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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 XCI

Sanjaya said, "During the progress, O king, of that fierce battle fraught
with the slaughter of great heroes, Sakuni the glorious son of Suvala,
rushed against the Pandavas. And so also, O monarch, Hridika's son of the
Satwata race, that slayer of hostile heroes, rushed in that battle
against the Pandava ranks. And smiling the while, (several warriors on
thy side), with a large number of steeds consisting of the best of the
Kamvoja breed as also of those born in the country of the Rivers, and of
those belonging to Aratta and Mahi and Sindhu, and of those of Vanayu
also that were white in hue, and lastly those of hilly countries,
surrounded (the Pandava army).[438] And so also with horses, exceedingly
swift, fleet as the very winds, and belonging to the Tittri breed,
(others encompassed that army). And with many horses, clad in mail and
decked with gold, the foremost of their class and fleet as the winds the
mighty son of Arjuna (viz., Iravat), that slayer of foes, approached the
(Kaurava) force. This handsome and valiant son of Arjuna, named Iravat,
was begotten upon the daughter of the king of the Nagas by the
intelligent Partha. Her husband having been slain by Garuda, she became
helpless, and of cheerless soul. Childless as she was, she was bestowed
(upon Arjuna) by the high-souled Airavat. Partha accepted her for wife,
coming to him as she did under the influence of desire. It was thus that
that son of Arjuna was begotten upon the wife of another.[439] Abandoned
by his wicked uncle from hatred of Partha, he grew up in the region of
the Nagas, protected by his mother. And he was handsome and endued with
great strength, possessed of diverse accomplishments, and of prowess
incapable of being baffled. Hearing that Arjuna had gone to the region of
Indra, he speedily went thither. And the mighty-armed Iravat, possessed
of prowess incapable of being baffled, approaching his sire, saluted him
duly, standing before him with joined hands. And he introduced himself to
the high-souled Arjuna, saying, 'I am Iravat. blessed be thou, and I am
thy son, O lord'. And he reminded Arjuna of all the circumstances
connected with the latter's meeting with his mother. And thereupon the
son of Pandu recollected all those circumstances exactly as they
happened. Embracing his son then who resembled himself in
accomplishments, Partha, in Indra's abode, was filled with joy. The
mighty-armed Iravat then, O king, in the celestial regions was, O
Bharata, joyfully commanded by Arjuna, with regard to his own business,
(in these words), 'When the battle takes place, assistance should be
rendered by thee'. Saying 'Yes', O lord, he went away. And now at the
time of battle he presented himself. O king, accompanied with a large
number of steeds of great fleetness and beautiful colour. And those
steeds, decked with ornaments of gold, of various colours and exceeding
fleetness, suddenly coursed over the field, O king, like swans on the
bosom of the vast deep. And those steeds failing upon thine of exceeding
swiftness, struck their chests and noses against those of thine.
Afflicted by their own impetuous clash (against thine), they suddenly
fell down, O king, on the earth. And in consequence of those steeds as
also of thine occasioned by that clash, loud sounds were heard resembling
what occurs at Garuda's swoop. And the rider of those steeds, O king,
thus dashing against one another in that battle, began to slay one
another fiercely. And during that general engagement which was fierce and
terrible, the chargers of both sides (escaping from press of battle) ran
wildly away over the field. Weakened by one another's shafts, brave
warriors, with their horses killed under them, and themselves worn out
with exertion, perished fast sabring one another. Then when those cavalry
divisions were thinned and a remnant only survived, the Younger brothers
of Suvala's son, Possessed of great wisdom, rode out, O Bharata (from the
Kaurava array) to the van of battle, mounted On excellent charges that
resembled the tempest itself in both fleetness and the violence of their
dash and that were well-trained and neither old nor young.[440] Those six
brothers endued with great strength, viz., Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava,
Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka dashed out of the mighty (Kaurava) array,
supported by Sakuni and by their respective forces of great valour,
themselves clad in mail, skilled in battle, fierce in mien, and possessed
of exceeding might. Breaking through that invincible cavalry division (of
the Pandavas), O thou of mighty arms, those Gandhara warriors who could
with difficulty be vanquished, supported by a large force, desirous of
heaven, longing for victory, and filled with delight, penetrated into it.
Beholding them filled with joy, the valiant Iravat, addressing his own
warriors decked with diverse ornaments and weapons, said unto them,
'Adopt such contrivances in consequence of which these Dhritarashtra
warriors with their weapons and animals may all be destroyed.' Saying
'Yes', all those warriors of Iravat began to slay those mighty and
invincible Dhartarashtra soldiers. Beholding that their own warriors were
thus overthrown by Iravat's division, those sons of Suvala being unable
to beat it coolly, all rushed at Iravat and surrounded him on all sides.
And commanding (all their followers) to attack those of Iravat with
lances, those heroes swept over the field, creating a great confusion.
And Iravat, pierced with lances by those high-souled warriors, and bathed
in blood that trickled down (his wounds), looked like an elephant pierced
with the hook. Wounded deeply on the chest, back, and flanks, singly
encountering the many, he did not yet, O king, swerve from his (natural)
firmness. Indeed, Iravat, excited with rage, deprived all those
adversaries of their senses, piercing them, in that battle, with sharp
shafts. And that chastiser of foes, tearing those lances from off his
body, struck with them the sons of Suvala in battle. Then unsheathing his
polished sword and taking a shield, he rushed on foot, desirous of
slaying Suvala's sons in that combat. The sons of Suvala, however,
recovering their senses, once more rushed at Iravat, excited with wrath.
Iravat, however, proud of his might, and displaying his lightness of
hand, proceeded towards all of them, armed with his sword. Moving as he
did with great activity, the sons of Suvala, although they moved about on
their fleet steeds, could not find an opportunity for striking that hero
(on foot). Beholding him then on foot, his foes surrounded him closely
and wished to take him captive. Then that crusher of foes, seeing them
contiguous to himself, struck off, with his sword, both their right and
left arms, and mangled their other limbs. Then those arms of theirs
adorned with gold, and their weapons, fell down on the earth, and they
themselves, with limbs mangled, fell down on the field, deprived of life.
Only Vrishava, O king, with many wounds on his person, escaped (with
life) from that dreadful battle destructive of heroes. Beholding them
lying on the field of battle, thy son Duryodhana, excited with wrath said
unto that Rakshasa of terrible mien, viz., Rishyasringa's son
(Alamvusha), that great bowman versed in illusion, that chastiser of
foes, who bore feelings of animosity against Bhimasena in consequence of
the slaughter of Vaka, these words: "Behold, O hero, how the mighty son
of Phalguni, versed in illusion, hath done me a severe injury by
destroying my forces. Thou also, O sire, art capable of going everywhere
at will and accomplished in all weapons of illusion. Thou cherishest
animosity also for Partha. Therefore, do thou slay this one in battle.'
Saying 'Yes', that Rakshasa of terrible mien proceeded with a leonine
roar to that spot where the mighty and youthful son of Arjuna was. And he
was supported by the heroic warriors of his own division, accomplished in
smiting, well-mounted, skilled in battle and fighting with bright lances.
Accompanied by the remnant of that excellent cavalry division (of the
Kauravas), he proceeded, desirous of slaying in battle the mighty Iravat.
That slayer of foes, viz., the valiant Iravat, excited with rage, and
advancing speedily from desire of slaying the Rakshasa, began to resist
him. Beholding him advance, the mighty Rakshasa speedily set himself
about for displaying his powers of illusion. The Rakshasa then created a
number of illusive chargers which were riden by terrible Rakshasas armed
with spears and axes. Those two thousand accomplished smiters advancing
with rage, were however, soon sent to the regions of Yama, (falling in
the encounter with Iravat's forces). And when the forces of both
perished, both of them, invincible in battle, encountered each other like
Vritra and Vasava. Beholding the Rakshasa, who was difficult of being
vanquished in battle, advancing towards him, the mighty Iravat, excited
with rage, began to check his onset. And when the Rakshasa approached him
nearer, Iravat with his sword quickly cut off his bow, as also each of
his shafts into five fragments. Seeing his bow cut off, the Rakshasa
speedily rose up into the welkin, confounding with his illusion the
enraged Iravat. Then Iravat also, difficult of approach, capable of
assuming any form at will, and having a knowledge of what are the vital
limbs of the body, rising up into the welkin, and confounding with his
illusion the Rakshasa began to cut off the latter's limbs in that battle
and thus were the limbs of the Rakshasa repeatedly cut into several
pieces.[441] [(Rakshasa ceases to be italicized at this point for a
couple of pages.--JBH)] Then the Rakshasa, however, O king, was re-born,
assuming a youthful appearance. Illusion is natural with them, and their
age and form are both dependent on their will. And the limbs of that
Rakshasa, O king, cut into pieces, presented a beautiful sight. Iravat,
excited with rage, repeatedly cut that mighty Rakshasa with his sharp
axe. 'The brave Rakshasa, thus cut into pieces like a tree by the mighty
Iravat, roared fiercely'. And those roars of his became deafening.
Mangled with the axe, the Rakshasa began to pour forth blood in torrents.
Then (Alamvusha), the mighty son of Rishyasringa, beholding his foe
blazing forth with energy, became infuriate with rage and himself put
forth his prowess in that combat. Assuming a prodigious and fierce form,
he endeavoured to seize the heroic son of Arjuna, viz., the renowned
Iravat. In the sight of all the combatants there present, beholding that
illusion of the wicked Rakshasa in the van of battle, Iravat became
inflamed with rage and adopted steps for himself having recourse to
illusion. And when that hero, never retreating from battle, became
inflamed with wrath, a Naga related to him by his mother's side, came to
him. Surrounded on all sides, in that battle by Nagas, that Naga, O king,
assumed a huge form mighty as Ananta himself. With diverse kinds of Nagas
then he covered the Rakshasa. While being covered by those Nagas, that
bull among Rakshasas reflected for a moment, and assuming the form of
Garuda, he devoured those snakes. When that Naga of his mother's line was
devoured through illusion, Iravat became confounded. And while in that
state, the Rakshasa slew him with his sword, Alamvusha felled on the
earth Iravat's head decked with ear-rings and graced with a diadem and
looking beautiful like a lotus or the moon.

"When the heroic son of Arjuna was thus slain by the Rakshasa, the
Dhartarashtra host with all the kings (in it) were freed from grief. In
that great battle that was so fierce, awful was the carnage that occurred
among both the divisions. Horses and elephants and foot-soldiers
entangled with one another, were slain by tuskers. And many steeds and
tuskers were slain by foot-soldiers. And in that general engagement
bodies of foot-soldiers and cars, and large numbers of horses belonging
both to thy army and theirs, were slain. O king, by car-warriors.
Meanwhile, Arjuna, not knowing that the son of his loins had been
slaughtered, slew in that battle many kings who had been protecting
Bhishma. And the warriors, O king, of thy army and the Srinjayas, by
thousands, poured out their lives as libations (on the fire of battle),
striking one another. And many car-warriors, with dishevelled hair, and
with swords and bows fallen from their grasp fought with their bare arms,
encountering one another. The mighty Bhishma also, with shafts capable of
penetrating into the very vitals, slew many mighty car-warriors and
caused the Pandava army to tremble (the while). By him were slain many
combatants in Yudhishthira's host, and many tuskers and cavalry-soldiers
and car-warriors and steeds. Beholding, O Bharata, the prowess of Bhishma
in that battle, it seemed to us that it was equal to that of Sakra
himself. And the prowess of Bhimasena, as also that of Parshata, was
hardly less, O Bharata, (than that of Bhishma). And so also the battle
fought by that great bowman (viz., Satyaki) of Satwata's race, was
equally fierce. Beholding, however, the prowess of Drona, the Pandavas
were struck with fear. Indeed they thought, 'Alone, Drona can slay us
with all our troops. What then should be said of him when he is
surrounded by a large body of warriors who for their bravery are renowned
over the world? Even this, O king, was what the Partha said, afflicted by
Drona. During the progress of that fierce battle, O bull of Bharata's
race, the brave combatants of neither army forgave their adversaries of
the other. O sire, the mighty bowmen of both thy army and that of the
Pandavas, inflamed with wrath, fought furiously with one another, as if
they were possessed of by the Rakshasas and demons. Indeed, he did not
see any one in the battle which was so destructive of lives and which was
considered as a battle of the demons, to take of life."



SECTION XCII

Dhritarashtra said, "Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that the mighty Partha did
in battle when they heard that Iravat had been slain."

Sanjaya said, "Beholding Iravat slain in battle, the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered loud shouts. And in
consequence of the loudness of those roars, the earth having the ocean
for her robes, along with her mountains and forests, began to tremble
violently. And the welkin also and the quarters both cardinal and
subsidiary, all trembled. And hearing those loud roars of his, O Bharata,
the thighs and other limbs of the troops began to tremble, and sweat also
appeared on their persons. And all thy combatants, O king, became
cheerless of heart. And all over the field the warriors stood still, like
an elephant afraid of the lion. And the Rakshasa, uttering those loud
roars resembling the rattle of thunder, assuming a terrible form, and
with a blazing spear upraised in hand, and surrounded by many bulls among
Rakshasas of fierce forms armed with diverse weapons, advanced, excited
with rage and resembling the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.
Beholding him advance in wrath and with a terrible countenance, and
seeing also his own troops almost all running away from fear of that
Rakshasa, king Duryodhana rushed against Ghatotkacha, taking up his bow
with arrow fixed on the string, and repeatedly roaring like a lion.
Behind him proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand
elephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down. Beholding
thy son, O king, (thus) advancing surrounded by that elephant division,
that ranger of the night (viz., Ghatotkacha) was highly inflamed with
rage. Then commenced a battle with utmost vehemences that made the hair
stand on end, between the formidable Rakshasa and the troops of
Duryodhana. And beholding also that elephant division risen (on the
horizon) like a cloud, the Rakshasas, inflamed with rage, rushed towards
it, weapons in hand, and uttering diverse roars like clouds charged with
lightning. With arrows and darts and swords and long shafts, as also with
spears and mallets and battle-axes and short arrows, they began to smite
down that elephant host. And they slew huge elephants with
mountain-summits and large trees. While the Rakshasas slew those
elephants, O king, we saw that some of them had their frontal globes
smashed, some were bathed in blood, and some had their limbs broken or
cut through. At last when that elephant host was broken and thinned,
Duryodhana, O king, rushed upon the Rakshasas, under the influence of
rage and becoming reckless of his very life. And that mighty warrior sped
clouds of sharp shafts at the Rakshasas. And that great bowman slew many
of their foremost warriors. Inflamed with rage, O chief of the Bharatas,
that mighty car-warrior, viz., thy son Duryodhana, then slew with four
shafts four of the principal Rakshasas, viz., Vegavat, Maharudra,
Vidyujihva, and Pramathin. And once again, O chief of the Bharatas, that
warrior of immeasurable soul, sped at the Rakshasa host showers of arrows
that could with difficulty be resisted. Beholding that great feat of thy
son, O sire, the mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath. Drawing
his large bow effulgent as the lightning, he rushed impetuously at the
wrathful Duryodhana. Beholding him (thus) rushing like Death himself
commissioned by the Destroyer, thy son Duryodhana, O king, shook not at
all. With eyes red in anger, and excited with rage, Ghatotkacha, then,
addressing thy son, said, 'I shall today be freed from the debt I owe to
my sires, as also to my mother, they that had so long been exiled by thy
cruel self. The sons of Pandu, O king, were vanquished by thee in that
match at dice. Drupada's daughter Krishna also, while ill and, therefore,
clad in a single raiment, was brought into the assembly and great trouble
was given by thee in diverse ways, O thou most wicked, unto her. While
dwelling also in her sylvan retreat, thy well-wisher, that wicked wight,
viz., the ruler of the Sindhus, persecuted her further, disregarding my
sires. For these and other wrongs, O wretch of thy race, I shall today
take vengeance if thou dost not quit the field.' Having said these words,
Hidimva's son, drawing his gigantic bow, biting his (nether) lip with his
teeth, and licking the corners of his mouth, covered Duryodhana with a
profuse shower, like a mass of clouds covering the mountain-breast with
torrents of rain in the rainy season."



SECTION XCIII

Sanjaya said,--"That arrowy shower, difficult of being borne by even the
Danavas, king Duryodhana, however, (quietly) bore in that battle, like a
gigantic elephant bearing a shower (from the blue).[442] Then filled with
anger and sighing like a snake, thy son, O bull of Bharata's race, was
placed in a position of great danger. He then shot five and twenty sharp
arrows of keen points. These, O king, fell with great force on that bull
among Rakshasas, like angry snakes of virulent poison on the breast of
Gandhamadana. Pierced with those shafts, blood trickled down the
Rakshasa's body and he looked like an elephant with rent temples.[443]
Thereupon that cannibal set his heart upon the destruction of the (Kuru)
king. And he took up a huge dart that was capable of piercing even a
mountain. Blazing with light, effulgent as a large meteor, it flamed with
radiance like the lightning itself. And the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha,
desirous of slaying thy son, raised that dart. Beholding that dart
upraised, the ruler of the Vangas mounting upon an elephant huge as a
hill, drove towards the Rakshasa. On the field of battle, with the mighty
elephant of great speed, Bhagadatta placed himself in the very front of
Duryodhana's car. And with that elephant he completely shrouded the car
of thy son. Beholding then the way (to Duryodhana's car) thus covered by
the intelligent king of the Vangas, the eyes of Ghatotkacha, O king,
became red in anger. And he ruled that huge dart, before upraised, at
that elephant. Struck, O king, with that dart hurled from the arms of
Ghatotkacha, that elephant, covered with blood and in great agony, fell
down and died. The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping
down from that elephant, alighted on the ground. Duryodhana then
beholding the prince of elephants slain, and seeing also his troops
broken and giving way, was filled with anguish. From regard, however, for
a Kshatriya's duty[444] as also his own pride, the king, though defeated,
stood firm like a hill. Filled with wrath and aiming a sharp arrow that
resembled the Yuga fire in energy, he sped it at that fierce wanderer of
the night. Beholding that arrow, blazing as Indra's bolt, thus coursing
towards him, the high-souled Ghatotkacha baffled it by the celerity of
his movements. With eyes red in wrath, he once more shouted fiercely,
frightening all thy troops, like the clouds that appear at the end of the
Yuga. Hearing those fierce roars of the terrible Rakshasa, Bhishma the
son of Santanu, approaching the preceptor, said these words, 'These
fierce roars that are heard, uttered by Rakshasas, without doubt indicate
that Hidimva's son is battling with king Duryodhana. That Rakshasa is
incapable of being vanquished in battle by any creature. Therefore,
blessed be ye, go thither and protect the king. The blessed Duryodhana
hath been attacked by the high-souled Rakshasa. Therefore, ye chastisers
of foes, even this is our highest duty.[445]' Hearing those words of the
grandsire, those mighty car-warriors without loss of time and with the
utmost speed, proceeded to the spot when the king of the Kurus was. They
met Duryodhana and Somadatta and Valhika and Jayadratha; and Kripa and
Bhurisravas and Salya, and the two princes of Avanti along with
Vrihadvala, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Chitrasena and Vivinsati.
And many thousands of other car-warriors, including all those that
followed them, proceeded, desirous of rescuing thy son Duryodhana who had
been hotly pressed. Beholding that invincible division protected by those
mighty car-warriors, coming towards him with hostile intentions, that
best of Rakshasas, viz., the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, stood firm like
the Mainaka mountain, with a huge bow in hand, and surrounded by his
kinsmen armed with clubs and mallets and diverse other kinds of weapons.
Then commenced a fierce battle, making the hair stand on end, between
those Rakshasas on the one side and that foremost of Duryodhana's
divisions on the other. And the loud noise of twanging bows in that
battle was heard, O king, on all sides resembling the noise made by
burning bamboos. And the din produced by the weapons falling upon the
coats of mail of the combatants resembled, O king, the noise of splitting
hills. And the lances, O monarch, hurled by heroic arms, while coursing
through the welkin, looked like darting snakes. Then, excited with great
wrath and drawing his gigantic bow, the mighty-armed prince of the
Rakshasas, uttering a loud roar, cut off, with a crescent-shaped arrow,
the preceptor's bow in a rage. And overthrowing, with another
broad-headed arrow, the standard of Somadatta, he uttered a loud yell.
And he pierced Valhika with three shafts in the centre of the chest. And
he pierced Kripa with one arrow, and Chitrasena with three. And with
another arrow, well-armed and well-sped from his bow drawn to its fullest
stretch, he struck Vikarna at the shoulder-joint. Thereupon the latter,
covered with gore, sat down on the terrace of his car. Then that Rakshasa
of immeasurable soul, excited With rage, O bull of Bharata's race, sped
at Bhurisravas five and ten shafts. These, penetrating through the
latter's armour, entered the earth. He then struck the chariot of
Vivingsati and Aswatthaman. These fell down on the front of their cars,
relinquishing the reins of the steeds. With another crescent-shaped shaft
he overthrew the standard of Jayadratha bearing the device of a boar and
decked with gold. And with a second arrow he cut off the latter's bow.
And with eyes red in wrath, he slew with four shafts the four steeds of
the high-souled king of Avanti. And with another arrow, O king,
well-tempered and sharp, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest
stretch, he pierced king Vrihadvala. Deeply pierced and exceedingly
pained, the latter sat down on the terrace of his car. Filled with great
wrath and seated on his car, the prince of the Rakshasas then shot many
bright arrows of keen points that resembled snakes of virulent poison.
These, O king, succeeded in piercing Salya accomplished in battle."



SECTION XCIV

Sanjaya said, "Having in that battle made all those warriors (of thy
army) turn their faces from the field, the Rakshasa then, O chief of the
Bharatas, rushed at Duryodhana, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him
rushing with great impetuosity towards the king, many warriors of thy
army, incapable of defeat in battle, rushed towards him (in return) from
desire of slaying him. Those mighty car-warriors, drawing their bows that
measured full six cubits long, and uttering loud roars like a herd of
lions, all rushed together against that single warrior. And surrounding
him on all sides, they covered him with their arrowy showers like the
clouds covering the mountain-breast with torrents of rain in autumn.
Deeply pierced with those arrows and much pained, he resembled then an
elephant pierced with the hook. Quickly then he soared up into the
firmament like Garuda. And (while there) he uttered many loud roars like
the autumnal clouds, making the welkin and all the points of the compass,
cardinal and subsidiary, resounded with those fierce cries. Hearing those
roars of the Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, king Yudhishthira then,
addressing Bhima, said unto that chastiser of foes these words, 'The
noise that we hear uttered by the fiercely-roaring Rakshasa, without
doubt, indicates that he is battling with the mighty car-warriors of the
Dhartarashtra army. I see also that the burden has proved heavier than
what that bull among Rakshasas is able to bear. The grandsire, too,
excited with rage, is ready to slaughter the Panchalas. For protecting
them Phalguni is battling with the foe. O thou of mighty arms hearing now
of these two tasks, both of which demand prompt attention, go and give
succour to Hidimva's son who is placed in a position of very great
danger.' Listening to these words of his brother, Vrikodara, with great
speed, proceeded, frightening all the kings with his leonine roars, with
great impetuosity, O king, like the ocean itself during the period of the
new full moon. Him followed Satyadhriti and Sauchiti difficult of being
vanquished in battle, and Srenimat, and Vasudana and the powerful son of
the ruler of Kasi, and many car-warriors headed by Abhimanyu, as also
those mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, and the valiant
Kshatradeva, and Kshatradharman, and Nila, the ruler of the low
countries, at the head of his own forces. And these surrounded the son of
Hidimva with a large division of cars (for aiding him).[446] And they
advanced to the rescue of Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, with
the six thousand elephants, always infuriate and accomplished in smiting.
And with their loud leonine roars, and the clatter of their car-wheels,
and with the tread of their horse's hoofs, they made the very earth to
tremble. Hearing the din of those advancing warriors the faces of thy
troops who were filled with anxiety in consequence of their fear of
Bhimasena became pale. Leaving Ghatotkacha then they all fled away. Then
commenced in that part of the field a dreadful battle between those
high-souled warriors and thine, both of whom were unretreating. Mighty
car-warriors, hurling diverse kinds of the weapons, chased and smote one
another. That fierce battle striking terror into the hearts of the timid,
was such that the different classes of combatants became entangled with
one another. Horses engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers with
car-warriors. And challenging one another, O king, they engaged in the
fight.[447] And in consequence of that clash of cars, steeds, elephants,
and foot-soldiers, a thick dust appeared, raised by the car-wheels and
the tread (of those combatants and animals). And that dust, thick and of
the colour of reddish smoke, shrouded the field of battle. And the
combatants were unable to distinguish their own from the foe. Sire
recognised not the son, and son recognised not the sire, in that dreadful
engagement which made the hair stand on end and in which no consideration
was shown (by any one for any body). And the noise made by the hissing
weapons and the shouting combatants resembled, O chief of Bharata's race,
that made by departed spirits (in the infernal regions). And there flowed
a river whose current consisted of the blood of elephants and steeds and
men. And the hair (of the combatants) formed its weeds and moss. And in
that battle heads falling from the trunks of men made a loud noise like
that of a falling shower of stones. And the earth was strewn with the
headless trunks of human beings, with mangled bodies of elephants and
with the hacked limbs of steeds. And mighty car-warriors chased one
another for smiting one another down, and hurled diverse kinds of
weapons. Steeds, urged by their riders and falling upon steeds, dashed
against one another and fell down deprived of life. And men, with eyes
red in wrath, rushing against men and striking one another with their
chests, smote one another down. And elephants, urged by their guides
against hostile elephants, slew their compeers in that battle, with the
points of their tusks. Covered with blood in consequence of their wounds
and decked with standards (on their backs), elephants were entangled with
elephants and looked like masses of clouds charged with lightning. And
some amongst them mounted (by others) with the points of their tusks, and
some with their frontal globes split with lances, ran hither and thither
with loud shrieks like masses of roaring clouds. And some amongst them
with their trunks lopped off,[448] and others with mangled limbs, dropped
down in that dreadful battle like mountains shorn of their wings.[449]
Other huge elephants, copiously shedding blood from their flanks, ripped
open by compeers, looked like mountains with (liquified) red chalk
running down their sides (after a shower).[450] Others, slain with shafts
or pierced with lances and deprived of their riders, looked like
mountains deprived of their crests.[451]Some amongst them, possessed by
wrath and blinded (with fury) in consequence of the juice (trickling down
their temples and cheeks).[452] and no longer restrained with the hook,
crushed cars and steeds and foot-soldiers in that battle by hundreds. And
so steeds, attacked by horsemen with bearded darts and lances, rushed
against their assailants, as if agitating the points of the compass.
Car-warriors of noble parentage and prepared to lay down their lives,
encountering car-warriors, fought fearlessly, relying upon their utmost
might. The combatants, O king, seeking glory or heaven, struck one
another in that awful press, as if in a marriage by self-choice. During
however, that dreadful battle making the hair stand on end, the
Dhartarashtra troops generally were made to run their backs on the field."

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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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