuru's race having his
curiosity greatly excited by what he heard of Vasishtha's ascetic power,
asked the Gandharva, saying, 'I desire to hear of the Rishi whom thou
hast mentioned as Vasishtha. O, tell me in full about him! O chief of the
Gandharvas, tell me who this illustrious Rishi was that was the priest of
our forefathers.' The Gandharva replied, 'Vasishtha is Brahma's spiritual
(lit, mind-born) son and Arundhati's husband. Ever difficult of being
conquered by the very immortals, Desire and Wrath, conquered by
Vasishtha's ascetic penances, used to shampoo his feet. Though his wrath
was excited by Viswamitra's offence, that high-souled Rishi did not yet
exterminate Kusikas (the tribe whose king Viswamitra was). Afflicted at
the loss of his sons, he did not, as though powerless, though really
otherwise, do any dreadful act destructive of Viswamitra, Like the ocean
transgressing not its continents, Vasishtha transgressed not (the laws
of) Yama by bringing back his children from the domains of the king of
the dead. It was by obtaining that illustrious one who had conquered his
own self that Ikshvaku and other great monarchs acquired the whole earth.
And, O prince of Kuru's race, it was by obtaining Vasishtha, that best of
Rishis as their priest, that those monarchs performed many grand
sacrifices. And, O best of the Pandavas, that regenerate Rishi assisted
these monarchs in the performance of their sacrifices like Vrihaspati
assisting the immortals. Therefore, look ye for some accomplished and
desirable Brahmana conversant with the Vedas and in whose heart virtue
prevails, to appoint as your priest. A Kshatriya of good lineage,
desirous of extending his dominions by conquering the earth, should, O
Partha, first appoint a priest. He who is desirous of conquering the
earth should have a Brahmana before him. Therefore, O Arjuna, let some
accomplished and learned Brahmana, who has his senses under complete
control and who is conversant with religion, profit and pleasure, be your
priest.'"

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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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