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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 LXXVIII

Sanjaya said, "Then king Duryodhana, regaining his senses, once more
began to resist Bhima with showers of arrows. And once more those mighty
car-warriors viz., thy sons, united together, began to fight valiantly
with Bhimasena. And Bhimasena also of mighty arms during that battle,
having got his car, ascended it and proceeded to the spot where thy sons
were. And taking up a strong and very tough bow adorned with gold and
capable of taking the lives of foes he pierced thy sons in that conflict,
with his shafts. Then king Duryodhana struck the mighty Bhimasena at the
very vitals with a long shaft of exceeding sharpness. Then that mighty
bowman, pierced thus deeply by thy son, bow in hand, forcibly drawing his
own with eyes red in wrath, struck Duryodhana in his two arms and the
breast with three shafts. But struck thus, O king, he moved not, like a
prince of mountains. Beholding then those two heroes excited with rage
and smiting each other, the younger brothers of Duryodhana, all of whom
were heroes prepared to lay down their lives, remembering their
previously formed scheme of afflicting Vrikodara of terrible deeds, set
about firmly resolved, for smiting him down. And as they fell upon him in
battle, Bhimasena of great strength rushed against them, O king, like an
elephant rushing against an attacking compeer. Excited with fury and
endued with great energy, that celebrated hero then, O king, afflicted
thy son Chitrasena with a long arrow. And as regards thy other sons, that
descendant of Bharata smote them all in that battle, with diverse kinds
of shafts furnished with wings of gold and endued with great impetus.
Then king Yudhishthira the just, disposing all his own divisions properly
despatched twelve mighty car-warriors including Abhimanyu and others to
follow Bhimasena behind. Those, O king, all proceeded against those
mighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons. Beholding those heroes on their
cars, resembling the Sun himself or the fire in splendour-those great
bowmen of blazing effulgence and superb beauty, looking resplendent in
that dreadful conflict with ornaments of gold,--thy mighty sons abandoned
Bhima (with whom they had been fighting). The sons of Kunti, however,
could not bear the sight of their abandoning the conflict alive."



SECTION LXXIX

Sanjaya said, "Then Abhimanyu, accompanied by Bhimasena pursuing thy
sons, afflicted them all. Then the mighty car-warriors of thy army,
including Duryodhana and others, beholding Abhimanyu and Bhimasena united
with Prishata's son in the midst of the (Kauravas) troops, took up their
bows, and borne by their fleet steeds rushed to the spot where those
warriors were. And on that afternoon, O king, a dreadful conflict took
place between the mighty combatants of thy army and those of the foe, O
Bharata. And Abhimanyu, having, in that fierce battle, slain the steeds
of Vikarna, pierced the latter with five and twenty small arrows. Then
that mighty car-warrior, Vikarna, abandoning that car whose steeds had
been slain, mounted on the resplendent car, O king, of Chitrasena. Then
thus stationed on the same car, viz., those two brothers of Kuru's race,
the son of Arjuna covered, O Bharata, with showers of arrows. Then
Durjaya and Vikarna pierced Abhimanyu with five shafts made wholly of
iron. Abhimanyu however, shook not in the least but stood firm like the
mountain Meru. Dussasana in that battle, O sire, fought with the five
Kekaya brothers. All these, O great king, seemed exceedingly wonderful.
The sons of Draupadi, excited with rage, resisted Duryodhana in that
battle. And each of them, O king, pierced thy son with three shafts. Thy
son also, invincible in battle, pierced each of the sons of Draupadi, O
monarch, with sharp shafts. And pierced by them (in return) and bathed in
blood, he shone like a hill with rillets of water mixed with red-chalk
(gliding down its breast). And the mighty Bhishma also, in that battle, O
king, afflicted the Pandava army like a herdsman belabouring his herd.
Then, O monarch, the twang of Gandiva was heard, of Partha, who was
engaged in slaughtering the foe on the right of the army.

And in that part of the field headless trunks stood up by thousands,
amongst the troops, O Bharata, of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. And
the field of battle resembled an ocean whose water was blood, and whose
eddies were the shafts (shot by the combatants). And the elephants
constituted the islands of that ocean, and the steeds its waves. And cars
constituted the boats by which brave men crossed it. And many brave
combatants, with arms cut off, divested of armour, and hideously
mutilated, were seen lying there in hundreds and thousands. And with the
bodies of infuriate elephants deprived of life and bathed in blood, the
field of battle. O Bharata, looked as if strewn with hills. And the
wonderful sight we saw there, O Bharata, was that neither in their army
nor in thine was a single person that was unwilling to fight. And thus, O
monarch, did those brave warriors, of both thy army and the Pandavas,
fight, seeking glory and desirous of victory."



SECTION LXXX

Sanjaya said, "Then when the sun assumed a red hue, king Duryodhana,
desirous of battle, rushed towards Bhima from desire of slaying him.
Beholding that heroic warrior cherishing deep animosity (thus) coming
towards him, Bhimasena, excited with great wrath, said these
words,--'That hour hath come which I have desired for so many years. I
will slay thee to-day if thou dost not abandon the battle. Slaying thee I
shall today dispel the sorrows of Kunti as also of Draupadi and the woes
that were ours during our exile in the woods. Filled with pride, thou
hadst formerly humiliated the sons of Pandu. Behold, O son of Gandhari,
the dire fruit of that sinful behaviour. Following the counsels of Karna
as also of Suvala's son, and recking the Pandavas little, thou hadst
formerly behaved towards them as thou hadst hinted. Thou hadst also
disregarded Krishna who begged thee (for peace). With a joyous heart
didst thou despatch Uluka (to us) with thy messages. For all these, I
shall slay thee to-day with all thy kinsmen, and thus avenge all those
offences of thine of former days.' Having said these words, Bhima bending
his bow and stretching it repeatedly, and taking up a number of terrible
shafts whose effulgence resembled that of the lightning itself, and
filled with wrath, quickly sped six and thirty of them at Duryodhana. And
those shafts resembled the flames of a blazing fire, and coursed straight
with the force of the thunder-bolt. And then he pierced Duryodhana's bow
with two shafts, and his charioteer with two. And with four shafts he
despatched Duryodhana's (four) steeds to the regions of Yama. And that
grinder of foes then, with two shafts shot with great force, cut off in
that battle the king's umbrella from his excellent car. And with three
other shafts he cut off his handsome and blazing standard. And having cut
it off, he uttered a loud shout in the very sight of thy son. And that
beautiful standard of the latter, decked with diverse gems, suddenly fell
down on the earth from his car like a flash of lightning from the clouds.
And all the kings beheld that beautiful standard of the Kuru king,
bearing the device of an elephant, decked with gems, and blazing like the
sun, fell down cut off (by Bhimasena). And that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
Bhima, then pierced Duryodhana in that battle, smiling the while, with
ten shafts like a guide piercing a mighty elephant with the hook. Then
that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the mighty king of the Sindhus,
supported by many brave warriors, placed himself on the flank of
Duryodhana. And then that great car-warrior, viz., Kripa, O king, caused
the vindictive Duryodhana, that son of Kuru's race, of immeasurable
energy, to mount on his own car. Then king Duryodhana, deeply pierced by
Bhimasena and feeling great pain, sat down on the terrace of that car.
Then Jayadratha, desirous of slaying Bhima, surrounded him on all sides
with several thousands of cars. Then, O king, Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu
of great energy, and the Kekayas, and the sons of Draupadi, all
encountered thy sons. And the high-souled Abhimanyu smote them all,
piercing each with five straight shafts, resembling the bolts of heaven
or Death's selves, shot from his excellent bow. Thereupon, all of them,
unable to bear it (coolly), showered on that foremost of car-warriors,
viz., the son of Subhadra, a perfect down-pour of sharp shafts like
rain-charged clouds pouring rain on the breast of the mountains of Meru.
But Abhimanyu, that invisible warrior accomplished in arms, thus
afflicted by them in battle, caused all thy sons, O king, to tremble like
the wielder of the thunder-bolt causing the mighty Asuras to tremble in
the battle between the celestials and the latter. Then that foremost of
car-warriors, O Bharata, shot fourteen broad-headed shafts, fierce and
looking like snakes of virulent poison, at Vikarna. Endued with great
prowess and as if dancing in that battle, he felled with those shafts the
standard of Vikarna from his car and slew also his charioteer and steeds.
Then that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, again sped at Vikarna
many other arrows that were well-tempered, straight-going, and capable of
penetrating every armour. And those arrows furnished with feathers of the
kanka bird, coming at Vikarna and passing through his body, entered the
earth, like hissing snakes. And those arrows, with wings and points
decked with gold, bathed in Vikarna's blood, seemed to vomit blood on the
earth. Beholding Vikarna thus pierced, his other uterine brothers rushed,
in that battle, against those car-warriors headed by Subhadra's son. And
when these invincible warriors upon their (own) cars came upon those
combatants (of the Pandava army) resplendent like so many suns and
staying on their cars both began to pierce one another.. And Durmukha,
having pierced Srutakarman with five shafts, cut off the latter's
standard with a single shaft and then pierced his charioteer with seven.
And advancing closer, he slew with half a dozen shafts his foe's steeds,
fleet as the wind and cased in golden armour, and then felled his
charioteer. Srutakarman, however, staying on that car of his, the steeds
of which had been slain, hurled in great wrath a dart blazing like a
fierce meteor. That dart, blazing with effulgence, passing through the
renowned Durmukha's hard coat of mail, penetrated into the earth.
Meanwhile the mighty Sutasoma beholding Srutakarman deprived of his car,
caused him to mount upon his own car in the very sight of all the troops.
The heroic Srutakirti rushed against thy son Jayatsena in that battle,
desirous, O king, of slaying that renowned warrior. Then thy son
Jayatsena, O king, with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head, smiling
the while, cut off the bow of the high-souled Srutakirti as the latter
came along stretching it in his hands. Then Satanika, beholding his
uterine brother's bow cut off, endued as he was with great valour,
quickly came at that spot repeatedly roaring like a lion. And Satanika,
drawing his bow in that battle with great force, speedily pierced
Jayatsena with ten shafts, and uttered a loud shout like an infuriate
elephant. And with another arrow of sharp point and capable of
penetrating every armour, Satanika deeply pierced Jayatsena in the chest.
Just at that time, Dushkarna who was near his brother. (Jayatsena)
infuriate with anger, cut off Satanika's bow and arrow. Then the mighty
Satanika taking up another excellent bow capable of bearing a great
strain, aimed many sharp shafts. And addressing Dushkarna in the presence
of his brother (Jayatsena), saying--'Wait', 'Wait',--he sped at him those
sharp and blazing shafts resembling so many snakes. And then he speedily
cut off Dushkarna's bow with one arrow, and slew his charioteer, O sire,
with two, and then pierced Dushkarna himself with seven arrows. And that
spotless warrior then with a dozen sharp shafts slew all the steeds of
Dushkarna that were fleet as the mind and of variegated hue. And then
with another broad-headed arrow, well-aimed and capable of coursing
swiftly, Satanika, excited with great wrath deeply pierced Dushkarna in
the chest. And thereupon the latter fell down on the earth like a tree
struck with lightning. Beholding Dushkarna slain, five mighty
car-warriors, O king, surrounded Satanika on all sides, from desire of
slaying him. And they struck the renowned Satanika with showers of
arrows. Then the five Kekaya brothers, excited with wrath, approached
(Satanika for rescuing him). Beholding the latter coming upon them, thy
sons--those mighty car-warriors,--rushed towards them like elephants
rushing against mighty elephants. (These amongst thy sons, viz.,)
Durmukha and Durjaya and the youthful Durmarshana and Satranjaya and
Satrusha, all renowned warriors, excited with rage, proceeded, O king,
against the (five) Kekaya brothers. On their cars that resembled
(fortified) towns, unto which were yoked steeds decked with ornaments,
and which were graced with beautiful standards of variegated hue, those
heroes wielding excellent bows and cased in beautiful coats of mail and
owning excellent standards, entered the hostile army like lions entering
one forest from another. Smiting one another, fierce and terrific was the
battle that ensued between them and the foe, in which cars and elephants
got entangled with one another. Cherishing feelings of hostility towards
one another, the terrible battle in which they took part lasted for a
short space of time about sunset, increasing the population of Yama's
kingdom. And car-warriors and horsemen by thousands were strewn over the
field. And Bhishma the son of Santanu excited with wrath, began to
slaughter the troops of the high-souled Pandavas with his straight
shafts. And with his arrows he began to despatch the combatants of the
Panchalas to the domains of Yama. And the grandsire, having thus broken
the ranks of the Pandavas at last withdrew his troops and retired, O
king, to his encampment. And king Yudhishthira also, beholding both
Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara, smelt their heads, and filled with joy,
retired to his tents."



SECTION LXXXI

Sanjaya said, "Then those heroes, O king, who cherished feelings of
hostility towards one another, retired to their tents, their persons
covered with blood. Having rested for a while agreeably to rule, and
praising one another (for the feats of the day), they were again seen
clad in mail, desirous of battle. Then thy son, O king, overwhelmed with
anxiety and covered with blood trickling down (from his wounds), asked
the grandsire, saying.[406] 'Our troops are fierce and terrible and carry
innumerable standards. They are, again, arrayed properly. Yet the brave
and mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, having penetrated (into our
array) and afflicted and slaughtered (our troops), escaped unhurt.[407]
Confounding us all, they have won great fame in battle. Bhima again,
having penetrated into our Makara array which was strong as the
thunder-bolt, afflicted me with his terrible shafts each resembling the
rod of Death. Beholding him excited with wrath, O king, I was deprived of
my senses. Even now I cannot regain my peace of mind. Through thy grace,
O thou that art firm in truth, I desire to obtain victory and slay the
sons of Pandu.' Thus addressed by him, the high-souled son of Ganga, that
foremost of all wielders of weapons, endued with great mental energy,
understanding that Duryodhana was possessed by grief replied unto him,
laughing the while though cheerless, saying,[408] 'Penetrating into
(their) army with the utmost exertions and with my whole soul, O prince,
I wish to give thee victory and joy. For thy sake I do not at all
dissemble. They that have become the allies of the Pandavas in this
battle are fierce and numerous. Mighty car-warriors of great renown, they
are exceedingly brave and accomplished in arms. Incapable of being
fatigued, they vomit forth their wrath. Cherishing feelings of animosity
towards thee, and swelling with prowess, they are not capable of being
defeated easily. I will, however, O king, contend against those heroes
with my whole soul and throwing away my very life. For thy sake, in
battle, O thou of great glory, my life itself shall today be recklessly
exposed. For thy sake I would consume all the worlds with the celestials
and the Daityas, let alone thy foes here. I will, O king, fight with
those Pandavas, and do all that is agreeable to thee. Hearing these
words, Duryodhana became inspired with great confidence and his heart was
filled with delight. And cheerfully he ordered all the troops, and all
the kings, (in his army) saying, Advance. And at that command, O king,
his army consisting of cars, steeds, foot-soldiers, and elephants, began
to advance. And that large force. O king, armed with diverse kinds of
weapons, was exceedingly cheerful. And that army of thine, O monarch,
consisting of elephants, steeds, and foot-soldiers, on the field of
battle, looked exceedingly beautiful. And huge tuskers, stationed in
large bodies, and skilfully urged, looked resplendent on the field all
around. And many royal combatants accomplished in diverse weapons were
seen in the midst of thy troops. And the dust, red as the morning sun,
raised by those cars and foot-soldiers and elephants and steeds in large
bodies as they were duly moved over the field, looked beautiful,
shrouding the rays of the sun. And the many-coloured banners stationed on
cars and elephants, waving in the air and moving along the welkin, looked
beautiful like flashes of lightning amid the clouds. And loud and fierce
was the uproar made by the twang of the bows stretched by the kings,
resembling the roar of the ocean while churned in the Krita age by the
gods and the great Asuras. And that army of thy sons, looking so proud,
consisting of (combatants of) diverse hues and shapes, shouting so
fiercely, and capable of slaying hostile warriors, then looked like those
masses of clouds that appear at the end of the Yuga.[409]'"



SECTION LXXXII

Sanjaya said, "O chief of the Bharatas, Ganga's son, once more addressing
thy son who was plunged in thought, told him these delightful words,
'Myself and Drona and Salya and Kritavarman of Satwata's race, and
Aswatthaman and Vikarna and Bhagadatta and Suvala's son and Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and Valhika with the Valhikas,[410] and the mighty
king of the Trigartas and the invincible ruler of the Magadhas,
Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas, and Chitrasena and Vivingsati and
many thousands of car-warriors graced with tall standards, a large number
of country-born steeds well-mounted with excellent horse-soldiers and
many infuriate elephants of large size with temporal juice issuing from
their mouths and cheeks, and many brave foot-soldiers armed with diverse
weapons and born in diverse realms, are all prepared to do battle for thy
sake.[411] These, and many others ready for thy sake to lay down their
lives, are, as I think, competent to vanquish the very gods in battle. I
should, however, always tell thee, O king, what is for thy good. The
Pandavas are incapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava.
They have Vasudeva for their ally and are equal to Mahendra himself in
prowess. As regards myself, I shall, however, always do thy bidding.
Either I shall vanquish the Pandavas in battle or they will vanquish me.
Having said these words, the grandsire gave him an excellent herb of
great efficacy for healing his wounds. And therewith thy son was cured of
his wounds. Then at dawn when the sky was clear, the valiant Bhishma,
that foremost of men well-versed in all kinds of array, himself disposed
his troops in that array called Mandala bristling with weapons. And it
abounded with foremost of warriors and with tuskers and foot-soldiers.
And it was surrounded on all sides with many thousands of cars, and with
large bodies of horsemen armed with swords and lances. Near unto every
elephant were placed seven cars, and near unto every car were placed
seven horsemen. And behind every horseman were placed seven bowmen, and
behind every bowman were seven combatants with shields. And thus, O king,
thy army, arrayed by mighty car-warriors, stood for fierce battle,
protected by Bhishma. And ten thousand horses, and as many elephants, and
ten thousand cars, and thy sons, all equipped in mail, viz., the heroic
Chitrasena and others, protected the grandsire. And it was seen that
Bhishma was protected by those brave warriors, and those princes
themselves of great strength, accoutred in mail, were (in their turn)
protected by him. And Duryodhana accoutred in mail sat upon his car on
the field, and possessed of every grace, looked resplendent like Sakra
himself in heaven. Then, O Bharata, loud were the shouts uttered by thy
sons and deafening the clatter of cars and the uproar of musical
instruments. That mighty and impenetrable array of those slayer of foes,
viz., the Dhartarashtras (in the form called) Mandala, (thus) arrayed by
Bhishma, began to proceed, facing the west. Incapable of being defeated
by enemies, it looked beautiful in every point. Beholding then the array
called Mandala that was exceedingly fierce, king Yudhishthira himself
disposed his troops in the array called Vajra. And when the divisions
were thus arrayed, car-warriors and horsemen, stationed in their proper
places, uttered leonine shouts. Accompanied by their respective forces,
the brave warriors of both armies, well versed in smiting, and longing
for battle, proceeded, desirous of breaking each other's array. And
Bharadwaja's son proceeded against the king of the Matsyas, and his son
(Aswatthaman) against Sikhandin. And king Duryodhana himself rushed
against the son of Prishata. And Nakula and Sahadeva went forth against
the king of the Madras. And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti proceeded
against Iravat. And many kings together battled with Dhananjaya. And
Bhimasena, exerting himself well, opposed the son of Hridika in battle.
And possessed of great prowess, (Abhimanyu) the son of Arjuna, fought in
battle, O king, against the sons Chitrasena and Vikarna, and Durmarshana.
And Hidimva's son, that prince of the Rakshasas, rushed against that
mighty bowman, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, like one infuriate
elephant against another. And the Rakshasa Alamvusha, O king, excited
with wrath, rushed in battle against the invincible Satyaki in the midst
of his followers. And Bhurisravas, exerting himself greatly, fought
against Dhrishtaketu. And Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceeded
against king Srutayush. And Chekitana in that battle fought against
Kripa. And others (among the Kuru warriors), exerting themselves
powerfully, proceeded against that mighty car-warrior Bhima. And
thousands of (other) kings surrounded Dhananjaya, with darts, lances,
arrows, maces, and spiked clubs in their hands. Then Arjuna, excited with
great wrath, addressing him of Vrishni's race, said, 'Behold, O Madhava,
the Dhartarashtra troops in battle, arrayed by the high-souled son of
Ganga, acquainted with every kind of array. Behold, O Madhava, those
brave warriors, countless in number, and desirous of battle (with me).
Behold, O Kesava, the ruler of the Trigartas with his brothers.[412] This
very day I shall slay them all, O Janardana, before thy eyes,--them, that
is, O foremost of the Yadus, who, longing for battle (with me), are on
the field.' Having said these words, the son of Kunti, rubbing his
bowstring, showered his arrows on that multitude of kings. And those
great bowmen also, poured on him thick showers of arrows, like clouds
that fill a lake with torrents of rain in the rainy season. And loud
shouts were heard in thy army, O monarch, when in that great battle the
two Krishnas were seen covered with thick showers of arrows. And the
gods, the celestial Rishis, and the Gandharvas with the Uragas, beholding
the two Krishnas in that state, were filled with great wonder. Then
Arjuna, O king, excited with wrath, invoked the Aindra weapon. And then
the prowess we beheld of Vijaya seemed to be highly wonderful insomuch
that those showers of weapons shot by his foes were checked by his
myriads of arrows. And there among those thousands of kings and steeds
and elephants, was none, O king, that was not wounded. And others, O
sire, the son of Pritha pierced, each with two or three arrows. And while
being thus struck by Pritha, they sought the protection of Bhishma, the
son of Santanu. But Bhishma then became the rescuer of those warriors who
were like men sinking in the fathomless deep. And in consequence of those
warriors thus flying away and mixing with thy troops, thy broken ranks, O
king, were agitated like the vast deep with a tempest."



SECTION LXXXIII

Sanjaya said, "And when the battle was thus raging and after Susarman had
ceased fighting, and the (other) heroic warriors (of the Kuru army) had
been routed by the high-souled son of Pandu; after, indeed, thy army,
resembling the very ocean, had become quickly agitated and the son of
Ganga had speedily proceeded against the car of Vijaya, king Duryodhana,
beholding the prowess of Partha in battle, quickly proceeded towards
those kings, and addressing them as also the heroic and mighty Susarman
stationed in their van, said in their midst these words, gladdening them
all, 'This Bhishma, the son of Santanu, this foremost one among the
Kurus, reckless of his very life, is desirous of fighting with his whole
soul against Dhananjaya. Exerting your best, ye all, united together, and
accompanied by your troops, protect in battle the grandsire, of Bharata's
race, who is proceeding against the hostile army.' Saying, 'Yes,' all
those divisions, belonging to those kings, O monarch, proceeded,
following the grandsire. Then the mighty Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
(thus rushing to battle), speedily came upon Arjuna of Bharata's race who
also had been coming towards him, on his exceedingly resplendent and
large car unto which were yoked white steeds and upon which was set up
his standard bearing the fierce ape, and whose rattle resembled the deep
roll of the clouds. And thy entire army, beholding the diadem-decked
Dhananjaya, thus coming to battle, uttered, from fear, many loud
exclamations. And beholding Krishna, reins in hand, and looking like the
mid-day sun in splendour, thy troops could not gaze at him. And so also
the Pandavas were incapable of looking at Santanu's son Bhishma of white
steeds and white bow and resembling the planet Sukra risen in the
firmament. And the latter was surrounded on all sides by the high-souled
warriors of the Trigartas headed by their king with his brothers and
sons, and by many other mighty car-warriors.

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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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