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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






SECTION XXI

Sanjaya said,--"Beholding the vast Dhartarashtra army ready for battle,
king Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, gave way to grief. Seeing that
impenetrable array formed by Bhishma and regarding it as really
impenetrable, the king became pale and addressed Arjuna, saying,--O,
mighty-armed Dhananjaya, how shall we be able to fight in battle with the
Dhartarashtras who have the Grandsire for their (chief) combatant?
Immovable and impenetrable is this array that hath been designed,
according to the rules laid down in the scriptures, by that grinder of
foes, Bhishma, of transcendent glory. With our troops we have become
doubtful (of success), O grinder of foes. How, indeed, will victory be
ours in the face of this mighty array?'--Thus addressed, that slayer of
foes Arjuna answered Yudhisthira, the son of Pritha, who had been plunged
into grief at sight, O king, of thy army, in these words,--Hear, O king,
how soldiers that are few in number may vanquish the many that are
possessed of every quality. Thou art without malice; I shall, therefore,
tell thee means, O king. The Rishi Narada knows it, as also both Bhishma
and Drona. Referring to this means, the Grandsire himself in days of old
on the occasion of the battle between the Gods and the Asuras said unto
Indra and the other celestials.--They that are desirous of victory do not
conquer by might and energy so much as by truth, compassion,
righteousness and energy.[112] Discriminating then between righteousness,
and unrighteousness, and understanding what is meant by covetousness and
having recourse to exertion fight without arrogance, for victory is there
where righteousness is.--For this know, O king, that to us victory is
certain in (this) battle. Indeed, as Narada said,--There is victory where
Krishna is.--Victory is inherent to Krishna. Indeed, it followeth
Madhava. And as victory is one of its attributes, so humility is his
another attribute. Govinda is possessed of energy that is infinite. Even
in the midst of immeasurable foes he is without pain. He is the most
eternal of male beings. And there victory is where Krishna is. Even he,
indestructible and of weapons incapable of being baffled, appearing as
Hari in olden days, said in a loud voice unto the Gods and the
Asuras,--Who amongst you would be victorious?--Even the conquered who
said.--With Krishna in the front we will conquer.[113]--And it was
through Hari's grace that the three worlds were obtained by the gods
headed by Sakra. I do not, therefore, behold the slightest cause of
sorrow in thee, thee that hast the Sovereign of the Universe and the Lord
himself of the celestials for wishing victory to thyself."



SECTION XXII

Sanjaya said,--"Then, O bull of Bharata's race, king Yudhishthira,
disposing his own troops in counter array against the divisions of
Bhishma, urged them on, saying,--'The Pandavas have now disposed their
forces in counter array agreeably to what is laid down (in the
scriptures). Ye sinless ones, fight fairly, desirous of (entering) the
highest heaven'.--In the centre (of the Pandava army) was Sikhandin and
his troops, protected by Arjuna. And Dhristadyumna moved in the van,
protected by Bhima. The southern division (of the Pandava army) was
protected. O king, by that mighty bowman, the handsome Yuyudhana, that
foremost combatant of the Satwata race, resembling Indra himself.
Yudhisthira was stationed on a car that was worthy of bearing Mahendra
himself, adorned with an excellent standard, variegated with gold and
gems, and furnished with golden traces (for the steeds), in the midst of
his elephant divisions.[114] His pure white umbrella with ivory handle,
raised over his head, looked exceedingly beautiful; and many great Rishis
walked around the king[115] uttering words in his praise. And many
priests, and regenerate Rishis and Siddhas, uttering hymns in his
praise[116] wished him, as they walked around, the destructions of his
enemies, by the aid of Japas, and Mantras, efficacious drugs, and diverse
propitiatory ceremonies. That high-souled chief of the Kurus, then giving
away unto the Brahmanas kine and fruits and flowers and golden coins
along with cloths[117] proceeded like Sakra, the chief of the celestials.
The car of Arjuna, furnished with a hundred bells, decked with Jamvunada
gold of the best kind, endued with excellent wheels, possessed of the
effulgence of fire, and unto which were yoked white steeds, looked
exceedingly brilliant like a thousand suns.[118] And on that ape-bannered
car the reins of which were held by Kesava, stood Arjuna with Gandiva and
arrows in hand--a bowman whose peer exists not on earth, nor ever
will.[119] For crushing thy sons' troops he who assumeth the most awful
form,--who, divested of weapons, with only his bare hands, poundeth to
dust men, horses, and elephants,--that strong-armed Bhimasena, otherwise
called Vrikodara, accompanied by the twins, became the protector of the
heroic car-warriors (of the Pandava) army. Like unto a furious prince of
lions of sportive gait, or like the great Indra himself with (earthly)
body on the Earth, beholding that invincible Vrikodara, like unto a proud
leader of an elephantine herd, stationed in the van (of the army), the
warriors on thy side, their strength weakened by fear, began to tremble
like elephants sunk in mire.

"Unto that invincible prince Gudakesa staying in the midst of his troops,
Janardana, O chief of Bharata's race, said--He, who scorching us with his
wrath, stayeth in the midst of his forces, he, who will attack our troops
like a lion, he, who performed three hundred horse-sacrifices,--that
banner of Kuru's race, that Bhishma,--stayeth yonder! Yon ranks around
him on all sides great warriors like the clouds shrouding the bright
luminary. O foremost of men, slaying yon troops, seek battle with yonder
bull of Bharata's race."



SECTION XXIII

Sanjaya said,--"Beholding the Dhartarashtra army approach for fight,
Krishna said these words for Arjuna's benefit."

"The holy one said,--'Cleansing thyself, O mighty-armed one, utter on the
eve of the battle thy hymn to Durga for (compassing) the defeat of the
foe."

Sanjaya continued.--Thus addressed on the eve of battle by Vasudeva
endued with great intelligence, Pritha's son Arjuna, alighting from his
car, said the following hymn with joined hands.

"Arjuna said,--'I bow to thee, O leader of Yogins, O thou that art
identical with Brahman, O thou that dwellest in the forest of Mandara, O
thou that art freed from decrepitude and decay, O Kali, O wife of Kapala,
O thou that art of a black and tawny hue, I bow to thee. O bringer of
benefits to thy devotees, I bow to thee, O Mahakali, O wife of the
universal destroyer, I bow to thee. O proud one, O thou that rescuest
from dangers, O thou that art endued with every auspicious attribute. O
thou that art sprung from the Kata race, O thou that deservest the most
regardful worship, O fierce one, O giver of victory, O victory's self, O
thou that bearest a banner of peacock plumes, O thou that art decked with
every ornament, O thou that bearest an awful spear, O thou that holdest a
sword and shield, O thou that art the younger sister of the chief of
cow-herds, O eldest one, O thou that wert born in the race of the cowherd
Nanda! O thou that art always fond of buffalo's blood, O thou that wert
born in the race of Kusika, O thou that art dressed in yellow robes, O
thou that hadst devoured Asuras assuming the face of a wolf[120], I bow
to thee that art fond of battle! O Uma,[121] Sakambhari, O thou that art
white in hue, O thou that art black in hue, O thou that hast slain the
Asura Kaitabha, O thou that art yellow-eyed, O thou that art
diverse-eyed, O thou of eyes that have the colour of smoke, I bow to
thee. O thou that art the Vedas, the Srutis, and the highest virtue, O
thou that art propitious to Brahmanas engaged in sacrifice, O thou that
hast a knowledge of the past, thou that art ever present in the sacred
abodes erected to thee in cities of Jamvudwipa, I bow to thee. Thou art
the science of Brahma among sciences, and thou that art that sleep of
creatures from which there is no waking. O mother of Skanda, O thou that
possessest the six (highest) attributes, O Durga, O thou that dwellest in
accessible regions, thou art described as Swaha, and Swadha,[122] as
Kala, as Kashta, and as Saraswati, as Savitra the mother of the Vedas,
and as the science of Vedanta. With inner soul cleansed, I praise thee. O
great goddess, let victory always attend me through thy grace on the
field of battle. In inaccessible regions, where there is fear, in places
of difficulty, in the abodes of thy worshippers and in the nether regions
(Patala), thou always dwellest. Thou always defeatest the Danavas. Thou
art the unconsciousness, the sleep, the illusion, the modesty, the beauty
of (all creatures). Thou art the twilight, thou art the day, thou art
Savitri, and thou art the mother. Thou art contentment, thou art growth,
thou art light. It is thou that supportest the Sun and the Moon and that
makes them shine. Thou art the prosperity of those that are prosperous.
The Siddhas and the Charanas behold thee in contemplation.[123]'"

Sanjaya continued,--Understanding (the measure of) Partha's devotion,
Durga who is always graciously inclined towards mankind, appeared in the
firmament and in the presence of Govinda, said these words.

'"The goddess said,--'Within a short time thou shalt conquer thy foes, O
Pandava. O invincible one, thou hast Narayana (again) for aiding thee.
Thou art incapable of being defeated by foes, even by the wielder of the
thunderbolt himself.'

'"Having said this, the boon-giving goddess disappeared soon. The son of
Kunti, however, obtaining that boon, regarded himself as successful, and
the son of Pritha then mounted his own excellent car. And then Krishna
and Arjuna, seated on the same car, blew their celestial conches. The man
that recites this hymn rising at dawn, hath no fear any time from
Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pisachas. He can have no enemies; he hath no
fear, from snakes and all animals that have fangs and teeth, as also from
kings. He is sure to be victorious in all disputes, and if bound, he is
freed from his bonds. He is sure to get over all difficulties, is freed
from thieves, is ever victorious in battle and winneth the goddess of
prosperity for ever. With health and strength, he liveth for a hundred
years.

"I have known all this through the grace of Vyasa endued with great
wisdom. Thy wicked sons, however, all entangled in the meshes of death,
do not, from ignorance, know them to be Nara and Narayana. Nor do they,
entangled in the meshes of death, know that the hour of this kingdom hath
arrived. Dwaipayana and Narada, and Kanwa, and the sinless Rama, had all
prevented thy son. But he did not accept their words. There where
righteousness is, there are glory and beauty. There where modesty is,
there are prosperity and intelligence. There where righteousness is,
there is Krishna; and there where Krishna is, there is victory."



SECTION XXIV

Dhritarashtra said,--"There (on the field of battle) O Sanjaya, the
warriors of which side first advanced to battle cheerfully? Whose hearts
were filled with confidence, and who were spiritless from melancholy? In
that battle which maketh the hearts of men tremble with fear, who were
they that struck the first blow, mine or they belonging to the Pandavas?
Tell me all this, O Sanjaya. Among whose troops did the flowery garlands
and unguents emit fragrant odours? And whose troops, roaring fiercely,
uttered merciful words?"

Sanjaya said,--"The combatants of both armies were cheerful then and the
flowery garlands and perfumes of both troops emitted equal fragrance.
And, O bull of Bharata's race, fierce was the collision that took place
when the serried ranks arrayed for battle encountered each other. And the
sound of musical instruments, mingled with the blare of conches and the
noise of drums, and the shouts of brave warriors roaring fiercely at one
another, became very loud. O bull of Bharata's race, dreadful was the
collision caused by the encounter of the combatants of both armies,
filled with joy and staring at one another, and the elephants uttering
obstreperous grunts."



SECTION XXV
[(Bhagavad Gita Chapter I)]

([This where is the Bhagavad Gita proper starts. I have added the chapter
headings to aid in comparison with other translations, they are not part
of the original Ganguli text.--John Bruno Hare])

Dhritarashtra said,--"Assembled together on the sacred plain of
Kurukshetra from desire of fighting what did my sons and the Pandavas do.
O Sanjaya."

"Sanjaya said,--"Beholding the army of the Pandavas arrayed, king
Duryodhana, approaching the preceptor (Drona) said these words: Behold, O
preceptor, this vast army of the son of Pandu, arrayed by Drupada's son
(Dhrishtadyumna), thy intelligent disciple. There (in that army) are many
brave and mighty bowmen, who in battle are equal to Bhima and Arjuna.
(They are) Yuyudhana, and Virata, and that mighty car-warrior Drupada,
and Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana, and the ruler of Kasi endued with great
energy; and Purujit, and Kuntibhoja, and Saivya that bull among men; and
Yudhamanyu of great prowess, and Uttamaujas of great energy; and
Subhadra's son, and the sons of Draupadi, all of whom are mighty
car-warriors. Hear, however, O best of regenerate ones, who are the
distinguished ones among us, the leader of army. I will name them to thee
for (thy) information. (They are) thyself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and
Kripa who is ever victorious; and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and
Saumadatta, and Jayadratha.[124] Besides these, are many heroic warriors,
prepared to lay down their lives for my sake, armed with diverse kinds of
weapons, and all accomplished in battle. Our army, therefore, protected
by Bhishma, is insufficient. This force, however, of these (the
Pandavas), protected by Bhima, is sufficient.[125] Stationing yourselves
then in the entrances of the divisions that have been assigned to you,
all of you protect Bhishma alone.--(Just at this time) the valiant and
venerable grandsire of the Kurus, affording great joy to him (Duryodhana)
by loudly uttering a leonine roar, blew (his) conch. Then conches and
drums and cymbals and horns were sounded at once and the noise (made)
became a loud uproar. Then Madhava and Pandu's son (Arjuna), both
stationed on a great car unto which were yoked white steeds, blew their
celestial conches. And Hrishikesha blew (the conch called) Panchajanya
and Dhananjaya (that called) Devadatta; and Vrikodara of terrible deeds
blew the huge conch (called) Paundra. And Kunti's son king Yudhishthira
blew (the conch called) Anantavijaya; while Nakula and Sahadeva, (those
conches called respectively) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[126] And that
splendid bowman, the ruler of Kasi and that mighty car-warrior,
Sikhandin, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and that unvanquished Satyaki, and
Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of
Subhadra--all these, O lord of earth, severally blew their conches. And
that blare, loudly reverberating through the welkin, and the earth, rent
the hearts of the Dhartarashtras. Then beholding the Dhartarashtra troops
drawn up, the ape-bannered son of Pandu, rising his bow, when, the
throwing of missiles had just commenced, said these words, O lord of
earth, to Hrishikesha.[127]

"Arjuna said,--'O thou that knoweth no deterioration, place my car (once)
between the two armies, so that I may observe these that stand here
desirous of battle, and with whom I shall have to contend in the labours
of this struggle.[128] I will observe those who are assembled here and
who are prepared to fight for doing what is agreeable in battle to the
evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.'"

Sanjaya continued,---'Thus addressed by Gudakesa, O Bharata, Hrishikesa,
placing that excellent car between the two armies, in view of Bhishma and
Drona and all the kings of the earth, said,--'Behold, O Partha these
assembled Kurus,--And there the son of Pritha beheld, standing (his)
sires and grandsons, and friends, and father-in-law and well-wishers, in
both the armies. Beholding all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of
Kunti, possessed by excessive pity, despondingly said (these words).

"Arjuna said,--'Beholding these kinsmen, O Krishna, assembled together
and eager for the fight, my limbs, become languid, and my mouth becomes
dry. My body trembles, and my hair stands on end. Gandiva slips from my
hand, and my skin burns. I am unable to stand (any longer); my mind seems
to wander. I behold adverse omens, too, O Kesava. I do not desire
victory, O Krishna, not sovereignty, nor pleasures. Of what use would
sovereignty be to us, O Govinda, or enjoyments, or even life, since they,
for whose sake sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures are desired by us,
are here arrayed for battle ready to give up life and wealth, viz.,
preceptors, sires, sons and grandsires, maternal uncles, father-in-laws,
grandsons, brother-in-laws, and kinsmen. I wish not to slay these though
they slay me, O slayer of Madhu, even for the sake of the sovereignty of
the three worlds, what then for the sake of (this) earth?[129] What
gratification can be ours, O Janardana, by slaying the Dhartarashtras?
Even if they be regarded as foes,[130] sin will overtake us if we slay
them. Therefore, it behoveth us not to slay the sons of Dhritarashtra who
are our own kinsmen.[131] How, O Madhava can we be happy by killing our
own kinsmen? Even if these, with judgments perverted by avarice, do not
see the evil that ariseth from the extermination of a race, and the sin
of internecine quarrels, why should not we, O Janarddana, who see the
evils of the extermination of a race, learn to abstain from that sin? A
race being destroyed, the eternal customs of that race are lost; and upon
those customs being lost, sin overpowers the whole race. From the
predominance of sin, O Krishna, the women of that race become corrupt.
And the women becoming corrupt, an intermingling of castes happeneth, O
descendant of Vrishni. This intermingling of castes leadeth to hell both
the destroyer of the race and the race itself. The ancestors of those
fall (from heaven), their rites of pinda and water ceasing. By these sins
of destroyers of races, causing intermixture of castes, the rules of
caste and the eternal rites of families become extinct. We have heard, O
Janarddana, that men whose family rites become extinct, ever dwell in
hell. Alas, we have resolved to perpetrate a great sin, for we are ready
to slay our own kinsmen from lust of the sweets of sovereignty. Better
would it be for me if the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon in hand, should
in battle slay me (myself) unavenging unarmed.--'"

Sanjaya continued,--"Having spoken thus on the field of battle, Arjuna,
his mind troubled with grief, casting aside his bow and arrows, sat down
on his car."

[Here ends the first lesson entitled "Survey of Forces"[132] in the
dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna of the Bhagavadgita, the essence of
religion, the knowledge of Brahma, and the system of Yoga, comprised
within the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata of Vyasa containing one
hundred thousand verses.]



SECTION XXVI
[(Bhagavad Gita Chapter II)]

Sanjaya said,--"Unto him thus possessed with pity, his eyes filled and
oppressed with tears, and desponding, the slayer of Madhu said these
words."

The Holy One said,--"Whence, O Arjuna, hath come upon thee, at such a
crisis, this despondency that is unbecoming a person of noble birth, that
shuts one out from heaven, and that is productive of infamy? Let no
effeminacy be thine, O son of Kunti. This suits thee not. Shaking off
this vile weakness of hearts, arise, O chastiser of foes.--"

Arjuna said,--"How, O slayer of Madhu, can I with arrows contend in
battle against Bhishma and Drona, deserving as they are. O slayer of
foes, of worship?[133] Without slaying (one's) preceptors of great glory,
it is well (for one), to live on even alms in this world. By slaying
preceptors, even if they are avaricious of wealth, I should only enjoy
pleasures that are bloodstained![134] We know not which of the two is of
greater moment to us, viz., whether we should conquer them or they should
conquer us. By slaying whom we would not like to live,--even they, the
sons of Dhritarashtra, stand before (us). My nature affected by the taint
of compassion, my mind unsettled about (my) duty, I ask thee. Tell me
what is assuredly good (for me). I am thy disciple. O, instruct me, I
seek thy aid.[135] I do not see (that) which would dispel that grief of
mine blasting my very senses, even if I obtain a prosperous kingdom on
earth without a foe or the very sovereignty of the gods.[136]'"

Sanjaya said,--Having said this unto Hrishikesa, that chastiser of
foes-Gudakesa--(once more) addressed Govinda, saying,--'I will not
fight,'--and then remained silent.[137] Unto him overcome by despondency,
Hrishikesa, in the midst of the two armies, said.

"The Holy One said,--'Thou mournest those that deserve not to be mourned.
Thou speakest also the words of the (so-called) wise. Those, however,
that are (really) wise, grieve neither for the dead nor for the living.
It is not that, I or you or those rulers of men never were, or that all
of us shall not hereafter be. Of an Embodied being, as childhood, youth,
and, decrepitude are in this body, so (also) is the acquisition of
another body. The man, who is wise, is never deluded in this.[138] The
contacts of the senses with their (respective) objects producing
(sensations of) heat and cold, pleasure and pain, are not permanent,
having (as they do) a beginning and an end. Do thou. O Bharata, endure
them. For the man whom these afflict not, O bull among men, who is the
same in pain and pleasure and who is firm in mind, is fit for
emancipation.[139] There is no (objective) existence of anything that is
distinct from the soul; nor non-existence of anything possessing the
virtues of the soul. This conclusion in respect of both these hath been
arrived at by those that know the truths (of things).[140] Know that [the
soul] to be immortal by which all this [universe] is pervaded. No one can
compass the destruction of that which is imperishable. It hath been said
that those bodies of the Embodied (soul) which is eternal, indestructible
and infinite, have an end. Do thou, therefore, fight, O Bharata. He who
thinks it (the soul) to be the slayer and he who thinks it to be the
slain, both of them know nothing; for it neither slays nor is slain. It
is never born, nor doth it ever die; nor, having existed, will it exist
no more. Unborn, unchangeable, eternal, and ancient, it is not slain upon
the body being perished. That man who knoweth it to be indestructible,
unchangeable, without decay, how and whom can he slay or cause to be
slain? As a man, casting off robes that are worn out, putteth on others
that are new, so the Embodied (soul), casting off bodies that are worn
out, entereth other bodies that are new. Weapons cleave it not, fire
consumeth it not; the waters do not drench it, nor doth the wind waste
it. It is incapable of being cut, burnt, drenched, or dried up. It is
unchangeable, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal. It is said to be
imperceivable, inconceivable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing it to
be such, it behoveth thee not to mourn (for it). Then again even if thou
regardest it as constantly born and constantly dead, it behoveth thee not
yet, O mighty-armed one, to mourn (for it) thus. For, of one that is
born, death is certain; and of one that is dead, birth is certain.
Therefore. it behoveth thee not to mourn in a matter that is unavoidable.
All beings (before birth) were unmanifest. Only during an interval
(between birth and death), O Bharata, are they manifest; and then again,
when death comes, they become (once more) unmanifest. What grief then is
there in this? One looks upon it as a marvel; another speaks of it as a
marvel. Yet even after having heard of it, no one apprehends it truly.
The Embodied (soul), O Bharata, is ever indestructible in everyone's
body. Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve for all (those)
creatures. Casting thy eyes on the (prescribed) duties of thy order, it
behoveth thee not to waver, for there is nothing else that is better for
a Kshatriya than a battle fought fairly. Arrived of itself and (like
unto) an open gate of heaven, happy are those Kshatriyas, O Partha, that
obtain such a fight. But if thou dost not fight such a just battle, thou
shalt then incur sin by abandoning the duties of thy order and thy fame.
People will then proclaim thy eternal infamy, and to one that is held in
respect, infamy is greater (as an evil) than death itself. All great
car-warriors will regard thee as abstaining from battle from fear, and
thou wilt be thought lightly by those that had (hitherto) esteemed thee
highly. Thy enemies, decrying thy prowess, will say many words which
should not be said. What can be more painful than that? Slain, thou wilt
attain to heaven; or victorious, thou wilt enjoy the Earth. Therefore,
arise, O son of Kunti, resolved for battle. Regarding pleasure and pain,
gain and loss, victory and defeat, as equal, do battle for battle's sake
and sin will not be thine.[141] This knowledge, that hath been
communicated to thee is (taught) in the Sankhya (system). Listen now to
that (inculcated) in Yoga (system). Possessed of that knowledge, thou, O
Partha, wilt cast off the bonds of action. In this (the Yoga system)
there is no waste of even the first attempt. There are no impediments.
Even a little of this (form of) piety delivers from great fear.[142] Here
in this path, O son of Kuru, there is only one state of mind, consisting
in firm devotion (to one object, viz., securing emancipation). The minds
of those, however, that are not firmly devoted (to this), are
many-branched (un-settled) and attached to endless pursuits. That flowery
talk which, they that are ignorant, they that delight in the words of the
Vedas, they, O Partha, that say that there is nothing else, they whose
minds are attached to worldly pleasures, they that regard (a) heaven (of
pleasures and enjoyments) as the highest object of acquisition,--utter
and promises birth as the fruit of action and concerns itself with
multifarious rites of specific characters for the attainment of pleasures
and power,--delude their hearts and the minds of these men who are
attached to pleasures and power cannot be directed to contemplation (of
the divine being) regarding it as the sole means of emancipation.[143]
The Vedas are concerned with three qualities, (viz., religion, profit,
and pleasure). Be thou, O Arjuna, free from them, unaffected by pairs of
contraries (such as pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc.), ever
adhering to patience without anxiety for new acquisitions or protection
of those already acquired, and self-possessed, whatever objects are
served by a tank or well, may all be served by a vast sheet of water
extending all around; so whatever objects may be served by all the Vedas,
may all be had by a Brahmana having knowledge (of self or Brahma).[144]
Thy concern is with work only, but not with the fruit (of work). Let not
the fruit be thy motive for work; nor let thy inclination be for
inaction. Staying in devotion, apply thyself to work, casting off
attachment (to it), O Dhananjaya, and being the same in success or
unsuccess. This equanimity is called Yoga (devotion). Work (with desire
of fruit) is far inferior to devotion, O Dhananjaya. Seek thou the
protection of devotion. They that work for the sake of fruit are
miserable. He also that hath devotion throws off, even in this world,
both good actions and bad actions. Therefore, apply thyself to devotion.
Devotion is only cleverness in action. The wise, possessed of devotion,
cast off the fruit born of action, and freed from the obligation of
(repeated) birth, attain to that region where there is no unhappiness.
When thy mind shall have crossed the maze of delusion, then shalt thou
attain to an indifference as regards the hearable and the heard.[145]
When thy mind, distracted (now) by what thou hast heard (about the means
of acquiring the diverse objects of life), will be firmly and immovably
fixed on contemplation, then wilt thou attain to devotion.'

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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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