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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 heard from Dhaumya these words suitable
to the occasion, Yudhishthira the just, with heart concentrated within
itself and purifying it duly, became engaged in austere meditation, moved
by the desire of supporting the Brahmanas. And worshipping the maker of
day with offerings of flowers and other articles, the king performed his
ablutions. And standing in the stream, he turned his face towards the god
of day. And touching the water of the Ganges the virtuous Yudhishthira
with senses under complete control and depending upon air alone for his
sustenance, stood there with rapt soul engaged in pranayama.[7] And
having purified himself and restrained his speech, he began to sing the
hymn of praise (to the sun).'

'Yudhishthira said, "Thou art, O sun, the eye of the universe. Thou art
the soul of all corporeal existences. Thou art the origin of all things.
Thou art the embodiment of the acts of all religious men. Thou art the
refuge of those versed in the Sankhya philosophy (the mysteries of the
soul), and thou art the support of the Yogins. Thou art a door unfastened
with bolts. Thou art the refuge of those wishing for emancipation. Thou
sustainest and discoverest the world, and sanctifiest and supportest it
from pure compassion. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas appearing before
thee, adore thee in due time, reciting the hymns from the respective
branches (of the Vedas) they refer. Thou art the adored of the Rishis.
The Siddhas, and the Charanas and the Gandharvas and the Yakshas, and the
Guhyakas, and the Nagas, desirous of obtaining boons follow thy car
coursing through the skies. The thirty-three gods[8] with Upendra
(Vishnu) and Mahendra, and the order of Vaimanikas[9] have attained
success by worshipping thee. By offering thee garlands of the celestial
Mandaras[10] the best of the Vidyadharas have obtained all their desires.
The Guhyas and the seven orders of the Pitris--both divine and
human--have attained superiority by adoring thee alone. The Vasus, the
Manilas, and the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Marichipas, the Valikhilyas,
and the Siddhas, have attained pre-eminence by bowing down unto thee.
There is nothing that I know in the entire seven worlds, including that
of Brahma which is beyond thee. There are other beings both great and
endued with energy; but none of them hath thy lustre and energy. All
light is in thee, indeed, thou art the lord of all light. In thee are the
(five) elements and all intelligence, and knowledge and asceticism and
the ascetic properties.[11] The discus by which the wielder of the
Saranga[12] humbleth the pride of Asuras and which is furnished with a
beautiful nave, was forged by Viswakarman with thy energy. In summer thou
drawest, by thy rays, moisture from all corporeal existences and plants
and liquid substances, and pourest it down in the rainy season. Thy rays
warm and scorch, and becoming as clouds roar and flash with lightning and
pour down showers when the season cometh. Neither fire nor shelter, nor
woolen cloths give greater comfort to one suffering from chilling blasts
than thy rays. Thou illuminest by thy rays the whole Earth with her
thirteen islands. Thou alone are engaged in the welfare of the three
worlds. If thou dost not rise, the universe becometh blind and the
learned cannot employ themselves in the attainment of virtue, wealth and
profit. It is through thy grace that the (three) orders of Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas are able to perform their various duties and
sacrifices.[13] Those versed in chronology say that thou art the
beginning and thou the end of a day of Brahma, which consisteth of a full
thousand Yugas. Thou art the lord of Manus and of the sons of the Manus,
of the universe and of man, of the Manwantaras, and their lords. When the
time of universal dissolution cometh, the fire Samvartaka born of thy
wrath consumeth the three worlds and existeth alone And clouds of various
hues begotten of thy rays, accompanied by the elephant Airavata and the
thunderbolt, bring about the appointed deluges. And dividing thyself into
twelve parts and becoming as many suns, thou drinkest up the ocean once
more with thy rays. Thou art called Indra, thou art Vishnu, thou art
Brahma, thou art Prajapati. Thou art fire and thou art the subtle mind.
And thou art lord and the eternal Brahma. Thou art Hansa, thou art
Savitri, thou art Bhanu, Ansumalin, and Vrishakapi. Thou art Vivaswan,
Mihira, Pusha, Mitra, and Dharma. Thou art thousand-rayed, thou art
Aditya, and Tapana, and the lord of rays. Thou art Martanda, and Arka,
and Ravi, and Surya and Saranya and maker of day, and Divakara and
Suptasaspti, and Dhumakeshin and Virochana. Thou art spoken of as swift
of speed and the destroyer of darkness, and the possessor of yellow
steeds. He that reverentially adoreth thee on the sixth or the seventh
lunar day with humility and tranquillity of mind, obtaineth the grace of
Lakshmi. They that with undivided attention adore and worship thee, are
delivered from all dangers, agonies, and afflictions. And they that hold
that thou art everywhere (being the soul of all things) living long,
freed from sin and enjoying an immunity from all diseases. O lord of all
food, it behoveth thee to grant food in abundance unto me who am desirous
of food even for entertaining all my guests with reverence. I bow also to
all those followers of thine that have taken refuge at thy feet--Mathara
and Aruna and Danda and others, including Asani and Kshuva and the
others. And I bow also to the celestial mothers of all creatures, viz.,
Kshuva and Maitri and the others of the class. O, let them deliver me
their supplient.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus, O great king, was the sun that purifier of the
world, adored (by Yudhishthira). And pleased with the hymn, the maker of
day, self-luminous, and blazing like fire showed himself to the son of
Pandu. And Vivaswan said, 'Thou shall obtain all that thou desirest. I
shall provide thee with food for five and seven years together. And, O
king, accept this copper-vessel which I give unto thee. And, O thou of
excellent vows, as long as Panchali will hold this vessel, without
partaking of its contents fruits and roots and meat and vegetables cooked
in thy kitchen, these four kinds of food shall from this day be
inexhaustible. And, on the fourteenth year from this, thou shall regain
thy kingdom.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, the god vanished away. He
that, with the desire of obtaining a boon, reciteth this hymn
concentrating his mind with ascetic abstraction, obtaineth it from the
sun, however difficult of acquisition it may be that he asketh for. And
the person, male or female, that reciteth or heareth this hymn day after
day, if he or she desireth for a son, obtaineth one, and if riches,
obtaineth them, and if learning acquireth that too. And the person male
or female, that reciteth this hymn every day in the two twilights, if
overtaken by danger, is delivered from it, and if bound, is freed from
the bonds. Brahma himself had communicated this hymn to the illustrious
Sakra, and from Sakra was it obtained by Narada and from Narada, by
Dhaumya. And Yudhishthira, obtaining it from Dhaumya, attained all his
wishes. And it is by virtue of this hymn that one may always obtain
victory in war, and acquire immense wealth also. And it leadeth the
reciter from all sins, to the solar region.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having obtained the boon, the virtuous son of
Kunti, rising from the water, took hold of Dhaumya's feet and then
embraced his brother's. And, O exalted one, wending then with Draupadi to
the kitchen, and adored by her duly, the son of Pandu set himself to cook
(their day's) food. And the clean food, however little, that was dressed,
furnished with the four tastes, increased and became inexhaustible. And
with it Yudhishthira began to feed the regenerate ones. And after the
Brahmanas had been fed, and his younger brothers also, Yudhishthira
himself ate of the food that remained, and which is called Vighasa. And
after Yudhishthira had eaten, the daughter of Prishata took what
remained. And after she had taken her meal, the day's food became
exhausted.

'And having thus obtained the boon from the maker of day, the son of
Pandu, himself as resplendent as that celestial, began to entertain the
Brahmanas agreeably to their wishes. And obedient to their priest, the
sons of Pritha, on auspicious lunar days and constellations and
conjunctions, performed sacrifices according to the ordinance, the
scriptures, and the Mantras. After the sacrifices, the sons of Pandu,
blessed by the auspicious rites performed by Dhaumya and accompanied by
him, and surrounded also by the Brahmanas set out for the woods of
Kamyaka.'"



SECTION IV

"Vaisampayana said,--"After the Pandavas had gone to the forest,
Dhritarashtra the son of Amvika, whose knowledge was his eye,[14] became
exceedingly sorrowful. And seated at his ease the king addressed these
words to the virtuous Vidura of profound intelligence, 'Thy understanding
is as clear as that of Bhargava.[15] Thou knowest also all the subtleties
or morality, and thou lookest on all the Kauravas with an equal eye. O,
tell me what is proper for me and them. O Vidura, things having thus
taken their course, what should we do now? How may I secure the goodwill
of the citizens so that they may not destroy us to the roots? O, tell us
all, since thou art conversant with every excellent expedient.'

"Vidura said, 'The three-fold purposes, O king (viz., profit, pleasure,
and salvation), have their foundations in virtue, and the sages say that
a kingdom also standeth on virtue as its basis. Therefore, O monarch,
according to the best of thy power, cherish thou virtuously thy own sons
and those of Pandu. That virtue had been beguiled by wicked souls with
Suvala's son at their head, when thy sons invited the righteous
Yudhishthira and defeated him in the match at dice. O king, of this deed
of utter iniquity I behold this expiation whereby, O chief of the Kurus,
thy son, freed from sin, may win back his position among good men. Let
the sons of Pandu, obtain that which was given unto them by thee. For,
verily, even this is the highest morality that a king should remain
content with his own, and never covet another's possessions. Thy good
name then would not suffer nor would family dissensions ensue, nor
unrighteousness be thine. This then is thy prime duty now,--to gratify
the Pandavas and disgrace Sakuni. If thou wishest to restore to thy sons
the good fortune they have lost, then, O king, do thou speedily adopt
this line of conduct. If thou dost not act so, the Kurus will surely meet
with destruction, for neither Bhimasena nor Arjuna, if angry, will leave
any of their foes unslain. What is there in the world which is
unattainable to those who cannot among their warriors Savyasachin skilled
in arms; who have the Gandiva, the most powerful of all weapons in the
world, for their bow; and who have amongst them the mighty Bhima also as
a warrior? Formerly, as soon as thy son was born, I told thee,--Forsake
thou this inauspicious child of thine. Herein lieth the good of thy
race.--But thou didst not then act accordingly. Nor also, O king, have I
pointed out to thee the way of thy welfare. If thou doest as I have
counselled, thou shalt not have to repent afterwards. If thy son consent
to reign in peace jointly with the sons of Pandu, passing thy days in joy
thou shalt not have to repent. Should it be otherwise, abandon thou thy
child for thy own happiness. Putting Duryodhana aside, do thou install
the son of Pandu in the sovereignty, and let, O king, Ajatasatru, free
from passion, rule the earth virtuously. All the kings of the earth,
then, like Vaisyas, will, without delay, pay homage unto us. And, O king,
let Duryodhana and Sakuni and Karna with alacrity wait upon the Pandavas.
And let Dussasana, in open court, ask forgiveness of Bhimasena and of the
daughter of Drupada also. And do thou pacify Yudhishthira by placing him
on the throne with every mark of respect. Asked by thee, what else can I
counsel thee to do? By doing this, O monarch, thou wouldst do what was
proper.'

'Dhritarashtra said, 'These words, O Vidura, then thou hast spoken in
this assembly, with reference to the Pandavas and myself, are for their
good but not for ours. My mind doth not approve them. How hast thou
settled all this in thy mind now? When thou hast spoken all this on
behalf of the Pandavas, I perceive that thou art not friendly to me. How
can I abandon my son for the sake of the sons of Pandu? Doubtless they
are my sons, but Duryodhana is sprung from my body. Who then, speaking
with impartiality, will ever counsel me to renounce my own body for the
sake of others? O Vidura, all that thou sayest is crooked, although I
hold thee in high esteem. Stay or go as thou likest. However much may she
be humoured, an unchaste will forsaketh her husband.'

"Vaisampayana said, O king, saying this Dhritarashtra rose suddenly and
went into the inner apartments. And Vidura, saying 'This race is doomed'
went away to where the sons of Pritha were.'"



SECTION V

"Vaisampayana said, 'Desirous of living in the forest, those bulls of the
Bharata race, the Pandavas, with their followers, setting out from the
banks of the Ganges went to the field of Kurukshetra. And performing
their ablutions in the Saraswati, the Drisadwati and the Yamuna, they
went from one forest to another, travelling in an westernly direction.
And at length they saw before them the woods, Kamyaka, the favourite
haunt of Munis, situated by a level and wild plain on the banks of the
Saraswati. And in those woods, O Bharata, abounding in birds and deer,
those heroes began to dwell, entertained and comforted by the Munis. And
Vidura always longing to see the Pandavas, went in a single car to the
Kamyaka woods abounding in every good thing. And arriving at Kamyaka on a
car drawn by swift steeds, he saw Yudhishthira the just, sitting with
Draupadi at a retired spot, surrounded by his brothers and the Brahmanas.
And seeing Vidura approach from a distance with swift steps, the virtuous
king addressed brother, Bhimasena, saying, 'With what message doth
Kshatta come to us? Doth he come hither, despatched by Sakuni, to invite
us again to a game of dice? Doth the little-minded Sakuni intend to win
again our weapons at dice? O Bhimasena, challenged by any one addressing
me,--Come, I am unable to stay. And if our possession of the Gandiva
becomes doubtful, will not the acquisition of our kingdom also be so.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'O king, the Pandavas then rose up and welcomed
Vidura. And received by them, that descendant of the Ajamida line
(Vidura) sat in their midst and made the usual enquiries. And after
Vidura had rested awhile, those bulls among men asked him the reason of
his coming. And Vidura began to relate unto them in detail everything
connected with the bearing of Dhritarashtra the son of Amvika.'

"Vidura said, 'O Ajatasatru, Dhritarashtra called me, his dependant,
before him and honouring me duly said, 'Things have fared thus. Now, do
thou tell me what is good for the Pandavas as well as for me. I pointed
out what was beneficial to both the Kauravas and Dhritarashtra. But what
I said was not relished by him, nor could I hit upon any other course.
What I advised was, O Pandavas, highly beneficial, but the son of Amvika
heeded me not. Even as medicine recommendeth itself not to one that is
ill, so my words failed to please the king. And, O thou without a foe, as
all unchaste wile in the family of a man of pure descent cannot be
brought back to the path of virtue, so I failed to bring Dhritarashtra
back. Indeed, as a young damsel doth not like a husband of three score,
even so Dhritarashtra did not like my words. Surely, destruction will
overtake the Kuru race, surely Dhritarashtra will never acquire good
fortune. For, as water dropped on a lotus-leaf doth not remain there, my
counsels will fail to produce any effect to Dhritarashtra. The incensed
Dhritarashtra told me, O Bharata, go thou thither where thou likest Never
more shall I seek thy aid in ruling the earth or my capital,--O best of
monarchs, forsaken by king Dhritarashtra, I come to thee for tendering
good counsel. What I had said in the open court, I will now repeat unto
thee. Listen, and bear my words in mind,--that wise man who bearing all
the gross wrong heaped upon him by his enemies, patiently bideth his
time, and multiplieth his resources "even as men by degrees turn a small
fire: into a large one, ruleth alone this entire earth. He that (in
prosperity) enjoyeth his substance with his adherents findeth in them
sharers of his adversity,--this is the best means of securing adherents,
and it is said that he that hath adherents, winneth the sovereignty of
the world! And, O Pandava, divided thy prosperity with thy adherents,
behave truthfully towards them, and converse with them agreeably! Share
also your food with them! And never boast thyself in their presence! This
behaviour increaseth the prosperity of kings!'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Having recourse to such high intelligence,
undisturbed by passion, I will do as thou counsellest! And whatever else
thou mayst counsel in respect of time and place, I will carefully follow
entirely.'"



SECTION VI

"Vaisampayana said, 'O king, after Vidura had gone to the abode of the
Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, O Bharata, of profound wisdom, repented of his
action. And thinking of the great intelligence of Vidura in matters
connected with both war and peace, and also of the aggrandisement of the
Pandavas in the future, Dhritarashtra, pained at the recollection of
Vidura, having approached the door of the hall of state fell down
senseless in the presence of the monarchs (in waiting) And regaining
consciousness, the king rose from the ground and thus addressed Sanjaya
standing by, 'My brother and friend is even like the god of justice
himself! Recollecting him today, my heart burneth in grief! Go, bring
unto me without delay my brother well-versed in morality!' Saying this,
the monarch wept bitterly. And burning in repentance, and overwhelmed
with sorrow at the recollection of Vidura, the king, from brotherly
affection, again addressed Sanjaya saying, 'O Sanjaya, go thou and
ascertain whether my brother, expelled by my wretched self through anger,
liveth still! That wise brother of mine of immeasurable intelligence hath
never been guilty of even the slightest transgression, but, on the other
hand, he it is who hath come by grievous wrong at my hands! Seek him, O
wise one, and bring him hither; else, O Sanjaya, I will lay down my life!"

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of the king, Sanjaya
expressed his approbation, and saying 'So be it,' went in the direction
of the Kamyaka woods. And arriving without loss of time at the forest
where the sons of Pandu dwelt, he beheld Yudhishthira clad in deer-skin,
seated with Vidura, in the midst of Brahmanas by thousands and guarded by
his brothers, even like Purandara in the midst of the celestials! And
approaching Yudhishthira, Sanjaya worshipped him duly and was received
with due respect by Bhima and Arjuna and the twins. And Yudhishthira made
the usual enquiries about his welfare and when he had been seated at his
ease, he disclosed the reason of his visit, in these words, 'King
Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, hath, O Kshatta! remembered thee!
Returning unto him without loss of time, do thou revive the king! And, O
thou best of men, with the permission of these Kuru princes--these
foremost of men--it behoveth thee, at the command of that lion among
kings, to return unto him!

Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Sanjaya, the intelligent
Vidura, ever attached to his relatives, with the permission of
Yudhishthira returned to the city named after the elephant. And after he
had approached the king, Dhritarashtra of great energy, the son of
Amvika, addressed him, saying, 'From my good luck alone, O Vidura, thou,
O sinless one, of conversant with morality, hast come here remembering
me! And, O thou bull of the Bharata race, in thy absence I was beholding
myself, sleepless through the day and the night, as one that hath been
lost on earth!' And the king then took Vidura on his lap and smelt his
head, and said, 'Forgive me, O sinless one, the words in which thou wert
addressed by me!' And Vidura said, 'O king, I have forgiven thee. Thou
art my superior, worthy of the highest reverence! Here am I, having come
back, eagerly wishing to behold thee! All virtuous men, O tiger among
men, are (instinctively) partial towards those that are distressed! This,
O king, is scarcely the result of deliberation! (My partiality to the
Pandavas proceedeth from this cause)! O Bharata, thy sons are as dear to
me as the sons of Pandu, but as the latter are now in distress, my heart
yearneth after them!

"Vaisampayana continued, 'And addressing each other thus in apologetic
speeches, the two illustrious brothers, Vidura and Dhritarashtra, felt
themselves greatly happy!'"



SECTION VII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing that Vidura had returned, and that the king
had consoled him, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra began to burn in
grief. His understanding clouded by ignorance, he summoned the son of
Suvala, and Karna and Dussasana, and addressed them saying, 'The learned
Vidura, the minister of the wise Dhritarashtra, hath returned! The friend
of the sons of Pandu, he is ever engaged in doing what is beneficial to
them. So long as this Vidura doth not succeed in inducing the king to
bring them back, do ye all think of what may benefit me! If ever I behold
the sons of Pritha return to the city, I shall again be emaciated by
renouncing food and drink, even though there be no obstacle in my path!
And I shall either take poison or hang myself, either enter the pyre or
kill myself with my own weapons. But I shall never be able to behold the
sons of Pandu in prosperity!

"Sakuni said, 'O king, O lord of the earth, what folly hath taken
possession of thee! The Pandavas have gone to the forest, having given a
particular pledge, so that what thou apprehendest can never take place! O
bull of the Bharata race, the Pandavas ever abide by the truth. They will
never, therefore, accept the words of thy father! If however, accepting
the commands of the king, they come back to the capital, violating their
vow, even this would be our conduct, viz., assuming, an aspect of
neutrality, and in apparent obedience to the will of the monarch, we will
closely watch the Pandavas, keeping our counsels!'

"Dussasana said, 'O uncle of great intelligence, it is even as thou
sayest! The words of wisdom thou utterest always recommend themselves to
me!'"Karna said, 'O Duryodhana, all of us seek to accomplish thy will
and, O king, I see that unanimity at present prevaileth among us! The
sons of Pandu, with passions under complete control, will never return
without passing away the promised period. If, however, they do return
from failing sense, do thou defeat them again at dice.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Karna, king Duryodhana with
cheerless heart, averted his face from his counsellors. Marking all this,
Karna expanding his beautiful eyes, and vehemently gesticulating in
anger, haughtily addressed Duryodhana and Dussasana and Suvala's son
saying, 'Ye princes, know ye my opinion! We are all servants of the king
(Duryodhana) waiting upon him with joined palms! We should, therefore, do
what is agreeable to him! But we are not always able to seek his welfare
with promptness and activity (owing to our dependence on Dhritarashtra)!
But let us now, encased in mail and armed with our weapons, mount our
cars and go in a body to slay the Pandavas now living in the forest!
After the Pandavas have been quieted and after they have gone on the
unknown journey, both ourselves and the sons of Dhritarashtra will find
peace! As long as they are in distress, as long as they are in sorrow, as
long as they are destitute of help, so long are we a match for them! This
is my mind!'

'Hearing those words of the charioteer's son, they repeatedly applauded
him, and at last exclaimed, 'Very well!' And saying this each of them
mounted his car, and sanguine of success, they rushed in a body to slay
the sons of Pandu. And knowing by his spiritual vision that they had gone
out, the master Krishna-Dwaipayana of pure soul came upon them, and
commanded them to desist. And sending them away, the holy one, worshipped
by all the worlds, quickly appeared before the king whose intelligence
served the purposes of eye-sight, and who was then seated (at his ease).
And the holy one addressed the monarch thus.'"



SECTION VIII

"Vyasa said, 'O wise Dhritarashtra, hear what I say! I will tell thee
that which is for the great good of all the Kauravas! O thou of mighty
arms, it hath not pleased me that the Pandavas have gone to the forest
dishonestly defeated (at dice) by Duryodhana and others! O Bharata, on
the expiration of the thirteenth year, recollecting all their woes, they
may shower death-dealing weapons, even like virulent poison, upon the
Kauravas! Why doth thy sinful son of wicked heart, ever inflamed with
ire, seek to slay the sons of Pandu for the sake of their kingdom? Let
the fool be restrained; let thy son remain quiet! In attempting to slay
the Pandavas in exile, he will only lose his own life. Thou art as honest
as the wise Vidura, or Bhishma, or ourselves, or Kripa, or Drona, O thou
of great wisdom, dissension with one's own kin are forbidden, sinful and
reprehensible! Therefore, O king, it behoveth thee to desist from such
acts! And, O Bharata, Duryodhana looketh with such jealousy towards the
Pandavas that great harm would be the consequence, if thou didst not
interfere. Or let this wicked son of thine, O monarch, along and
unaccompanied, himself go to the forest and live with the sons of Pandu.
For then, if the Pandavas, from association, feel an attachment for
Duryodhana, then, O king of men, good fortune may be thine. (This,
however, may not be)! For it hath been heard that one's congenital nature
leaveth him not till death. But what do Bhishma and Drona and Vidura
think? What also dost thou think? That which is beneficial should be done
while there is time, else thy purposes will be unrealised.'"

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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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