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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




"Then the son of Jarasandha, the high-souled Sahadeva, accompanied by his
relatives and the principal officers of state, and with his priest in
front came thither. And the prince, bending himself low and making large
presents of jewels and precious stones, worshipped Vasudeva, that god
among men. Then that best of men, Krishna, giving every assurance unto
the prince afflicted with fear, accepted those presents of his of great
value. And Krishna joyfully installed the prince there and then in the
sovereignty of Magadha. And the strong-armed and illustrious son of
Jarasandha, thus installed on the throne by those most exalted of men and
having obtained the friendship of Krishna and treated with respect and
kindness by the two sons of Pritha, re-entered the city of his father.
And that bull amongst men, Krishna, accompanied by the sons of Pritha and
graced with great good fortune, left the city of Magadha, laden with
numerous jewels. Accompanied by the two sons of Pandu, Achyuta (Krishna)
arrived at Indraprastha, and approaching Yudhishthira joyfully addressing
that monarch said,--'O best of kings, from good fortune, the mighty
Jarasandha hath been slain by Bhima, and the kings confined (at
Girivraja) have been all set free. From good fortune also, these two,
Bhima and Dhananjaya, are well and arrived, O Bharata, it their own city
unwounded. Then Yudhishthira worshipped Krishna as he deserved and
embraced Bhima and Arjuna in joy. And the monarch who had no enemy,
having obtained victory through the agency of his brothers in consequence
of the death of Jarasandha, gave himself up to pleasure and merriment
with all his brothers. And the oldest son of Pandu (Yudhisthira) together
with his brothers approached the kings who had come to Indraprastha and
entertaining and worshipping them, each according to his age, dismissed
them all. Commanded by Yudhishthira those kings with joyful hearts, set
out for their respective countries without loss of time, riding upon
excellent vehicles. Thus, O king, did that tiger among men. Janardana of
great intelligence, caused his foe Jarasandha to be slain through the
instrumentality of the Pandavas. And, O Bharata, that chastiser of all
foes having thus caused Jarasandha to be slain, took leave of
Yudhishthira and Pritha, and Draupadi and Subhadra, and Bhimasena and
Arjuna and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. After taking leave of
Dhananjaya also, he set out for his own city (of Dwarka), riding upon
that best of cars of celestial make, possessed of the speed of the mind
and given unto him by Yudhishthira, filling the ten points of the horizon
with the deep rattle of its wheels. And, O bull of the Bharata race, just
as Krishna was on the point of setting out, the Pandavas with
Yudhishthira at their head walked round that tiger among men who was
never fatigued with exertion.'

"And after the illustrious Krishna, the son of Devaki, had departed (from
Indraprastha) having acquired that great victory and having also
dispelled the fears of the kings, that feat, O Bharata, swelled the fame
of the Pandavas. And, O king, the Pandavas passed their days, continuing
to gladden the heart of Draupadi. And at that time, whatever was proper
and consistent with virtue, pleasure, and profit, continued to be
properly executed by king Yudhishthira in the exercise of his duties of
protecting his subjects."



SECTION XXV

(Digvijaya Parva)

Vaisampayana said,--Arjuna, having obtained that best of bows and that
couple of inexhaustible quivers and that car and flag-staff, as also that
assembly-house, addressing Yudhisthira said,--Bow, weapons, great energy,
allies, territory, fame, army-those, O king, difficult of acquisition
however desirable, have all been obtained by me. I think, therefore, that
what should now be done is for the swelling up of our treasury. I desire,
O best of monarchs, to make the kings (of the earth) pay tributes to us.
I desire to set out, in an auspicious moment of a holy day of the moon
under a favourable constellation for the conquest of the direction that
is presided over by the Lord of treasures (viz. the North)."

Vaisampayana continued,--"King Yudhisthira the just, hearing these words
of Dhananjaya, replied unto him in a grave and collected tone, saying,--O
bull of the Bharata race, set thou out, having made holy Brahmanas utter
benedictions on thee, to plunge thy enemies in sorrow and to fill thy
friend with joy. Victory, O son of Pritha, will surely be thine, and thou
wilt surely obtain thy desires fulfilled.

"Thus addressed, Arjuna, surrounded by a large host, set out in that
celestial car of wonderful achievements he had obtained from Agni. And
Bhimasena also, and those bull among men, the twins, dismissed with
affection by Yudhishthira the just set out, each at the head of a large
army. And Arjuna, the son of the chastiser of Paka then brought under
subjugation that direction (the North) which was presided over by the
Lord of treasures. And Bhimasena overcome by force the East and Sahadeva
the South, and Nakula, O king, acquainted with all the weapons, conquered
the West. Thus while his brothers were so employed, the exalted king
Yudishthira the just stayed within Khandavaprastha in the enjoyment of
great affluence in the midst of friends and relatives."

"Bhagadatta, hearing this, said,--'O thou who hast Kunto for thy mother,
as thou art to me, so is Yudhishthira also. I shall do all this. Tell me,
what else I may do for thee."



SECTION XXVI

Vaisampayana continued,--thus addressed, Dhananjaya replied unto
Bhagadatta, saying,--'If thou wilt give thy promise to do this, thou hast
done all I desire. And having thus subjugated the king of Pragjyotisha,
Dhananjaya of long arms, the son of Kunti, then marched towards the
north--the direction presided over by the lord of treasures. That bull
amongst men, that son of Kunti, then conquered the mountainous tracts and
their outskirts, as also the hilly regions. And having conquered all the
mountains and the kings that reigned there, and bringing them under his
sway, he exacted tributes from all. And winning the affections of those
kings and uniting himself with them, he next marched, O king, against
Vrihanta, the king of Uluka, making this earth tremble with the sound of
his drums, the clatter of his chariot-wheels, and the roar of the
elephants in his train. Vrihanta, however, quickly coming out of his city
followed by his army consisting of four kinds of troops, gave battle to
Falguna (Arjuna). And the fight that took place between Vrihanta and
Dhananjaya was terrible. It so happened that Vrihanta was unable to bear
the prowess of the son of Pandu. Then that invincible king of the
mountainous region regarding the son of Kunti irresistible, approached
him with all his wealth. Arjuna snatched out the kingdom from Vrihanta,
but having made peace with him marched, accompanied by that king, against
Senavindu whom he soon expelled from his kingdom. After this he
subjugated Modapura, Vamadeva, Sudaman, Susankula, the Northern Ulukas,
and the kings of those countries and peoples. Hereafter at the command of
Yudhishthira, O monarch, Arjuna, did not move from the city of Senavindu
but sent his troops only and brought under his sway those five countries
and peoples. For Arjuna, having arrived at Devaprastha, the city of
Senavindu, took up his quarters there with his army consisting of four
kinds of forces. Thence, surrounded by the kings and the peoples he had
subjugated, the hero marched against king Viswagaswa--that bull of Puru's
race. Having vanquished in battle the brave mountaineers, who were all
great warriors, the son of Pandu, O king, then occupied with the help of
his troops, the town protected by the Puru king. Having vanquished in
battle the Puru king, as also the robber tribes, of the mountains, the
son of Pandu brought under his sway the seven tribes called
Utsava-sanketa. That bull of the Kshatriya race then defeated the brave
Kshatriyas of Kashmira and also king Lohita along with ten minor chiefs.
Then the Trigartas, the Daravas, the Kokonadas, and various other
Kshatriyas, O king, advanced against the son of Pandu. That Prince of the
Kuru race then took the delightful town of Avisari, and then brought
under his sway Rochamana ruling in Uraga. Then the son of Indra (Arjuna),
putting forth his might, pressed the delightful town of Singhapura that
was well-protected with various weapons. Then Arjuna, that bull amongst
the son of Pandu, at the head of all his troops, fiercely attacked the
regions called Suhma and Sumala. Then the son of Indra, endued with great
prowess, after pressing them with great force, brought the Valhikas
always difficult of being vanquished, under his sway. Then Falguna, the
son of Pandu, taking with him a select force, defeated the Daradas along
with the Kambojas. Then the exalted son of Indra vanquished the robber
tribes that dwelt in the north-eastern frontier and those also that dwelt
in the woods. And, O great king, the son of Indra also subjugated the
allied tribes of the Lohas, the eastern Kambojas, and northern Rishikas.
And the battle with the Rishikas was fierce in the extreme. Indeed, the
fight that took place between them and the son of Pritha was equal to
that between the gods and the Asuras in which Taraka (the wife of
Vrihaspati) had become the cause of so much slaughter. And defeating, O
king, the Rishikas in the field of battle, Arjuna took from them as
tribute eight horses that were of the colour of the parrot's breast, as
also other horses of the hues of the peacock, born in northern and other
climes and endued with high speed. At last having conquered all the
Himalayas and the Nishkuta mountains, that bull among men, arriving at
the White mountains, encamped on its breast."



SECTION XXVII

Vaisampayana said,--"that heroic and foremost of the Pandavas endued with
great energy, crossing the White mountains, subjugated the country of the
Limpurushas ruled by Durmaputra, after a collision involving a great
slaughter of Kshatriyas, and brought the region under his complete sway.
Having reduced that country, the son of Indra (Arjuna) with a collected
mind marched at the head of his troops to the country called Harataka,
ruled by the Guhakas. Subjugating them by a policy of conciliation, the
Kuru prince beheld (in that region) that excellent of lakes called Manasa
and various other lakes and tanks sacred to the Rishis. And the exalted
prince having arrived at the lake Manasa conquered the regions ruled by
the Gandharvas that lay around the Harataka territories. Here the
conqueror took, as tribute from the country, numerous excellent horses
called Tittiri, Kalmasha, Manduka. At last the son of the slayer of Paka,
arriving in the country of North Harivarsha desired to conquer it.
Thereupon certain frontier-guards of huge bodies and endued with great
strength and energy, coming to him with gallant hearts, said, 'O son of
Pritha, this country can be never conquered by thee. If thou seekest thy
good, return hence. He that entereth this region, if human, is sure to
perish. We have been gratified with thee; O hero, thy conquests have been
enough. Nor is anything to be seen here, O Arjuna, that may be conquered
by thee. The Northern Kurus live here. There cannot be war here. Even if
thou enterest it, thou will not be able to behold anything, for with
human eyes nothing can be seen here. If, however thou seekest anything
else, O Bharata tell us, O tiger among men, so that we may do thy
bidding. Thus addressed by them, Arjuna smilingly addressing them,
said,--'I desire the acquisition of the imperial dignity by Yudhishthira
the just, of great intelligence. If your land is shut against human
beings, I shall not enter it. Let something be paid unto Yudhishthira by
ye as tribute. Hearing these words of Arjuna, they gave him as tribute
many cloths and ornaments of celestial make, silks of celestial texture
and skins of celestial origin.

"It was thus that tiger among men subjugated the countries that lay to
the North, having fought numberless battles with both Kshatriya and
robber tribes. And having vanquished the chiefs and brought them under
his sway he exacted from them much wealth, various gems and jewels, the
horses of the species called Tittiri and Kalmasha, as also those of the
colour of the parrot's wings and those that were like the peacocks in hue
and all endued with the speed of the wind. And surrounded, O king, by a
large army consisting of the four kinds of forces, the hero came back to
the excellent city of Sakraprastha. And Partha offered the whole of that
wealth, together with the animals he had brought, unto Yudhishthira the
just. And commanded by the monarch, the hero retired to a chamber of the
palace for rest."



SECTION XXVIII

Vaisampayana said,--in the meantime, Bhimasena also endued with great
energy, having obtained the assent of Yudhishthira the just marched
towards the eastern direction. And the tiger among the Bharatas,
possessed of great valour and ever increasing the sorrows of his foes,
was accompanied by a mighty host with the full complement of elephants
and horses and cars, well-armed and capable of crushing all hostile
kingdoms. That tiger among men, the son of Pandu, going first into the
great country of the Panchalas, began by various means to conciliate that
tribe. Then that hero, that bull of the Bharata race, within a short
time, vanquished the Gandakas and the Videhas. That exalted one then
subjugated the Dasarnas. There in the country of the Dasarnas, the king
called Sudharman with his bare arms fought a fierce battle with
Bhimasena. And Bhimasena, beholding that feat of the illustrious king,
appointed the mighty Sudharman as the first in command of his forces.
Then Bhima of terrible prowess marched towards the east, causing the
earth itself to tremble with the tread of the mighty host that followed
him. Then that hero who in strength was the foremost of all strong men
defeated in battle Rochamana, the king of Aswamedha, at the head of all
his troops. And the son of Kunti, having vanquished that monarch by
performing feats that excelled in fierceness, subjugated the eastern
region. Then that prince of the Kuru race, endued with great prowess
going into the country of Pulinda in the south, brought Sukumara and the
king Sumitra under his sway. Then, O Janamejaya, that bull in the Bharata
race, at the command of Yudhishthira the just marched against Sisupala of
great energy. The king of Chedi, hearing of the intentions of the son of
Pandu, came out of his city. And that chastiser of all foes then received
the son of Pritha with respect. Then, O king, those bulls of the Chedi
and the Kuru lines, thus met together, enquired after each other's
welfare. Then, O monarch, the king of Chedi offered his kingdom unto
Bhima and said smilingly,--'O sinless one, upon what art thou bent?' And
Bhima thereupon represented unto him the intentions of king Yudhishthira.
And Bhima dwelt there, O king, for thirty nights, duly entertained by
Sisupala. And after this he set out from Chedi with his troops and
vehicles."



SECTION XXIX

Vaisampayana said,--that chastiser of all foes then vanquished king
Srenimat of the country of Kumara, and then Vrihadvala, the king of
Kosala. Then the foremost of the sons of Pandu, by performing feats
excelling in fierceness, defeated the virtuous and mighty king
Dirghayaghna of Ayodhya. And the exalted one then subjugated the country
of Gopalakaksha and the northern Kosalas and also the king of Mallas. And
the mighty one, arriving then in the moist region at the foot of the
Himalayas soon brought the whole country under his sway. And that bull of
Bharata race brought under control in this way diverse countries. And
endued with great energy and in strength the foremost of all strong men,
the son of Pandu next conquered the country of Bhallata, as also the
mountain of Suktimanta that was by the side of Bhallata. Then Bhima of
terrible prowess and long arms, vanquishing in battle the unretreating
Suvahu the king of Kasi, brought him under complete sway. Then that bull
among the sons of Pandu overcame in battle, by sheer force, the great
king Kratha reigning in the region lying about Suparsa. Then the hero of
great energy vanquished the Matsya and the powerful Maladas and the
country called Pasubhumi that was without fear or oppression of any kind.
And the long-armed hero then, coming from that land, conquered Madahara,
Mahidara, and the Somadheyas, and turned his steps towards the north. And
the mighty son of Kunti then subjugated, by sheer force, the country
called Vatsabhumi, and the king of the Bhargas, as also the ruler of the
Nishadas and Manimat and numerous other kings. Then Bhima, with scarcely
any degree of exertion and very soon, vanquished the southern Mallas and
the Bhagauanta mountains. And the hero next vanquished, by policy alone,
the Sarmakas and the Varmakas. And that tiger among men then defeated
with comparative ease that lord of earth, Janaka the king of the Videhas.
And the hero then subjugated strategically the Sakas and the barbarians
living in that part of the country. And the son of Pandu, sending forth
expeditions from Videha, conquered the seven kings of the Kiratas living
about the Indra mountain. The mighty hero then, endued with abundant
energy, vanquished in battle the Submas and the Prasuhmas. And winning
them over to his side, the son of Kunti, possessed of great strength,
marched against Magadha. On his way he subjugated the monarchs known by
the names of Danda and Dandadhara, And accompanied by those monarchs, the
son of Pandu marched against Girivraja. After bringing the son of
Jarasandha under his sway by conciliation and making him pay tribute, the
hero then accompanied by the monarchs he had vanquished, marched against
Kansa. And making the earth tremble by means of his troops consisting of
the four kinds of forces, the foremost of the Pandavas then encountered
Karna that slayer of foes. And, O Bharata, having subjugated Karna and
brought him under his sway, the mighty hero then vanquished the powerful
king of the mountainous regions. And the son of Pandu then slew in a
fierce encounter, by the strength of his arms, the mighty king who dwelt
in Madagiri. And the Pandava then, O king, subjugated in battle those
strong and brave heroes of fierce prowess, viz., the heroic and mighty
Vasudeva, the king of Pundra and king Mahaujah who reigned in
Kausika-kachchha, and then attacked the king of Vanga. And having
vanquished Samudrasena and king Chandrasena and Tamralipta, and also the
king of the Karvatas and the ruler of the Suhmas, as also the kings that
dwelt on the sea-shore, that bull among the Bharatas then conquered all
Mlechchha tribes. The mighty son of the wind-god having thus conquered
various countries, and exacting tributes from them all advanced towards
Lohity. And the son of Pandu then made all the Mlechchha kings dwelling
in the marshy regions on the sea-coast, pay tributes and various kinds of
wealth, and sandal wood and aloes, and clothes and gems, and pearls and
blankets and gold and silver and valuable corals. The Mlechchha kings
showered upon the illustrious son of Kunti a thick downpour of wealth
consisting of coins and gems counted by hundreds of millions. Then
returning to Indraprastha, Bhima of terrible prowess offered the whole of
that wealth unto king Yudhisthira the just."



SECTION XXX

Vaisampayana said,--"thus also Sahadeva, dismissed with affection by king
Yudhisthira the just, marched towards the southern direction accompanied
by a mighty host. Strong in strength, that mighty prince of the Kuru
race, vanquishing completely at the outset the Surasenas, brought the
king of Matsya under his sway. And the hero then, defeating Dantavakra,
the mighty king of the Adhirajas and making him pay tribute,
re-established him on his throne. The prince then brought under his sway
Sukumara and then king Sumitra, and he next vanquished the other Matsyas
and then the Patacharas. Endued with great intelligence, the Kuru warrior
then conquered soon enough the country of the Nishadas and also the high
hill called Gosringa, and that lord of earth called Srenimat. And
subjugating next the country called Navarashtra, the hero marched against
Kuntibhoja, who with great willingness accepted the sway of the
conquering hero. And marching thence to the banks of the Charmanwati, the
Kuru warrior met the son of king Jamvaka, who had, on account of old
hostilities, been defeated before by Vasudeva. O Bharata, the son of
Jamvaka gave battle to Sahadeva. And Sahadeva defeating the prince
marched towards the south. The mighty warrior then vanquished the Sekas
and others, and exacted tributes from them and also various kinds of gems
and wealth. Allying himself with the vanquished tribes the prince then
marched towards the countries that lay on the banks of the Narmada. And
defeating there in battle the two heroic kings of Avanti, called Vinda
and Anuvinda, supported by a mighty host, the mighty son of the twin gods
exacted much wealth from them. After this the hero marched towards the
town of Bhojakata, and there, O king of unfading glory, a fierce
encounter took place between him and the king of that city for two whole
days. But the son of Madri, vanquishing the invincible Bhismaka, then
defeated in battle the king of Kosala and the ruler of the territories
lying on the banks of the Venwa, as also the Kantarakas and the kings of
the eastern Kosalas. The hero then defeating both the Natakeyas and the
Heramvaks in battle, and subjugating the country of Marudha, reduced
Munjagrama by sheer strength. And the son of Pandu then vanquished the
mighty monarchs of the Nachinas and the Arvukas and the various forest
king of that part of the country. Endued with great strength the hero
then reduced to subjection king Vatadhipa. And defeating in battle the
Pulindas, the hero then marched southward. And the younger brother of
Nakula then fought for one whole day with the king of Pandrya. The
long-armed hero having vanquished that monarch marched further to the
south. And then he beheld the celebrated caves of Kishkindhya and in that
region fought for seven days with the monkey-kings Mainda and Dwivida.
Those illustrious kings however, without being tired an the encounter,
were gratified with Sahadeva. And joyfully addressing the Kuru prince,
they said,--'O tiger among the sons of Pandu, go hence, taking with the
tribute from us all. Let the mission of the king Yudhishthira the just
possessed of great intelligence, be accomplished without hindrance. And
taking jewels and gems from them all, the hero marched towards the city
of Mahishmati, and there that bull of men did battle with king Nila. The
battle that took place between king Nila and the mighty Sahadeva the son
of Pandu, that slayer of hostile heroes, was fierce and terrible. And the
encounter was an exceedingly bloody one, and the life of the hero himself
was exposed to great risk, for the god Agni himself assisted king Nila in
that fight. Then the cars, heroes, elephants, and the soldiers in their
coats of mail of Sahadeva's army all appeared to be on fire. And
beholding this the prince of the Kuru race became exceedingly anxious.
And, O Janamejaya, at sight of this the hero could not resolve upon what
he should do.

Janamejaya said,--O regenerate one, why was it that the god Agni become
hostile in battle unto Sahadeva, who was fighting simply for the
accomplishment of a sacrifice (and therefore, for the gratification of
Agni himself)?

Vaisampayana said,--'It is said, O Janamejaya, that the god Agni while
residing in Mahishmati, earned the reputation of a lover. King Nila had a
daughter who was exceedingly beautiful. She used always to stay near the
sacred fire of her father, causing it to blaze up with vigour. And it so
happened that king Nila's fire, even if fanned, would not blaze up till
agitated by the gentle breath of that girl's fair lips. And it was said
in King Nila's palace and in the house of all his subjects that the god
Agni desired that beautiful girl for his bride. And it so happened that
he was accepted by the girl herself. One day the deity assuming the form
of a Brahmana, was happily enjoying the society of the fair one, when he
was discovered by the king. And the virtuous king thereupon ordered the
Brahmana to be punished according to law. At this the illustrious deity
flamed up in wrath. And beholding this, the king wondered much and bent
his head low on the ground. And after some time the king bowing low
bestowed the daughter of his upon the god Agni, disguised as a Brahmana.
And the god Vibhabasu (Agni) accepting that fair-browed daughter of king
Nila, became gracious unto that monarch. And Agni, the illustrious
gratifier of all desires also asked the monarch to beg a boon of him. And
the king begged that his troops might never be struck with panic while
engaged in battle. And from that time, O king, those monarchs who from
ignorance of this, desire to subjugate king Nila's city, are consumed by
Hutasana (Agni). And from that time, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, the
girls of the city of Mahishmati became rather unacceptable to others (as
wives). And Agni by his boon granted them sexual liberty, so that the
women of that town always roam about at will, each unbound to a
particular husband. And, O bull of the Bharata race, from that time the
monarchs (of other countries) forsake this city for fear of Agni. And the
virtuous Sahadeva, beholding his troops afflicted with fear and
surrounded by flames of fire, himself stood there immovable as a
mountain. And purifying himself and touching water, the hero (Sahadeva)
then addressed Agni, the god that sanctifieth everything, in these
words,--

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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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