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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2




"Vaisampayana continued, 'When Arjuna said these words, Vrikodara was
filled with delight. And that son of Pandu continually quivered with
rage; and while still quivering with rage and the delight that filled his
heart upon hearing Dhananjaya's words, he set forth a terrible shout. And
hearing that shout of his, all the bowmen trembled in fear and steeds and
elephants were seen to pass urine and excreta. And having addressed
Kesava then and informed him of his resolution. Arjuna with Janardana's
permission, came back, having first embraced him. And after all the kings
had desisted following him, Janardana set out with a cheerful heart on
his car drawn by Saivya, Sugriva, and others. And those steeds of
Vasudeva, urged by Daruka, coursed onwards, devouring the sky and
drinking the road. And on his way Kesava of mighty arms met with some
Rishis blazing with Brahmic lustre, standing on both sides of the road,
And soon alighting from his car, Janardana saluted them reverently. And
worshipping them duly, he enquired of them, saying, 'Is there peace in
all the world? Is virtue being duly practised? And the other three orders
obedient to the Brahmanas? And having duly worshipped them, the slayer of
Madhu again said, 'Where have ye been crowned with success? Whither would
ye go, and for what object? What also shall I do for yourselves? What has
brought your illustrious selves down on the earth?' Thus addressed,
Jamadagni's son, the friend of Brahma--that lord of both gods and
Asuras,--approached Govinda the slayer of Madhu, embraced him, and said,
'The celestial Rishis of pious deeds, and Brahmanas of extensive
acquaintance with the scriptures, and royal sages, O Dasarha, and
venerable ascetic,--these witnesses, O illustrious one, of the former
feats of gods and Asuras,--are desirous of beholding all the Kshatriyas
of the earth assembled from every side as also the counsellors sitting in
the assembly, the kings, and thyself the embodiment of truth, O
Janardana. O Kesava, we will go thither for beholding that grand sight.
We are also anxious, O Madhava, to listen to those words fraught with
virtue and profit, which will be spoken by thee, O chastiser of foes,
unto the Kurus in the presence of all the kings. Indeed, Bhishma, and
Drona, and others, as also the illustrious Vidura and thyself, O tiger
among the Yadavas,--Ye all will be assembled together in conclave! We
desire, O Madhava, to hear the excellent, truthful, and beneficial words
that thou wilt utter and they also, O Govinda. Thou art now informed of
our purpose, O thou of mighty arms. We will meet thee again. Go thither
safely, O hero. We hope to see thee in the midst of the conclave, seated
on an excellent seat mustering all thy energy and might.'"



SECTION LXXXIV

"Vaisampayana said, 'O smiter of foes, when Devaki's son of mighty arms
set out (for Hastinapura), ten mighty car-warriors, capable of slaying
hostile heroes, fully armed, followed in his train. And a thousand
foot-soldiers, and a thousand horsemen, and attendants by hundreds, also
formed his train, carrying, O king, provisions in abundance.'

"Janamejaya said, 'How did the illustrious slayer of Madhu, of Dasarha's
race, proceed on his journey? And what omens were seen when that hero set
out?'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Listen to me as I narrate all those natural and
unnatural omens that were noticed at the time when the illustrious
Krishna departed (for Hastinapura). Though there were no clouds in the
sky, yet the roll of thunder accompanied by flashes of lightning was
heard. And fleecy clouds in a clear sky rained incessantly in the rear!
The seven large rivers including the Sindhu (Indus) though flowing
eastwards then flowed in opposite directions. The very directions seemed
to be reversed and nothing could be distinguished. Fires blazed up
everywhere, O monarch, and the earth trembled repeatedly. The contents of
wells and water-vessels by hundreds swelled up and ran out. The whole
universe was enveloped in darkness. The atmosphere being filled with
dust, neither the cardinal nor the subsidiary points of the horizon
could, O king, be distinguished. Loud roars were heard in the sky without
any being being visible from whom these could emanate. This wonderful
phenomenon, O king, was noticed all over the country. A south-westerly
wind, with the harsh rattle of the thunder, uprooting trees by the
thousands, crushed the city of Hastinapura. In those places, however, O
Bharata, through which he of Vrishni's race passed, delicious breezes
blew and everything became auspicious. Showers of lotuses and fragrant
flowers fell there. The very road became delightful, being free from
prickly grass and thorns. At those places where he stayed, Brahmanas by
thousands glorified that giver of wealth with (laudation) and worshipped
him with dishes of curds, ghee, honey, and presents of wealth. The very
women, coming out on the road, strewed wild flowers of great fragrance on
the person of that illustrious hero, devoted to the welfare of all
creatures. He then came upon a delightful spot called Salibhavana which
was filled with every kind of crops, a spot that was delicious and
sacred, after having, O bull of the Bharata race, seen various villages
abounding in bees, and picturesque to the eye, and delightful to the
heart, and after having passed through diverse cities and kingdoms.
Always cheerful and of good hearts, well-protected by the Bharatas and
therefore free from all anxieties on account of the designs of invaders,
and unacquainted with calamities of any kind, many of the citizens of
Upaplavya, coming out of their town, stood together on the way, desirous
of beholding Krishna. And beholding that illustrious one resembling a
blazing fire arrived at the spot, they worshipped him who deserved their
worship with all the honours of a guest arrived in their abode. When at
last that slayer of hostile heroes, Kesava, came to Vrikasthala, the sun
seemed to redden the sky by his straggling rays of light. Alighting from
his car, he duly went through the usual purificatory rites, and ordering
the steeds to be unharnessed, he set himself to say his evening prayers.
And Daruka also, setting the steeds free, tended them according to the
rules of equine science, and taking off the yokes and traces, let them
loose. After this was done, the slayer of Madhu said, 'Here must we pass
the night for the sake of Yudhishthira's mission. Ascertaining that to be
his intention, the attendants soon set a temporary abode and prepared in
a trice excellent food and drink. Amongst the Brahmanas, O king, that
resided in the village, they that were of noble and high descent, modest,
and obedient to the injunctions of the Vedas in their conduct, approached
that illustrious chastiser of foes, Hrishikesa, and honoured him with
their benedictions and auspicious speeches. And having honoured him of
Dasarha's race that deserveth honour from every one, they placed at the
disposal of that illustrious person their houses, abounding in wealth.
Saying unto them--'Enough'--the illustrious Krishna paid them proper
homage, each according to his rank, and wending with them to their house,
he returned in their company to his own (tent). And feeding all the
Brahmanas with sweet-meats and himself taking his meals with them, Kesava
passed the night happily there.'"



SECTION LXXXV

"Vaisampayana said, 'Meanwhile, understanding from his spies that the
slayer of Madhu had set out, Dhritarashtra, with his hair standing erect,
respectfully addressing the mighty-armed Bhishma and Dorna and Sanjaya
and the illustrious Vidura, said these words unto Duryodhana and his
counsellors, 'O scion of Kuru's race, strange and wonderful is the news
that we hear. Men, women and children, are talking of it. Others are
speaking of it respectfully, and others again assembled together. Within
houses where men congregate and in open spots, people and discussing it.
All say that Dasarha of great prowess will come hither for the sake of
Pandavas. The slayer of Madhu is, by all means, deserving of honour and
worship at our hands. He is the Lord of all creatures, and on him resteth
the course of every thing in the universe. Indeed, intelligence and
prowess and wisdom and energy, all reside in Madhava. Worthy of honour at
the hands of all righteous persons he is the foremost of all men, and is,
indeed, eternal Virtue. If worshipped he is sure to bestow happiness; and
if not worshipped fie is sure to inflict misery. If that smiter of foes,
Dasarha be gratified with our offerings, all our wishes may be obtained
by us, through his grace, in the midst of the kings. O chastiser of foes,
make without loss of time every arrangement for his reception. Let
pavilions be set up on the road, furnished with every object of
enjoyment. O mighty-armed son of Gandhari, make such arrangements that he
may be gratified with thee. What doth Bhishma think in this matter?' At
this, Bhishma and others, all applauding those words of king
Dhritarashtra, said,--'Excellent.' King Duryodhana then, understanding
their wishes, ordered delightful sites to be chosen for the erection of
pavilions. Many pavilions were thereupon constructed abounding with gems
of every kind, at proper intervals and at delightful spots. And the king
sent thither handsome seats endued with excellent qualities, beautiful
girls, and scents and ornaments, and fine robes, and excellent viands,
and drink of diverse qualities, and fragrant garlands of many kinds. And
the king of the Kurus took especial care to erect, for the reception of
Krishna, a highly beautiful pavilion at Vrikasthala, full of precious
gems. And having made all these arrangements that were god-like and much
above the capacity of human beings, king Duryodhana informed
Dhritarashtra of the same. Kesava, however, of Dasarha's race, arrived at
the capital of the Kurus, without casting a single glance at all those
pavilions and all those gems of diverse kinds.'"



SECTION LXXXVI

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Vidura, Janardana hath set out from Upaplavya. He
is now staying at Vrikasthala and will come here tomorrow. Janardana is
the leader of the Ahukas, the foremost person amongst all the members of
the Sattwata race, is high-souled, and endued with great energy and great
might. Indeed, Madhava is the guardian and protector of the Prosperous
kingdom of Vrishnis and is the illustrious Great-Grandsire of even the
three worlds. The Vrishnis adore the wisdom of the intelligent Krishna,
even as the Adityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras adore the wisdom of
Vrihaspati. O virtuous one, I will in thy presence, offer worship unto
that illustrious scion of Dasarha's race. Listen to me about that
worship. I will give him sixteen cars made of gold, each drawn by four
excellent and well-adorned steeds of uniform colour and of the Vahlika
breed. O Kaurava, I will give him eight elephants with temporal juice
always trickling down and tusks as large as poles of ploughs, capable of
smiting hostile ranks, and each having eight human attendants. I will
give him a century of handsome maid-servants of the complexion of gold,
all virgins, and man-servants I will give him as, many. I will give him
eighteen thousand woolen blankets soft to the touch, all presented to us
by the hill-men. I will also give him a thousand deer-skins brought from
China and other things of the kind that may be worthy of Kesava. I will
also give him this serene gem of the purest rays that shines day and
night, for Kesava alone deserves it. This car of mine drawn by mules that
makes a round of full fourteen Yojanas a day, I will also give him. I
will place before him every-day-provisions eight times greater than what
is necessary for the animals and attendants that form his train. Mounted
on their cars, having their person well-adorned, all my sons and
grandsons, save Duryodhana, will go out to receive him. And thousands of
graceful and well-decked dancing girls will go out on foot to receive the
illustrious Kesava. And the beautiful girls that will go out of the town
for receiving Janardana will go out unveiled. Let all the citizens with
their wives and children behold the illustrious slayer of Madhu wit h as
much respect and devotion as they show when casting their eyes on the
morning sun. Let the canopy all round, at my command, be crowded with
pendants and banners, and let the road, by which Kesava will come, be
well-watered and its dusts removed. Let Dussasana's abode, which is
better than Duryodhana's, be cleansed and well-adorned without delay.
That mansion consisting of many beautiful buildings, is pleasant and
delightful, and abounds with the wealth of all seasons. It is in that
abode that all my wealth, as also Duryodhana's, are deposited. Let all
that scion of the Vrishni race deserves be given unto him.'"



SECTION LXXXVII

"Vidura said, 'O monarch, O best of men, thou art respected by three
worlds. Thou, O Bharata, art loved and regarded by every body. Venerable
in year as thou art, what thou wilt say at this age cap never be against
the dictates of the scriptures or the conclusions of well-directed
reason, for thy mind is ever calm. Thy subjects, O king, are well-assured
that, like characters on stone, light in the sun, and billows in the
ocean, virtue resideth in thee permanently. O monarch, every one is
honoured and made happy in consequence of thy numerous virtues. Strive,
therefore, with thy friends and kinsmen to retain those virtues of thine.
Oh, adopt sincerity of behaviour. Do not from folly, cause a wholesale
destruction of thy sons, grandsons, friends, kinsmen, and all that are
dear to thee. It is much, O king, that thou wishes to give unto Kesava as
thy guest. Know, however, that Kesava deserves all this and much more,
aye, the whole earth itself. I truly swear by my own soul that thou dost
not wish to give all this unto Krishna either from motives of virtue or
for the object of doing what is agreeable to him. O giver of great
wealth, all this betrays only deception, falsehood, and insincerity. By
the external acts, O king, I know thy secret purpose. The five Pandavas,
O king, desire only five villages. Thou, however, dost not wish to give
them even that. Thou art, therefore, unwilling to make peace. Thou
seekest to make the mighty-armed hero of Vrishni's race thy own by means
of thy wealth; in foot, by this means, thou seekest to separate Kesava
from the Pandavas. I tell thee, however, that thou art unable, by wealth,
or attention, or worship, to separate Krishna from Dhananjaya. I know
magnanimity of Krishna; I know firm devotion of Arjuna towards him, I
know that Dhananjaya, who is Kesava's life, is incapable of being given
up by the latter. Save only a vessel of water, save only the washing of
his feet, save only the (usual) enquiries after the welfare (of those he
will see), Janardana will not accept any other hospitality or set his
eyes on any other thing. Offer him, however, O king, that hospitality
which is the most agreeable to that illustrious one deserving of every
respect, for there is no respect that may not be offered to Janardana.
Give unto Kesava, O king, that object in expectation of which, from
desire of benefiting both parties, he cometh to the Kurus. Kesava desires
peace to be established between thee and Duryodhana on one side and the
Pandavas on the other. Follow his counsels, O, monarch. Thou art their
father, O king, and the Pandavas are thy sons. Thou art old, and they are
children to thee in years, behave as father towards them, that are
disposed to pay thee filial regard."



SECTION LXXXVIII

"Duryodhana said, 'All that Vidura hath said about Krishna, hath indeed,
been truly said; for Janardana is greatly devoted to the Pandavas and can
never be separated from them. All the diverse kinds of wealth, O foremost
of kings, that are proposed to be bestowed upon Janardana ought never to
be bestowed upon him. Kesava is, of course, not unworthy of our worship,
but both time and place are against it, for he (Krishna), O king, on
receiving our worship, will very likely think that we are worshipping him
out of fear. This is my certain conviction, O king, that an intelligent
Kshatriya must not do that which may bring disgrace upon him. It is
well-known to me that the large-eyed Krishna deserveth the most
reverential worship of the three worlds. It is quite out of place,
therefore, O illustrious king, to give him anything now, for war having
been decided upon, it should never be put off by hospitality.'

"Vaisampayana. continued, 'Hearing these words of his, the Grandsire of
the Kurus spoke these words unto the royal son of Vichitravirya,
'Worshipped or not worshipped, Janardana never becometh angry. None,
however, can treat him with disrespect, for Kesava is not contemptible.
Whatever, O mighty one, he purposeth to do is incapable of being
frustrated by anybody by every means in his power. Do without hesitation
what Krishna of mighty arms sayeth and bring about peace with the
Pandavas through Vasudeva as the means. Truly Janardana, possessed of
virtuous soul, will say what is consistent with religion and profit. It
behoveth thee, therefore, with all thy friends, to tell him what only is
agreeable to him.'

"Duryodhana said, 'O Grandsire, I can, by no means, live by sharing this
swelling prosperity of mine with the Pandavas. Listen, this, indeed, is a
great resolution which I have formed. I will imprison Janardana who is
the refuge of the Pandavas. He will come here tomorrow morning; and when
he is confined, the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, aye, the whole earth, will
submit to me. What may be the means for accomplishing it, so that
Janardana may not guess our purpose, and so that no danger also may
overtake us, it behoveth thee to say.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these fearful words of his son about
imprisoning Krishna, Dhritarashtra, with all his counsellors, was very
much pained and became deeply afflicted. King Dhritarashtra then spoke
those words unto Duryodhana, 'O ruler of men, never say this again, this
is not immemorial custom. Hrishikesa cometh here as an ambassador. He is,
besides, related to and is dear to us. He hath done us no wrong; how then
doth he deserves imprisonment?'

"Bhishma said, 'This wicked son of thine, O Dhritarashtra, hath his hour
come. He chooseth evil, not good, though entreated by his well-' wishers.
Thou also followest in the wake of this wicked wretch of sinful
surroundings, who treadeth a thorny path setting at naught the words of
his well-wisher. This exceedingly wicked son of thine with all his
counsellors coming in contact with Krishna of unstained acts, will be
destroyed in a moment. I dare not listen to the words of this sinful and
wicked wretch that hath abandoned all virtue.'

'Having said this, that aged chief of the Bharata race, Bhishma of
unbaffled prowess, inflamed with rage rose and left that place.'"



SECTION LXXXIX

"Vaisampayana said, 'Rising up (from his bed) at day-dawn, Krishna went
through his morning rites, and taking leave of the Bharatas, set out for
the city (of the Kurus). Ana all the inhabitants of Vrikasthala, bidding
farewell unto that mighty one of long arms while he was about to depart,
all returned to their homes. And all the Dhartarashtras except
Duryodhana, attired in excellent robes, and with Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,
and others, went out to meet him. And the citizens by thousands, O king,
on cars of diverse kinds, and many on foot, also came out, desirous of
beholding Hrishikesa. And meeting on the way Bhishma of spotless deed,
and Drona, and Dhritarashtra's sons, he entered the city, surrounded by
them all. And in honour of Krishna, the city was beautifully adorned, and
the principal streets were decorated with diverse jewels and gems. And, O
king, O bull of the Bharata race, on that occasion no one,--man, woman,
or child,--remained in doors, so eager were the citizens for beholding
Vasudeva. And all the citizens came out and lined the streets and bent
their heads down to the ground singing eulogies in his honour, O king,
when Hrishikesa entered the city and passed through it. And substantial
mansions, filled with high-born ladies, seemed to be on the point of
falling down on the ground in consequence of their living weight. And
although Vasudeva's steeds were endued with great speed, yet they moved
very slowly through that dense mass of human beings. And that lotus-eyed
grinder of foes then entered Dhritarashtra's ash-coloured palace which
was enriched with numerous buildings. And having passed through the first
three chambers of the palace, that chastiser of foes, Kesava, came upon
the royal son of Vichitravirya. And upon that son of Dasarha's race
approaching his presence, the blind monarch of great fame stood up along
with Drona and Bhishma, Kripa and Somadatta, and king Vahlika also,--all
stood up for honouring Janardana. And the Vrishni hero, having approached
king Dhritarashtra of great fame, worshipped him and Bhishma with proper
words and without losing any time. And having offered that worship unto
them according to established usage, Madhava the slayer of Madhu, greeted
the other kings according to their seniority in years. And Janardana then
accosted the illustrious Drona and his son, and Vahlika, and Kripa, and
Somadatta. And there in that chamber Jay a spacious seat of beautiful
workmanship, made of gold and set with jewels. And at Dhritarashtra's
request, Achyuta took that seat; and the priests of Dhritarashtra duly
offered Janardana a cow, honey and curds and water. And after the rites
of hospitality were over, Govinda remained there for a while, surrounded
by the Kurus, laughing and jesting with them according to their
relationship with him. And that illustrious grinder of foes, honoured and
worshipped by Dhritarashtra, came out with the king's permission. And
Madhava having duly greeted all the Kurus in their assembly, then went to
the delightful abode of Vidura; and Vidura, having approached Janardana
of Dasarha's race thus arrived at his abode, worshipped him with every
auspicious and desirable offering. And he said, 'What use, O lotus-eyed
one, in telling thee of the joy I feel at this advent of thine, for thou
art the inner Soul of all embodied creatures.' And after the hospitable
reception was over, Vidura, conversant with all the principles of
morality, enquired of Govinda, the slayer of Madhu, about the welfare of
Pandavas. And that scion of Dasarha's race, that chief of the Vrishnis,
unto whom the past and the future were as the present, knowing that
Vidura was loved by the Pandavas and friendly towards them, and learned,
and firm in morality, and honest, and harbouring no wrath (against the
Pandavas), and wise, began to tell him everything in detail about the
doings of the sons of Pandu.'"



SECTION XC

"Vaisampayana said, 'Janardana, the chastiser of foes, after his meeting
with Vidura, went then in the afternoon to his paternal aunt, Pritha. And
beholding Krishna whose countenance beamed with the effulgence of the
radiant sun arrived at her abode, she encircled his neck with her arms
and began to pour forth her lamentations remembering her sons. And at the
sight, after a long time, of Govinda of Vrishni's race, the companion of
those mighty children of hers, the tears of Pritha flowed fast. And after
Krishna, that foremost of warriors, had taken his seat having first
received the rites of hospitality, Pritha, with a woe-begone face and
voice choked with tears addressed him, saying. They, who, from their
earliest years have always waited with reverence on their superiors;
they, who, in friendship are attached to one another; they, who, deprived
deceitfully of their kingdom had gone to seclusion, however worthy of
living in the midst of friends and attendants,--they, who have subjugated
both wrath and joy, are devoted to Brahman's, and truthful in
speech,--those children of mine, who, abandoning kingdom and enjoyments
and leaving my miserable self behind, had gone to the woods, plucking the
very roots of my heart,--those illustrious sons of Pandu, O Kesava, who
have suffered woe however undeserving of it,--how, alas, did they live in
the deep forest abounding with lions and tigers and elephants? Deprived
in their infancy of their father, they were all tenderly brought up by
me. How, also, did they live in the mighty forest, without seeing both
their parents? From their infancy, O Kesava, the Pandavas were aroused
from their beds by the music of conchs and drums and flutes. That they
who while at home, used to sleep in high palatial chambers on soft
blankets and skins of the Runku deer and were waked up in the morning by
the grunt of elephants, the neighing of steeds, the clatter of car-wheels
and the music of conchs and cymbals in accompaniment with the notes of
flutes and lyres,--who, adored at early dawn with sacred sounding hymns
uttered by Brahmanas, worshipped those amongst them that deserved such
worship with robes and jewels and ornaments, and who were blessed with
the auspicious benedictions of those illustrious members of the
regenerate order, as a return for the homage the latter received,--that
they, O Janardana, could sleep in the deep woods resounding with the
shrill and dissonant cries of beasts of prey can hardly be believed,
undeserving as they were of so much woe. How could they, O slayer of
Madhu, who were roused from their beds by music of cymbals and drums and
conchs and flutes, with the honeyed strains of songstresses and the
eulogies chanted by bards and professional reciters,--alas, how could
they be waked in the deep woods by the yells of wild beasts? He that is
endued with modesty, is firm in truth, with senses under control and
compassions for all creatures,--he that hath vanquished both lust and
malice and always treadeth the path of the righteous, he that ably bore
the heavy burthen borne by Amvarisha and Mandhatri Yayati and Nahusha and
Bharata and Dilip and Sivi the son of Usinara and other royal sages of
old, he that is endued with an excellent character and disposition, he
that is conversant with virtue, and whose prowess is incapable of being
baffled, he that is fit to become the monarch of the three worlds in
consequence of his possession of every accomplishment, he that is the
foremost of all the Kurus lawfully and in respect of learning and
disposition, who is handsome and mighty-armed and hath no enemy,--Oh, how
is that Yudhishthira of virtuous soul, and of complexion like that of
pure gold? He that hath the strength of ten thousand elephants and the
speed of the wind, he that is mighty and ever wrathful amongst the sons
of Pandu, he that always doth good to his brothers and is, therefore,
dear to them all, he, O slayer of Madhu, that slew Kichaka with all his
relatives, he that is the slayer of the Krodhavasas, of Hidimva, and of
Vaka, he that in prowess is equal unto Sakra, and in might unto the
Wind-god, he that is terrible, and in wrath is equal unto Madhava
himself, he that is the foremost of all smiters,--that wrathful son of
Pandu and chastiser of foes, who, restraining his rage, might,
impatience, and controlling his soul, is obedient to the commands of his
elder brother,--speak to me, O Janardana, tell me how is that smiter of
immeasurable valour, that Bhimasena, who in aspect also justifies his
name--that Vrikodara possessing arms like maces, that mighty second son
of Pandu? O Krishna, that Arjuna of two arms who always regardeth himself
as superior to his namesake of old with thousand arms, and who at one
stretch shooteth five hundred arrows, that son of Pandu who in the use of
weapons is equal unto king Kartavirya, in energy unto Aditya, in
restraint of senses unto a great sage, in forgiveness unto the Earth, and
in prowess unto Indra himself,--he, by whose prowess, O slayer of Madhu,
the Kurus amongst all the kings of the earth have obtained this extensive
empire, blazing with effulgence,--he, whose strength of arms is always
adored by the Pandavas,--that son of Pandu, who is the foremost of all
car-warriors and whose prowess is incapable of being frustrated,--he,
from an encounter with whom in battle no foe ever escapeth with
life,--he, O Achyuta, who is the conqueror of all, but who is incapable
of being conquered by any,--he, who is the refuge of the Pandavas like
Vasava of the celestials,--how, O Kesava, is that Dhananjaya now, that
brother and friend of thine? He that is compassionate to all creatures,
is endued with modesty and acquainted with mighty weapons, is soft and
delicate and virtuous,--he that is dear to me,--that mighty bowman
Sahadeva, that hero and ornament of assemblies,--he, O Krishna, who is
youthful in years, is devoted to the service of his brothers, and is
conversant with both virtue and profit, whose brothers, O slayer of
Madhu, always applaud the disposition of that high-souled and
well-behaved son of mine,--tell me, O thou of the Vrishni race, of that
heroic Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, that son of Madri, who always
waiteth submissively on his elder brothers and so reverentially on me. He
that is delicate and youthful in years, he that is brave and handsome in
person,--that son of Pandu who is dear unto his brothers as also unto
all, and who, indeed, is their very life though walking with a separate
body,--he that is conversant with various modes of warfare,--he that is
endued with great strength and is a mighty bowman,--tell me, O Krishna,
whether that dear child of mine, Nakula, who was brought up in luxury, is
now well in body and mind? O thou of mighty arms, shall I ever behold
again Nakula of mine, that mighty car-warrior, that delicate youth
brought up in every luxury and undeserving of woe? Behold, O hero, I am
alive today, even I, who could know peace by losing sight of Nakula for
the short space of time taken up by a wink of the eye. More than all my
sons, O Janardana, is the daughter of Drupada dear to me. High-born and
possessed of great beauty, she is endued with every accomplishment.
Truthful in speech, she chose the company of her lords, giving up that of
her sons, Indeed, leaving her dear children behind, she followeth the
sons of Pandu. Waited upon at one time by a large train of servants, and
adored by her husbands with every object of enjoyment, the possessor of
every auspicious mark and accomplishment, how, O Achyuta, is that
Draupadi now? Having five heroic husbands who are all smiters of foes and
all mighty bowmen, each equal unto Agni in energy, alas, woe hath yet
been the lot of Drupada's daughter. I have not for fourteen long years, O
chastiser of foes, beheld the princess of Panchala, that daughter-in-law
of mine' who herself hath been a prey to constant anxiety on account of
her children, whom she hath not seen for that period. When Drupada's
daughter endued with such a disposition, doth not enjoy uninterrupted
happiness, it seemeth, O Govinda, that the happiness one enjoyeth is
never the fruit of one's acts. When I remember the forcible dragging of
Draupadi to the assembly, then neither Vibhatsu nor Yudhishthira, nor
Bhima, nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, becometh an object of affection to me.
Never before had a heavier grief been mine than what pierced my heart
when that wretch Dussasana, moved by wrath and covetousness, dragged
Draupadi, then in her flow, and therefore clad in a single raiment, into
the presence of her father-in-law in the assembly and exposed her to the
gaze of all the Kurus. It is known that amongst those that were present,
king Vahlika, Kripa, Somadatta, were pierced with grief at this sight,
but of all present in that assembly, it was Vidura whom I worship.
Neither by learning, nor by wealth doth one become worthy of homage. It
is by disposition alone that one becomes respectable, O Krishna, endued
with great intelligence and profound wisdom, the character of the
illustrious Vidura, like unto an ornament (that he wears) adorns the
whole world.'

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

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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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