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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






SECTION XVII

"Vasudeva continued, 'O bull of the Bharata race, having spoken thus unto
the Yadavas, the son of Rukmini (Pradyumna) ascended his golden car. And
the car he rode was drawn by excellent steeds in mail. And over it stood
a standard bearing the figure of a Makara with gaping mouth and fierce as
Yama. And with his steeds, more flying than running on the ground, he
rushed against the foe And the hero equipped with quiver and sword, with
fingers cased in leather, twanged his bow possessed of the splendour of
the lightning, with great strength, and transferring it from hand to
hand, as if in contempt of the enemy, spread confusion among the Danavas
and other warriors of the city of Saubha. And as hot in contempt of the,
foe, and continuously slew the Danavas in battle, no one could mark the
slightest interval between his successive shafts. And the colour of his
face changed not, and his limbs trembled not. And people only heard his
loud leonine roars indicative of wonderful valour. And the aquatic
monster with mouth wide open, that devourer of all fishes, placed on
golden flag-staff of that best of cars, struck terror into the hearts of
Salwa's warriors. And, O king, Pradyumna, the mower of foes rushed with
speed against Salwa himself so desirous of an encounter! And, O
perpetuator of the Kuru race, braved by the heroic Pradyumna in that
mighty battle, the angry Salwa could ill bear the challenge! And that
conqueror of hostile cities, Salwa, maddened by anger, descended from his
beautiful car of unchecked speed, resolved to encounter Pradyumna. And
the people beheld the fight between Salwa and the foremost of Vrishni
heroes, which was even like unto the encounter between Vasava with Vali.
And, O hero, mounting on his beautiful car decked with gold and furnished
with flags and flag-staffs and quivers, the illustrious and mighty Salwa
began to discharge his arrows at Pradyumna! Pradyumna also by the energy
of his arms, overwhelmed Salwa in the combat by a thick shower of arrows.
The king of Saubha, however, thus attacked in battle by Pradyumna,
endured him not, but discharged at my son arrows that were like blazing
fire. But the mighty Pradyumna parried off that arrowy shower. Beholding
this, Salwa rained on my son other weapons of blazing splendour. Then, O
foremost of monarchs, pierced by the shafts of Salwa, the son of Rukmini
discharged without loss of time an arrow that was capable of entering the
vitals of a foe in fight. And that winged shaft shot by my son, piercing
Salwa's mail, entered his heart--whereupon he fell down, in a swoon. And
beholding the heroic king Salwa fallen down deprived of sense, the
foremost of the Danavas fled away rending the ground beneath their feet.
And, O lord of the earth, the army of Salwa sent up exclamations of Oh!
and Alas! seeing their king, the lord of Saubha, drop down bereft of
sense! And O son of the Kuru race, regaining his senses, the mighty Salwa
rose and all of a sudden discharged his arrows on Pradyumna. Then the
heroic and mighty armed Pradyumna, sorely pierced by his adversary about
his throat, was enfeebled on his car. And, O mighty king, wounding the
son of Rukmini, Salwa sent up a shout like unto the roar of a lion, and
filling the entire earth with it! And, O Bharata, when my son became
senseless, Salwa, without losing a moment, again discharged at him other
shafts difficult to bear. And pierced with numberless arrows and deprived
of his senses, Pradyumna, O chief of the Kuru race, became motionless on
the field of battle!'"



SECTION XVIII

"Vasudeva continued, 'O king, afflicted with the arrows of Salwa, when
Pradyumna became senseless the Vrishnis who had come to the fight were
all disheartened and filled with grief! And the combatants of the Vrishni
and Andhaka races burst into exclamations of Oh! and Alas! while great
joy was felt by the enemy and beholding him thus deprived of sense, his
trained charioteer, the son of Daruka, soon carried him off the field by
the help of his steeds. The car had not gone far when that best of
warriors regained his senses, and taking up his bow addressed his
charioteer, saying, 'O son of the Suta tribe, what hast thou done? Why
dost thou go leaving the field of battle? This is not the custom of the
Vrishni heroes in battle! O son of a Suta, hast thou been bewildered at
the sight of a Salwa in that fierce encounter? Or hast thou been
disheartened, beholding the fight? O! tell me truly thy mind!' The
charioteer answered. 'O son of Janardana, I have not been confounded, nor
hath fear taken possession of me. On the other hand, O son of Kesava, the
task, I ween, of vanquishing Salwa is difficult for thee! Therefore, O
hero, I am slowly retiring from the field. This wretch is stronger than
thou art! It behoveth a charioteer to protect the warrior on the car,
however, when he is deprived of his senses! O thou gifted with length of
days, thou shouldst always be protected by me, even as it behoveth thee
to protect me! Thinking that the warrior on the car should always be
protected (by his charioteer), I am carrying thee away! Further, O thou
of mighty arms, thou art alone, while the Danavas are many. Thinking, O
son of Rukmini, that thou art not equal to them in the encounter, I am
going away!'

"Vasudeva continued, 'When the charioteer had spoken thus, he, O
Kauravya, who hath the makara for his mark replied unto him, saying,
'Turn the car! O son of Daruka, never do so again; never, O Suta, turn
thou from the fight, while I am alive! He is no son of the Vrishni race
who forsaketh the field or slayeth the foe fallen at his feet and crying
I am thine! or killeth a woman, a boy, or an old man, or a warrior in
distress, deprived of his car or with his weapons broken! Thou art born
in the race of charioteers and trained to thy craft! And, O son of
Daruka, thou art acquainted with the customs of the Vrishnis in battle!
Versed as thou art with all the customs of the Vrishnis in battle, do
thou, O Suta, never again fly from the field as thou hast done! What will
the irrepressible Madhava, the elder brother of Gada, say to me when he
heareth that I have left the field of battle in bewilderment or that I
have been struck on the back--a run-away from the combat! What will the
elder brother of Kesava, the mighty-armed Baladeva, clad in blue and
inebriate with wine, say, when he returneth? What also, O Suta, will that
lion among men, the grand-son of Sini (Satyaki), that great warrior, say
on hearing that I have forsaken the fight? And, O charioteer, what will
the ever-victorious Shamva, the irrepressible Charudeshna. and Gada, and
Sarana, and Akrura also of mighty arms, say unto me! What also will the
wives of the Vrishni heroes when they meet together, say of me who had
hitherto been considered as brave and well-conducted, respectable and
possessed of manly pride? They will even say This Pradyumna is a coward
who cometh here, leaving the battle! Fie on him! They will never say,
Well done! Ridicule, with exclamation of Fie, is to me or a person like
me O Suta, more than death! Therefore, do thou never again leave the
field of battle! Reposing the charge on me, Hari the slayer of Madhu,
hath gone to the sacrifice of the Bharata lion (Yudhishthira)! Therefore,
I cannot bear to be quiet now! O Suta, when the brave Kritavarman was
sallying out to encounter Salwa, I prevented him, saying I will resist
Salwa. Do thou stay! For honouring me the son of Hridika desisted! Having
left the field of battle, what shall I say unto that mighty warrior when
I meet him? When that irrepressible one of mighty arms--the holder of the
conch, the discus, and the mace--returneth, what shall I say unto him of
eyes like lotus leaves? Satyaki, and Valadeva, and others of the Vrishni
and Andhaka races always boast of me! What shall I say unto them? O Suta,
having left the field of battle and with wounds of arrows on my back
while being carried away by thee, I shall, by no means, be able to live!
Therefore, O son of Daruka, turn that car speedily, and never do so again
even in times of greatest danger! I do not, O Suta, think life worth
much, having fled from the field like a coward, and my back pierced, with
the arrows (of the enemy)! Hast thou ever seen me. O son of Suta, fly in
fear from the field of battle like coward? O son of Daruka, it behoved
thee not to forsake the battle, while my desire of fight was not yet
gratified! Do thou, therefore, go back to the field.'"



SECTION XIX

Vasudeva continued, Thus addressed, the son of Suta race replied in haste
unto Pradyumna, that foremost of all endued with strength, in these sweet
words, 'O son of Rukmini, I fear not to guide the horses on the field of
battle, and I am acquainted also with the customs of the Vrishnis in war!
It is not otherwise in the least! But, O thou blest with length of days,
those that guide the car are taught that the warrior on the car is, by
all means, to be protected by his charioteer! Thou wert also much
afflicted! Thou wert much wounded by the arrows shot by Salwa. Thou wert
also deprived of thy senses, O hero! Therefore is it that I retired from
the field.' But, O chief of the Satwatas, now that thou hast regained thy
senses without much ado, do thou, O son of Kesava, witness my skill in
guiding the horses! I have been begotten by Daruka, and I have been duly
trained! I will now penetrate into the celebrated array of Salwa without
fear!

"Vasudeva continued, 'Saying this, O hero, the charioteer, pulling the
reins, began to lead the horses with speed towards the field of battle.
And, O king, struck with the whip and pulled by the reins those excellent
steeds seemed to be flying in the air, performing various beautiful
motion, now circular, now similar, now dissimilar, now to the right, now
to the left. And, O king, those steeds understanding as it were the
intention of Daruka's son endued with such lightness of hand, burned with
energy, and seemed to go without touching the ground with their feet!
That bull among men wheeled round Salwa's host so easily that they who
witnessed it wondered exceedingly. And the lord of Saubha, unable to bear
that manoeuvre of Pradyumna, instantly sent three shafts at the
charioteer of his antagonist! The charioteer, however, without taking any
note of the force of those arrows, continued to go along the right. Then
the lord of Saubha, O hero, again discharged at my son by Rukmini, a
shower of various kinds of weapons! But that slayer of hostile heroes,
the son of Rukmini, showing with a smile his lightness of hand, cut all
those weapons off as they reached him. Finding his arrows cut by
Pradyumna, the lord of Saubha, having recourse to the dreadful illusion
natural to Asuras began to pour a thick shower of arrows. But cutting
into pieces those powerful Daitya weapons shot at him in mid-career by
means of his Brahma weapon, Pradyumna discharged winged shafts of other
kings. And these delighting in blood, warding off the shafts of Daitya,
pierced his head, bosom and face. And at those wounds Salwa fell down
senseless. And on the mean-minded Salwa falling down, afflicted with
Pradyumna's arrows, the son of Rukmini aimed another arrow at him,
capable of destroying every foe. And beholding that arrow worshipped by
all the Dasarhas, and flaming like fire and fatal as a venomous snake,
fixed on the bow-string, the firmament was filled with exclamations of
Oh! and Alas! Then all the celestials with Indra and the lord of
treasures (Kubera) at their head sent Narada and the god of wind endued
with the speed of the mind. And these two approaching the son of Rukmini
delivered unto him the message of the celestial, saying, O hero, king
Salwa is nor to be slain by thee! Do thou draw back the arrow. He is
unslayable by thee in fight! There breatheth not a person who cannot be
killed by that arrow! O thou of mighty arms, the Creator hath ordained
his death at the hands of Krishna, the son of Devaki! Let this be not
falsified!--Thereupon with a glad heart, Pradyumna withdrew that best of
arrows from his excellent bow and deposited it back in his quiver. And
then, O foremost of kings, the mighty Salwa, afflicted with the arrows of
Pradyumna, rose disheartened, and speedily went away. Then O king, the
wicked Salwa, thus afflicted by the Vrishnis, mounted on his car of
precious metals, and leaving Dwaraka scudded through the skies!'"



SECTION XX

"Vasudeva said, 'When Salwa had left the city of the Anarttas, I returned
to it, O king, on the completion of thy great Rajasuya sacrifice! On my
arrival I found Dwaraka shorn of its splendour, and, O great monarch,
there were not sounds of Vedic recitation or sacrificial offering, And
the excellent damsels were all destitute of ornaments, and the gardens
were devoid of beauty. And alarmed by the aspect, I asked the son of
Hridika saying, 'Why is it that the men and women of the city of the
Vrishnis are so woe-begone, O tiger among men?' O thou best of kings thus
asked the son of Hridika (Kritavarman) relate to me in detail the
invasion of the city by Salwa, and his subsequent departure from it. And,
O thou foremost of Bharatas, hearing all, even then I made up my mind to
slay Salwa. And encouraging the citizens, O best of Bharatas, I
cheerfully addressed king Ahuka, and Anakdundhuvi, and the chief heroes
of the Vrishni race, saying, 'Do ye, O bulls among the Yadavas, stay in
the city, taking every care, and know that I go to slay Salwa! I return
not to the city of Dwaravati without slaying him. I will again come to ye
having compassed the destruction of Salwa together with his car of
precious metals. Do ye strike up the sharp and middle and flat notes of
the Dundhuvi so dreadful to foes!' And O thou bull of the Bharata race,
thus adequately encouraged by me, those heroes cheerfully said unto me,
'Go and slay the enemies!' And thus receiving the benedictions of those
warriors with glad hearts, and causing the Brahmanas to utter auspicious
words and bowing down to the best of the regenerate ones, and to Siva
also, I set out on my car unto which were yoked the horses Saivya, and
Sugriva, filling all sides with the clatter (of my wheels) and blowing
that best of conchs, the Panchajanya! And, O king, O tiger among men,
accompanied by my redoubted and victorious army consisting of the four
kinds of the forces so persevering in battle, I set out. And leaving many
countries, and mountains, crowned with trees, and pieces of water, and
streams, I at last arrived at the country of Matrikavarta. It is there, O
thou tiger among men, that I heard that Salwa was coursing on his car of
precious metals near the ocean, and I followed in his pursuit. And, O
thou slayer of thy foes, having reached the main, Salwa on his car of
costly metals was in the midst of the deep heaving with billows! And on
seeing me from a distance, O Yudhishthira, that one of wicked soul
himself challenged me repeatedly to the fight. And many arrows capable of
piercing to the quick, discharged from my bow reached not his car. And at
this I was wroth! And, O king, that essentially sinful wretch of a
Daitya's son of irrepressible energy, on his part began to shoot thousand
upon thousands of arrows in torrents! And, O Bharata, he rained shafts
upon my soldiers and upon my charioteer and upon my steeds! But without
thinking of the shafts, we continued the conflict. Then the warriors
following Salwa poured on me straight arrows by thousands. And the Asuras
covered my horses and my car and Daruka with arrows capable of piercing
the very vitals. And, O hero, I could not at that time see either my
horses, or my car, or my charioteer Daruka! And I with my army was
covered with weapons. And, O son of Kunti, superhumanly skilled in
weapons, I also let fly from my bow arrows by tens of thousands,
inspiring them with mantras! But as that car of costly metals was in the
sky, full two miles off, it could not, O Bharata, be seen by my troops.
They could therefore only remaining on the field of battle look on like
spectators in a place of amusement, cheering me on by shouts loud as the
roar of the lion, and also by the sound of their clapping. And the tinted
arrows shot by the fore-part of hand penetrated into the bodies of the
Danavas like biting insects. And then arose cries in the car of precious
metals from those that were dying of wounds by those sharp arrows and
falling into the waters of the mighty ocean. And the Danavas deprived of
their arms, necks, and wearing the form of Kavandhas,--fell, sending up
tremendous roars. And as they fell they were devoured by animals living
in the waters of the ocean. And then I powerfully blew the Panchajanya
obtained from the waters and graceful as the lotus-stalk and white as
milk or the Kunda flower or the moon or silver. And seeing his soldiers
fall, Salwa the possessor of the car of precious metals, began to fight
with the help of illusion. And then he began to ceaselessly hurl at me
maces, and ploughshares, and winged darts and lances, and javelins, and
battle-axes, and swords and arrows blazing like javelins and
thunderbolts, and nooses, and broad swords, and bullets from barrels, and
shafts, and axes, and rockets. And permitting them to come towards me, I
soon destroyed them all by counter-illusion. And on this illusion being
rendered ineffectual, he began the contest with mountain peaks. And, O
Bharata, then there was darkness and light alternately, and the day was
now fair, and now gloomy, and now hot, and now cold. And there was a
perfect shower of coals, and ashes, and weapons. And creating such
illusion the enemy fought with me. And ascertaining it I destroyed his
illusion by counter-illusion. And in the due time I showered arrows all
round. And then, O mighty king, the dome of heaven blazed as with a
hundred suns, and, O son of Kunti with one hundred moons, and thousands
and ten thousands of stars! And then none could ascertain whether it was
day or night, or distinguish the points of the horizon. And, becoming
bewildered, I fixed on my bowstring the weapon called Pragnastra. And, O
son of Kunti, the weapon went like unto flakes of pure cotton blown away
by the winds! And a great fight took place, calculated to make the down
on one's body stand on end. And O best of monarchs, having regained,
light, I again fought with the enemy!'"



SECTION XXI

"Vasudeva said, 'O thou tiger among men, my great enemy king Salwa, thus
encountered by me in battle, again ascended the sky. And O mighty
monarch, inspired with the desire of victory, that wicked one hurled at
me Sataghnis, and mighty maces, and flaming lances, and stout clubs, and
as the weapons came along the sky, I speedily resisted them with my swift
arrows, and cut them in two or three pieces before they came at me. And
there was a great noise in the welkins. And Salwa covered Daruka, and my
steeds, and my car also with hundreds of straight shafts. Then, O hero,
Daruka, evidently about to faint, said unto me, 'Afflicted with the
shafts of Salwa I stay in the field, because it is my duty to do so. But
I am incapable of doing so (any longer). My body hath become weak!'
Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer, I looked at him, and found
the driver wounded with arrows. Nor was there a spot on his breasts or
the crown of his head, or body or his arms which was not, O thou foremost
of sons of Pandu, covered with shafts! And blood flowed profusely from
his wounds inflicted by arrows, and he looked like unto a mountain of red
chalk after a heavy shower. And, O thou of mighty arms, seeing the
charioteer with the reins in his hands thus pierced and enfeebled by the
shafts of Salwa in the field of battle, I cheered him up!

"'And, O Bharata, about this time, a certain person, having his home in
Dwaraka quickly coming to my car, addressed me like a friend, delivering
to me, O hero, a message from Ahuka! He seemed to be one of Ahuka's
followers. And sadly and in a voice choked in sorrow, know, O
Yudhishthira, he said words'--O warrior, Ahuka, the lord of Dwaraka, hath
said these words unto thee! O Kesava, hear what thy father's friend
sayeth: O son of the Vrishni race, O thou irrepressible one, in thy
absence today Salwa, coming to Dwaraka, hath by main force killed
Vasudeva! Therefore, no need of battle any more. Cease, O Janardana! Do
thou defend Dwaraka! This is thy principal duty!--Hearing these words of
his, my heart became heavy, and I could not ascertain what I should do
and what I should not. And, O hero, hearing of that great misfortune, I
mentally censured Satyaki, and Baladeva, and also that mighty pradyumna.
Having reposed on them the duty of protecting Dwaraka and Vasudeva, I had
gone, O son of the Kuru race, to effect the destruction of Salwa's city.
And in a sorrowful heart, I asked myself,--Doth that destroyer of foes,
the mighty-armed Baladeva, live, and Satyaki, and the son of Rukmini and
Charudeshna possessed of prowess, and Shamva and others? For, O thou
tiger among men, these living, even the bearer himself of the thunderbolt
could by no means destroy Suta's son (Vasudeva)! And thought, I, It is
plain that Vasudeva is dead and equally plain that the others with
Baladeva at their head have been deprived of life--This was my certain
conclusion. And, O mighty king, thinking of the destruction of those all,
I was overwhelmed with grief! And it was in this state of mind that I
encountered Salwa afresh. And now I saw, O great monarch, Vasudeva
himself falling from the car of precious metals! And, O warrior I swooned
away, and, O king of men, my sire seemed like unto Yayati after the loss
of his merit, falling towards the earth from heaven! And like unto a
luminary whose merit hath been lost saw my father falling, his head-gear
foul and flowing loosely, and his hair and dress disordered. And then the
bow Sharanga dropped from my hand, and, O son of Kunti I swooned away! I
sat down on the side of the car. And, O thou descendant of the Bharata
race, seeing me deprived of consciousness on the car, and as if dead, my
entire host exclaimed Oh! and Alas! And my prone father with
out-stretched arms and lower limbs, appeared like a dropping bird. And
him thus falling, O thou of mighty arms, O hero, the hostile warriors
bearing in their hands lances and axes struck grievously! And (beholding
this) my heart trembled! and soon regaining my consciousness, O warrior,
I could not see in that mighty contest either the car of costly metals,
or the enemy Salwa, or my old father! Then I concluded in my mind that it
was certainly illusion. And recovering my senses, I again began to
discharge arrows by hundreds."



SECTION XXII

"Vasudeva continued, 'Then O thou foremost of the Bharata race, taking up
my beautiful bow, I began to cut off with my arrows the heads of the
enemies of the celestials, from off that car of costly metals! And I
began to discharge from the Sharanga many well-looking arrows of the
forms of snakes, capable of going at a great height and possessing
intense energy. And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, I could not then see
the car of costly metals, for it had vanished, through illusion! I was
then filled with wonder! That host of Danvas then, O Bharata, of
frightful visages and hair, set up a loud howl while I was waiting for
it. In that fierce battle. I then, with the object of destroying them,
fixed on my bow-string the weapon capable of piercing the foes if but his
sound was inaudible. Upon this, their shouts ceased. But those Danavas
that had sent up that shout were all slain by those shafts of mine
blazing as the Sun himself, and capable of striking at the perception of
sound alone. And after the shout had ceased at one place, O mighty king,
another yell proceeded from another quarter. Thitherto also I sent my
shafts. In this way, O Bharata, the Asuras began to send up yells in all
the ten quarters above and across. These were all slain by me, viz.,
those that were in the skies and that were invisible, with arrows of
diverse forms, and celestial weapons inspired with mantras. Then, O hero,
that car of precious metals capable of going anywhere at will,
bewildering my eyes, reappeared at Pragjyotisha! And then the destroying
Danavas of fierce forms suddenly drowned me with a mighty shower of
rocks. And, O thou foremost of monarchs, torrents of rocks falling upon
me covered me up, and I began to grow like an ant-hill (with its summits
and peaks)! And covered along with my horses and charioteer and
flagstaffs, with crags on all sides, I disappeared from sight altogether.
Then those foremost of heroes of the Vrishni race who were of my army
were, struck with panic, and all on a sudden began to fly in all
directions. And beholding me in that plight, O king, the heaven, the
firmament, and the earth were filled with exclamation of Oh! and Alas!
And then, O monarch, my friends filled with sorrow and grief began to
weep and wail with heavy hearts! And delight filled the hearts of the
enemies. And O thou who never waverest, I heard of this after I had
defeated the foe! And then wielding the thunderbolt, that favourite
(weapon) of Indra, capable of riving stones, I destroyed that entire mass
of crags! But my steeds, afflicted with the weight of the stones and
almost on the point of death began to tremble. And beholding me, all my
friends rejoiced again even as men rejoice on seeing the sun rise in the
sky, dispersing the clouds. And seeing my horses almost in their last
gasp for breath, afflicted with that load of stones, my charioteer said
unto me in words suitable to the occasion, 'O thou of the Vrishni race,
behold Salwa the owner of the car of precious metals sitting (yonder). Do
not disregard him! Do thou exert thyself! Do thou abandon thy mildness
and consideration for Salwa. Slay Salwa, O thou of mighty arms! O Kesava,
do not let him live! O hero, O thou destroyer of those that are not thy
friends (enemies), an enemy should be slain with every exertion! Even a
weak enemy who is under the feet of a man endued with strength, should
not be disregarded by the latter: that (shall I say) of one that dareth
us to the fight? Therefore, O thou tiger among men, putting forth every
exertion, slay him, O lord, O thou foremost of the Vrishni race! Do thou
not delay again! This one is not capable of being vanquished by milder
measures. And he cannot in my opinion be thy friend who is fighting thee
and who devastated Dwaraka!' O Kaunteya, hearing such words of my
charioteer, and knowing that what he said was true, I directed my
attention to the fight (afresh), with the view of slaying Salwa and
destroying the car of costly metals! And, O hero, saying unto Daruka,
'Stay a moment' I fixed on my bow-string my favourite weapon of fire,
blazing and of celestial origin, of irresistible force, and incapable of
being baffled, bursting with energy, capable of penetrating into
everything, and of great splendour! And saying, 'Destroy the car of
precious metals together with all those enemies that are in it.' I
launched with the might of my arms and in wrath with mantras, the great
powerful discus Sudarsana which reduceth to ashes in battle Yakshas and
Rakshasas and Danavas and kings born in impure tribes, sharp-edged like
the razor, and without stain, like unto Yama the destroyer, and
incomparable, and which killeth enemies. And rising into the sky, it
seemed like a second sun of exceeding effulgence at the end of the Yuga.
And approaching the town of Saubha whose splendour had disappeared, the
discus went right through it, even as a saw divideth a tall tree. And cut
in twain by the energy of the Sudarsana it fell like the city of Tripura
shaken by the shafts of Maheswara. And after the town of Saubha had
fallen, the discus came back into my hands, And taking it up I once more
hurled it with force saying, 'Go thou unto Salwa.' The discus then cleft
Salwa in twain who in that fierce conflict was at the point of hurling a
heavy mace. And with its energy it set the foe ablaze. And after that
brave warrior was slain, the disheartened Danava women fled in all
directions, exclaiming Oh! and Alas! And taking my chariot in front of
the town of Saubha I cheerfully blew my conch and gladdened the hearts of
my friends. And beholding their town, high as the peak of the Meru, with
its palaces and gate-ways utterly destroyed, and all ablaze, the Danavas
fled in fear. And having thus destroyed the town of Saubha and slain
Salwa, I returned to the Anarttas and delighted my friends. And, O king,
it is for this reason that I could not come to the city named after the
elephant (Hastinapura), O destroyer of hostile heroes! O warrior, if I
had come, Suyodhana would not have been alive or the match at dice would
not have taken place. What can I do now? It is difficult to confine the
waters after the dam is broken!'"

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Theatre review: Three Women, Jermyn Street, London
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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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