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

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




"Vaisampayana continued, 'And the low-minded and foolish Uttara out of
folly alone, began to bewail (his fate) in the presence of the
high-spirited (Arjuna) disguised (as his charioteer) in these words, 'My
father hath gone out to meet the Trigartas taking with him his whole
army, leaving me in the empty city. There are no troops to assist me.
Alone and a mere boy who has not undergone much exercise in arms, I am
unable to encounter these innumerable warriors and all skilled in
weapons. Do thou, therefore, O Vrihannala, cease to advance!'

"Vrihannala said, 'Why dost thou look so pale through fear and enhance
the joy of thy foes? As yet thou hast done nothing on the field of battle
with the enemy. It was thou that hadst ordered me, saying, Take me
towards the Kauravas. I will, therefore, take thee, thither where those
innumerable flags are. I will certainly take thee, O mighty-armed one,
into the midst of the hostile Kurus, prepared to fight as they are for
the kine like hawks for meat. I would do this, even if I regarded them to
have come hither for battling for a much higher stake such as the
sovereignty of the earth. Having, at the time of setting out, talked
before both men and women so highly of thy manliness, why wouldst thou
desist from the fight? If thou shouldst return home without recapturing
the kine, brave men and even women, when they meet together, will laugh
at thee (in derision). As regards myself, I cannot return to the city
without having rescued the kine, applauded as I have been so highly by
the Sairindhri in respect of my skill in driving cars. It is for those
praises by the Sairindhri and for those words of thine also (that I have
come). Why should I not, therefore, give battle to the Kurus? (As regards
thyself), be thou still.'

"Uttara said, 'Let the Kurus rob the Matsyas off all their wealth. Let
men and women, O Vrihannala, laugh at me. Let my kine perish, let the
city be a desert. Let me stand exposed before my father. Still there is
no need of battle.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Saying this, that much affrighted prince decked
in ear-ring jumped down from his car, and throwing down his bow and
arrows began to flee, sacrificing honour and pride. Vrihannala, however,
exclaimed, 'This is not the practice of the brave, this flight of a
Kshatriya from the field of battle. Even death in battle is better than
flight from fear.' Having said this, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, coming
down from that excellent car ran after that prince thus running away, his
own long braid and pure red garments fluttering in the air. And some
soldiers, not knowing that it was Arjuna who was thus running with his
braid fluttering in the air, burst out into laughter at the sight. And
beholding him thus running, the Kurus began to argue, 'Who is this
person, thus disguised like fire concealed in ashes? He is partly a man
and partly a woman. Although bearing a neuter form, he yet resembleth
Arjuna. His are the same head and neck, and his the same arms like unto a
couple of maces. And this one's gait also is like unto his. He can be
none else than Dhananjaya. As Indra is among the celestials, so
Dhananjaya is among men. Who else in this world than Dhananjaya, would
alone come against us? Virata left a single son of his in the empty city.
He hath come out from childishness and not from true heroism. It is
Uttara who must have come out of the city, having, without doubt, made as
a charioteer Arjuna, the son of Pritha, now living in disguise. It seems
that he is now flying away in panic at sight of our army. And without
doubt Dhananjaya runneth after him to bring him back.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Beholding the disguised son of Pandu, the
Kauravas, O Bharata, began to indulge in these surmises, but they could
not come to any definite conclusion. Meanwhile, Dhananjaya, hastily
pursuing the retreating Uttara, seized him by the hair within a hundred
steps. And seized by Arjuna, the son of Virata began to lament most
woefully like one in great affliction, and said, 'Listen, O good
Vrihannala, O thou of handsome waist. Turn thou quickly the course of the
car. He that liveth meeteth with prosperity. I will give thee a hundred
coins of pure gold and eight lapis lazuli of great brightness set with
gold, and one chariot furnished with a golden flag-staff and drawn by
excellent steeds, and also ten elephants of infuriate prowess. Do thou, O
Vrihannala, set me free.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, that tiger among men laughingly
dragged Uttara who was almost deprived of his senses and who was uttering
these words of lamentation towards the car. And the son of Pritha then
addressed the affrighted prince who had nearly lost his senses, saying,
'If, O chastiser of foes, thou dost not venture to fight with enemy, come
thou and hold the reins of the steeds as I fight with the foe. Protected
by the might of my arms, penetrate thou yon formidable and invincible
array of cars guarded by heroic and mighty warriors. Fear not, O
chastiser of foes, thou art a Kshatriya and the foremost of royal
princess. Why dost thou, O tiger among men, succumb in the midst of the
foe? I shall surely fight with the Kurus and recover the kine,
penetrating into this formidable and inaccessible array of cars. Be thou
my charioteer, O best of men, I will fight with the Kurus.' Thus speaking
unto Uttara, the son of Virata, Vibhatsu, heretofore unconquered in
battle, for a while comforted him. And then the son of Pritha, that
foremost of smiters, raised on the car that fainting and reluctant prince
stricken with fear!'"



SECTION XXXIX

"Vaisampayana said, 'Beholding that bull among men seated on the car in
the habit of a person of the third sex, driving toward the Sami tree,
having taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors of the
Kurus with Bhishma and Drona at their head, became affrighted at heart,
suspecting the comer to be Dhananjaya. And seeing them so dispirited and
marking also the many wonderful portents, that foremost of all wielders
of arms, the preceptor Drona, son of Bharadwaja, said, 'Violent and hot
are the winds that below, showering gravels in profusion. The sky also is
overcast with a gloom of ashy hue. The clouds present the strange sight
of being dry and waterless. Our weapons also of various kinds are coming
out of their cases. The jackals are yelling hideously affrighted at the
conflagrations on all sides.[41] The horses too are shedding tears, and
our banners are trembling though moved by none. Such being the
inauspicious indications seen, a great danger is at hand. Stay ye with
vigilance, Protect ye your own selves and array the troops in order of
battle. Stand ye, expecting a terrible slaughter, and guard ye well the
kine. This mighty bowman, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, this
hero that hath come in the habit of a person of the third sex, is the son
of Pritha. There is no doubt of this.' Then addressing Bhishma, the
preceptor continued, 'O offspring of the Ganges, apparelled as a woman,
this is Kiriti called after a tree, the son of the enemy of the
mountains, and having on his banner the sign of devastator of the gardens
of Lanka's lord. Vanquishing us he will surely take away the kine today!
[42] This chastiser of foes is the valiant son of Pritha surnamed
Savyasachin. He doth not desist from conflict even with the gods and
demons combined. Put to great hardship in the forest he cometh in wrath.
Taught by even Indra himself, he is like unto Indra in battle. Therefore,
ye Kauravas, I do not see any hero who can withstand him. It is said that
the lord Mahadeva himself, disguised in the attire of a hunter, was
gratified by this son of Pritha in battle on the mountains of Himavat.'
Hearing these words, Karna said, 'You always censure us by speaking on
the virtues of Falguna, Arjuna, however, is not equal to even a full
sixteenth part of myself or Duryodhana!' And Duryodhana said, 'If this be
Partha, O Radheya, then my purpose hath already been fulfilled, for then,
O king, if traced out, the Pandavas shall have to wander for twelve years
again. Or, if this one be any other person in a eunuch's garb, I will
soon prostrate him on the earth with keen-edged arrows.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The son of Dhritarashtra, O chastiser of foes,
having said this, Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son all
applauded his manliness!'"



SECTION XL

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having reached that Sami tree, and having
ascertained Virata's son to be exceedingly delicate and inexperienced in
battle, Partha addressed him, saying, 'Enjoined by me, O Uttara, quickly
take down (from this tree) some bows that are there. For these bows of
thine are unable to bear my strength, my heavy weight when I shall grind
down horses and elephants, and the stretch of my arms when I seek to
vanquish the foe. Therefore, O Bhuminjaya, climb thou up this tree of
thick foliage, for in this tree are tied the bows and arrows and banners
and excellent coats of mail of the heroic sons of Pandu, viz.,
Yudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu and the twins. There also is that bow
of great energy, the Gandiva of Arjuna, which singly is equal to many
thousands of other bows and which is capable of extending the limits of a
kingdom. Large like a palmyra tree, able to bear the greatest stress, the
largest of all weapons, capable of obstructing the foe, handsome, and
smooth, and broad, without a knot, and adorned with gold, it is stiff and
beautiful in make and beareth the heaviest weight. And the other bows
also that are there, of Yudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu and the
twins, are equally mighty and tough.'"



SECTION XLI

"Uttara said, 'It hath been heard by us that a corpse is tied in this
tree. How can I, therefore, being a prince by birth, touch it with my
hands? Born in the Kshatriya order, and the son of a great king, and
always observant of mantras and vows, it is not becoming of me to touch
it. Why shouldst thou, O Vrihannala, make me a polluted and unclean
bearer of corpses, by compelling me to come in contact with a corpse?'

"Vrihannala said, 'Thou shalt, O king of kings, remain clean and
unpolluted. Do not fear, there are only bows in this tree and not
corpses. Heir to the king of the Matsyas, and born in a noble family, why
should I, O prince, make thee do such a reproachable deed?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Partha, Virata's son, decked in
ear-rings, alighted from the car, and climbed up that Sami tree
reluctantly. And staying on the car, Dhananjaya, that slayer of enemies,
said, unto him, 'Speedily bring thou down those bows from the top of the
tree. And cutting off their wrappings first and then the ropes with which
they were tied, the prince beheld the Gandiva there along with four other
bows. And as they were united, the splendour of those bows radiant as the
sun, began to shine with great effulgence like unto that of the planets
about the time of their rising. And beholding the forms of those bows, so
like unto sighing snakes, he become afflicted with fear and in a moment
the bristles of his body stood on their ends. And touching those large
bows of great splendour, Virata's son, O king, thus spake unto Arjuna!'"



SECTION XLII

"Uttara said, 'To what warrior of fame doth this excellent bow belong, on
which are a hundred golden bosses and which hath such radiant ends? Whose
is this excellent bow of good sides and easy hold, on the staff of which
shine golden elephants of such brightness? Whose is this excellent bow,
adorned with three scores of Indragoapkas [43] of pure gold, placed on
the back of the staff at proper intervals? Whose is this excellent bow,
furnished with three golden suns of great effulgence, blazing forth with
such brilliancy? Whose is this beautiful bow which is variegated with
gold and gems, and on which are golden insects set with beautiful stones?
Whose are these arrows furnished with wing around, numbering a thousand,
having golden heads, and cased in golden quivers? Who owneth these large
shafts, so thick, furnished with vulturine wings whetted on stone,
yellowish in hue, sharp-pointed, well-tempered, and entirely made of
iron? Whose is this sable quiver, [44] bearing five images of tigers,
which holdeth shafts intermixed with boar-eared arrows altogether
numbering ten? Whose are these seven hundred arrows, long and thick,
capable of drinking (the enemy's) blood, and looking like the
crescent-shaped moon? [45] Whose are these gold-crested arrows whetted on
stones, the lower halves of which are well-furnished with wings of the
hue of parrots' feather and the upper halves, of well-tempered steels?
[46] Whose is this excellent sword irresistible, and terrible to
adversaries, with the mark of a toad on it, and pointed like a toad's
head? [47] Cased in variegated sheath of tiger-skin, whose is this large
sword of excellent blade and variegated with gold and furnished with
tinkling bells? Whose is this handsome scimitar of polished blade and
golden hilt? Manufactured in the country of the Nishadas, irresistible,
incapable of being broken, whose is this sword of polished blade in a
scabbard of cow-skin? Whose is this beautiful and long sword, sable in
hue as the sky, mounted with gold, well-tempered, and cased in a sheath
of goat-skin? Who owneth this heavy, well-tempered, and broad sword, just
longer than the breadth of thirty fingers, polished by constant clash
with other's weapons and kept in a case of gold, bright as fire? Whose is
this beautiful scimitar of sable blade covered with golden bosses,
capable of cutting through the bodies of adversaries, whose touch is as
fatal as that of a venomous snake which is irresistible and exciteth the
terror of foes? Asked by me, O Vrihannala, do thou answer me truly. Great
is my wonder at the sight of all these excellent objects.'"



SECTION XLIII

"Vrihannala said, 'That about which thou hath first enquired is Arjuna's
bow, of world-wide fame, called Gandiva, capable of devastating hostile
hosts. Embellished with gold, this Gandiva, the highest and largest of
all weapons belonged to Arjuna. Alone equal unto a hundred thousand
weapons, and always capable of extending the confines of kingdoms, it is
with this that Partha vanquisheth in battle both men and celestials.
Worshipped ever by the gods, the Danavas and the Gandharvas and
variegated with excellent colours, this large and smooth bow is without a
knot or stain anywhere. Shiva held it first for a thousand years.
Afterwards Prajapati held it for five hundred and three years. After that
Sakra, for five and eighty years. And then Soma held it for five hundred
years. And after that Varuna held it for a hundred years. And finally
Partha, surnamed Swetavahana,[48] hath held it for five and sixty
years.[49] Endued with great energy and of high celestial origin, this is
the best of all bows. Adored among gods and men, it hath a handsome form.
Partha obtained this beautiful bow from Varuna. This other bow of
handsome sides and golden handle is Bhima's with which that son of
Pritha, that chastiser of foes, had conquered the whole of the eastern
regions. This other excellent bow of beautiful shape, adorned with images
of Indragopakas, belongeth, O Virata's son, to king Yudhishthira. This
other weapon with golden suns of blazing splendour shedding a dazzling
effulgence around, belongeth to Nakula. And this bow adorned with golden
images of insects and set also with gems and stones, belongeth to that
son of Madri who is called Sahadeva. These winged arrows, thousand in
number, sharp as razors and destructive as the poison of snakes, belong,
O Virata's son, to Arjuna. When shooting them in battle against foes,
these swift arrows blaze forth more brilliantly and become inexhaustible.
And these long and thick shafts resembling the lunar crescent in shape,
keen-edged and capable of thinning the enemy's ranks, belong to Bhima.
And this quiver bearing five images of tigers, full of yellowish shafts
whetted on stone and furnished with golden wings belong to Nakula. This
is the quiver of the intelligent son of Madri, with which he had
conquered in battle the whole of the western regions. And these arrows,
all effulgent as, the sun, painted all over with various colours, and
capable of destroying enemies by thousands are those of Sahadeva. And
these short and well-tempered and thick shafts, furnished with long
feathers and golden heads, and consisting of three knots, belong to king
Yudhishthira. And this sword with blade long and carved with the image of
a toad and head shaped as a toad's mouth, strong and irresistible
belongeth to Arjuna. Cased in a sheath of tiger-skin, of long blade,
handsome and irresistible, and terrible to adversaries, this sword
belongeth to Bhimasena. Of excellent blade and cased in a well-painted
sheath, and furnished with a golden hilt, this handsome sword belongeth
to the wise Kaurava--Yudhishthira the just. And this sword of strong
blade, irresistible and intended for various excellent modes of fight and
cased in a sheath of goat-skin, belongeth to Nakula. And this huge
scimitar, cased in a sheath of cow-skin, strong and irresistible
belongeth to Sahadeva.'"



SECTION XLIV

"Uttara said, 'Indeed, these weapons adorned with gold, belonging to the
light-handed and high-souled Partha, look exceedingly beautiful. But
where are that Arjuna, the son of Pritha, and Yudhishthira of the Kuru
race, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu? Having
lost their kingdom at dice, the high-souled Pandavas, capable of
destroying all foes, are no longer heard of. Where also is Draupadi, the
princess of Panchala, famed as the gem among women, who followed the sons
of Pandu after their defeat at dice to the forest?'

"Arjuna said, 'I am Arjuna, called also Partha. Thy father's courtier is
Yudhishthira and thy father's cook Vallava is Bhimasena, the groom of
horses is Nakula, and Sahadeva is in the cow-pen. And know thou that the
Sairindhri is Draupadi, for whose sake the Kichakas have been slain.'

"Uttara said, 'I would believe all this if thou canst enumerate the ten
names of Partha, previously heard by me!'

"Arjuna said, 'I will, O son of Virata, tell thee my ten names. Listen
thou and compare them with what thou hadst heard before. Listen to them
with close attention and concentrated mind. They are Arjuna, Falguna,
Jishnu, Kiritin, Swetavahana, Vibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachin and
Dhananjaya."

"Uttara said, 'Tell me truly why art thou called Vijaya, and why
Swetavahana. Why art thou named Krishna and why Arjuna and Falguna and
Jishnu and Kiritin and Vibhatsu, and for what art thou Dhananjaya and
Savyasachin? I have heard before about the origin of the several names of
that hero, and can put faith in thy words if thou canst tell me all about
them.'

"Arjuna said, 'They called me Dhananjaya because I lived in the midst of
wealth, having subjugated all the countries and taking away their
treasures. They called me Vijaya because when I go out to battle with
invincible kings, I never return (from the field) without vanquishing
them. I am called Swetavahana because when battling with the foe, white
horses decked in golden armour are always yoked unto my car. They call me
Falguna because I was born on the breast of the Himavat on a day when the
constellation Uttara Falguna was on the ascendent. I am named Kiritin
from a diadem, resplendent like the sun, having been placed of old on my
head by Indra during my encounter with the powerful Danavas. I am known
as Vibhatsu among gods and men, for my never having committed a
detestable deed on the battle-field. And since both of my hands are
capable of drawing the Gandiva, I am known as Savyasachin among gods and
men. They call me Arjuna because my complexion is very rare within the
four boundaries of the earth and because also my acts are always
stainless. I am known among human beings and celestials by the name of
Jishnu, because I am unapproachable and incapable of being kept down, and
a tamer of adversaries and son of the slayer of Paka. And Krishna, my
tenth appellation, was given to me by my father out of affection towards
his black-skinned boy of great purity.'

"Vaisampayana continued, "The son of Virata then, approaching nearer
saluted Partha and said, 'My name is Bhuminjaya, and I am also called
Uttara. It is by good luck, O Partha, that I behold thee. Thou art
welcome, O Dhananjaya. O thou with red eyes, and arms that are mighty and
each like unto the trunk of an elephant, it behoveth thee to pardon what
I said unto thee from ignorance. And as wonderful and difficult have been
the feats achieved by thee before, my fears have been dispelled, and
indeed the love I bear to thee is great.'"



SECTION XLV

"Uttara said, 'O hero, mounting on this large car with myself as driver,
which division of the (hostile) army wouldst thou penetrate? Commanded by
thee, I would drive thee thither?'

"Arjuna said, 'I am pleased with thee, O tiger among men. Thou hast no
cause of fear. I will rout all thy foes in battle, O great warrior, And,
O thou of mighty arms, be at thy ease. Accomplishing great and terrible
feats in the melee, I will fight with thy foes. Tie quickly all those
quivers to my car, and take (from among those) a sword of polished blade
and adorned with gold.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, Uttara cast off
all inactivity. And he speedily alighted from the tree, bringing with him
Arjuna's weapons. Then Arjuna addressed him, saying, 'Yes, I will fight
with the Kurus and recover thy kine. Protected by me, the top of this car
will be to thee as a citadel. The passages and alleys and other divisions
of this car will be the streets and edifices of that fortified city.
These my arms will be its ramparts and gateways. This treble pole and my
quiver will constitute defensive works inaccessible to the foe. This my
banner--single and grand--will it not alone be equal unto those of thy
city? This my bow-string will constitute the catapults and cannons for
vomiting forth missiles on the besiezing ghost. My excited wrath will
make that fortress formidable, and the clatter of my car-wheels--will it
not resemble the kettle-drums of thy capital? Ridden by myself wielding
the Gandiva, this car will be incapable of being vanquished by the
hostile host, O son of Virata, let thy fear be dispelled.'

"Uttara said, 'I am no longer afraid of these. I know thy steadiness in
battle, which is even like unto that of Kesava or Indra himself. But
reflecting on this, I am continually bewildered. Foolish as I am, I am
incapable of arriving at certain conclusion. By what distressful
circumstances could a person of such handsome limbs and auspicious signs
become deprived of manhood! Indeed, thou seemest to me to be Mahadeva, or
Indra, or the chief of the Gandharvas, dwelling in the guise only of one
of the third sex.'

"Arjuna said, 'I tell thee truly that I am only observing this vow for a
whole year agreeable to the behest of my elder brother. O thou of mighty
arms, I am not truly one of the neuter sex, but I have adopted this vow
of eunuchism from subservience to another's will and from desire of
religious merit. O prince, know me now to have completed my vow.'

"Uttara said, 'Thou hast conferred a great favour on me today, for I now
find that my suspicion was not altogether unfounded. Indeed, such a
person as thou, O best of men, cannot be of the neuter sex. I have now an
ally in battle. I can now fight with the celestials themselves. My fears
have been dispelled. What shall I do? Command me now. Trained in driving
cars by a learned preceptor I will, O bull among men, hold the reins of
thy horses that are capable of breaking the ranks of hostile cars. Know
me, O bull among men, to be as competent a charioteer as Daruka of
Vasudeva, or Matali of Sakra. The horse that is yoked unto the right-hand
pole (of thy car) and whose hoofs as they light on the ground are
scarcely visible when running, is like unto Sugriva of Krishna. This
other handsome horse, the foremost of his race, that is yoked unto the
left pole, is, I regard, equal in speed to Meghapushpa. This (third)
beautiful horse, clad in golden mail, yoked unto the rear-pole on the
left, is, I regard, Sivya equal in speed to but superior in strength. And
this (fourth) horse, yoked to the rear-pole on the right, is regarded as
superior to Valahaka in speed and strength. This car is worthy of bearing
on the field of battle a bowman like thee, and thou also art worthy of
fighting on this car. This is what I think!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Arjuna, endued with great energy, took off
the bracelets from his arms and wore on his hands a pair of beautiful
gloves embroidered with gold. And he then tied his black and curling
locks with a piece of white cloth. And seated on that excellent car with
face turned to the east, the mighty-armed hero, purifying his body and
concentrating his soul, recalled to his mind all his weapons. And all the
weapons came, and addressing the royal son of Partha, said, 'We are here,
O illustrious one. We are thy servants, O son of Indra.' And bowing unto
them, Partha received them unto his hands and replied unto them, saying,
'Dwell ye all in my memory.' And obtaining all his weapons, the hero
looked cheerful. And quickly stringing his bow, the Gandiva, he twanged
it. And the twang of that bow was as loud as the collision of two mighty
bulls. And dreadful was the sound that filled the earth, and violent was
the wind that blew on all sides. And thick was the shower of fallen
meteors [50] and all sides were enveloped in gloom. And the birds began
to totter in the skies and large trees began to shake. [51] And loud as
the burst of the thunder, the Kurus knew from that sound that it was
Arjuna that drew with his hands the string of his best of bows from his
car. And Uttara said, 'Thou, O best of Pandavas, art alone. These mighty
car-warriors are many. How wilt thou vanquish in battle all these that
are skilled in every kind of weapon? Thou, O son of Kunti, art without a
follower, while the Kauravas have many. It is for this, O thou of mighty
arms, that I stay beside thee, stricken with fear.' Bursting out into
loud laughter, Partha said unto him, 'Be not afraid, O hero, what
friendly follower had I while fighting with the mighty Gandharvas on the
occasion of the Ghoshayatra? Who was my ally while engaged in the
terrific conflict at Khandava against so many celestials and Danavas? Who
was my ally when I fought, on behalf of the lord of the celestials
against the mighty Nivatakavachas and the Paulomas! And who was my ally,
O child, while I encountered in battle innumerable kings at the
Swayamvara to the princess of Panchala? Trained in arms by the preceptor
Drona, by Sakra, and Vaisravana, and Yama, and Varuna, and Agni, and
Kripa, and Krishna of Madhu's race, and by the wielder of the Pinaka
(Siva), why shall I not fight with these? Drive thou my car speedily, and
let thy heart's fever be dispelled.'"

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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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