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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3






63

"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Karna also began, with his arrowy showers, to
afflict the mighty car-warriors of the Kaikayas, viz., those great bowmen
that stood before him. Indeed, the son of Radha despatched to Yama's
abode full five hundred of those warriors that were employed in checking
him in that battle. Beholding the son of Radha to be irresistible in that
battle, those warriors, afflicted with the arrows of their assailant,
repaired to the presence of Bhimasena. Breaking that car-force into many
parts by means of his arrows, Karna, singly and riding on that same car
of his, pursued Yudhishthira, who then, exceedingly mangled with arrows
and almost insensible, was proceeding slowly for reaching the Pandava
encampment with Nakula and Sahadeva on his two sides. Having approached
the king, the Suta's son, from desire of doing good to Duryodhana,
pierced the son of Pandu with three formidable arrows. In return, the
king pierced Radha's son in the centre of the chest and then his driver
with three shafts. Then those two scorchers of foes, viz., the twin sons
of Madri, those two protectors of Yudhishthira's car-wheels, rushed
towards Karna so that the latter might not succeed in slaying the king.
Then Nakula and Sahadeva, both shooting showers of shafts with great
care, covered the son of Radha therewith. The valiant son of the Suta,
however, in return, pierced those two high-souled chastisers of foes with
two broad-headed arrows of great sharpness. The son of Radha then slew
Yudhishthira's excellent steeds, white as ivory and fleet as the mind,
and having black hair in their tails. Then, smiling the while, the Suta's
son, that great bowman, with another broadheaded shaft, felled the
head-gear of Kunti's son. Similarly, the valiant Karna, having slain the
steeds of Nakula, cut off the car shafts and bow of that intelligent son
of Madri. Those two steedless and carless sons of Pandu,--those two
brothers,--thereupon ascended the car of Sahadeva. Beholding those two
brothers made carless, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., their
maternal uncle, the ruler of the Madras, moved by compassion, addressed
the son of Radha and said, "Thou art to fight today with Pritha's son
Phalguna. Why dost thou then, with rage inflamed to such a pitch, battle
with Dharma's royal son? Thou art suffering thy weapons to be exhausted.
Thy own armour is being weakened. With thy shafts reduced, and without
quivers, with thy driver and steeds fatigued, and thyself mangled by foes
with weapons, when thou wilt approach Partha, O son of Radha, thou wilt
be an object of derision and mirth." Though thus addressed by the ruler
of the Madras, Karna still, filled with rage, continued to assail
Yudhishthira in battle. And he continued to pierce the two sons of Madri
by Pandu with many keen arrows. Smiling the while, by means of his shafts
he made Yudhishthira turn his face from the battle. Then Shalya,
laughing, once more said unto Karna as the latter, excited with great
wrath and resolved upon Yudhishthira's destruction stood on his car,
these words, "Him for whose sake Dhritarashtra's son always honours thee,
slay that Partha, O son of Radha. What wouldst thou gain by slaying
Yudhishthira? The two Krishnas are blowing their conchs, whose loud blare
is being heard. The twang also of Arjuna's bow is being heard, like the
roar of the clouds in the season of rains. There, Arjuna, striking down
the foremost of our car-warriors with his arrowy down-pours, is devouring
all our troops. Behold him, O Karna, in this battle. The two that are
protecting his rear are Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja. The brave Satyaki is
protecting his left wheel, and Dhrishtadyumna is protecting his right
wheel. There, Bhimasena is fighting with the royal son of Dhritarashtra.
Act in such way, O son of Radha, that Bhima may not be able to slay the
king today in the sight of us all,--that the king may, indeed, escape
him. Behold, Duryodhana is brought under the power of Bhimasena, that
ornament of battle. Approaching if thou canst rescue him, it will,
indeed, be a very wonderful feat. Going thither, rescue the king, for a
great peril has overtaken him. What wilt thou gain by slaying the sons of
Madri or king Yudhishthira?" Hearing these words of Shalya, O lord of
Earth, and beholding Duryodhana overpowered by Bhima in that dreadful
battle, the valiant son of Radha, thus urged by the words of Shalya and
exceedingly desirous of rescuing the king, left Ajatasatru and the twin
sons of Madri by Pandu, and rushed for rescuing thy son. He was borne by
his steeds that were fleet as birds and that were urged by the ruler of
the Madras. After Karna had gone away, Kunti's son Yudhishthira
retreated, borne, O sire, by the fleet steeds of Sahadeva. With his twin
brothers accompanying him, that ruler of men, quickly repairing in shame
to the (Pandava) camp, his body exceedingly mangled with shafts, alighted
from the car and hastily sat down on an excellent bed. The, arrows then
being extracted from his body, the royal son of Pandu, his heart
exceedingly afflicted with sorrow's dart, addressed his two brothers,
viz., those two mighty car-warriors, the sons of Madri, saying, "Repair
quickly to the division of Bhimasena. Roaring like a cloud, Vrikodara is
engaged in battle." Riding another car, Nakula, that bull among
car-warriors, and Sahadeva of great energy,--those two brothers, those
two crushers of foes,--both endued with great might, then proceeded
towards Bhima, borne by steeds of the utmost fleetness. Indeed, the
brothers having together repaired to Bhimasena's division, took up their
places there.'"



64

"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Drona's son, surrounded by a large car-force, O
king, suddenly proceeded to that spot where Partha was. Like the
continent withstanding the surging ocean, the heroic Partha having Saurin
(Krishna) for his help-mate withstood the impetuously rushing
Ashvatthama. Then, O monarch, the valiant son of Drona, filled with rage,
covered both Arjuna and Vasudeva with his shafts. Beholding the two
Krishnas shrouded with arrows, the great car-warriors (of the Pandava
army), as also the Kurus that witnessed it, wondered exceedingly. Then
Arjuna, as if smiling, invoked into existence a celestial weapon. The
brahmana Ashvatthama, however, O Bharata, baffled that weapon in that
battle. Indeed, all those weapons that Arjuna sped from desire of slaying
the son of Drona were baffled by the latter, that great bowman, in that
encounter. During the progress of that awful encounter of weapons, O
king, we beheld the son of Drona to resemble the Destroyer himself, with
gaping mouth. Having covered all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, with straight arrows, he pierced Vasudeva with three arrows
in the right arm. Then Arjuna, slaying all the steeds of his high-souled
assailant, caused the Earth in that battle to be covered with a river of
blood that was exceedingly awful that led towards the other world, and
that had diverse kinds of creatures floating on it. All the spectators
beheld a large number of car-warriors along with their cars, belonging to
the division of Ashvatthama, slain and destroyed by means of the arrows
sped from Partha's bow. Ashvatthama also, slaying his enemies, caused a
terrible river of blood to flow there that led to Yama's domains. During
the progress of that fierce and awful battle between Drona's son and
Partha, the combatants fought without showing any regard for one another,
and rushed hither and thither. In consequence of cars having their steeds
and drivers slain, and steeds having their riders slain, and elephants
having their riders and guides slain, an awful carnage, O king, was made
by Partha in that battle! Car-warriors, deprived of life with shafts sped
from Partha's bow, fell down. Steeds freed from their trappings ran
hither and thither. Beholding those feats of Partha, that ornament of
battle, that valiant son of Drona quickly approached the former, that
foremost of victorious men, shook his formidable bow decked with gold,
and then pierced him from every side with many sharp arrows. Once more
bending the bow, O king, the son of Drona cruelly struck Arjuna, aiming
at the chest, with a winged arrow. Deeply pierced by Drona's son, O
Bharata, in that encounter, the wielder of gandiva, that hero of great
intelligence forcibly covered the son of Drona with showers of arrows,
and then cut off his bow. His bow cut off Drona's son then, taking up a
spiked mace whose touch resembled that of thunder's, hurled it, in that
encounter, at the diadem-decked Arjuna. The son of Pandu, however, O
king, as if smiling the while, suddenly cut off that spiked mace decked
with gold, as it advanced towards him. Thus cut off with Partha's shafts,
it fell down on the Earth, like a mountain, O king, broken into pieces,
struck with the thunderbolt. Filled with rage at this, Drona's son, that
great car-warrior, began to cover Vibhatsu, aided by the energy of the
aindra weapon. Beholding that shower of arrows spread over the welkin
through the aindra weapon, Partha, endued with great activity, O king,
taking up his bow gandiva, and fixing on his bowstring a mighty weapon
created by Indra, destroyed that aindra-shower of arrows. Having baffled
that arrowy shower caused by the aindra weapon, Partha soon covered the
car of Drona's son (with his own arrows). The son of Drona, however,
overwhelmed with Partha's shafts, penetrated through that shower of
arrows shot by the son of Pandu, and approaching the latter, invoked a
mighty weapon and suddenly pierced Krishna with hundred shafts and Arjuna
with three hundred small arrows. Then Arjuna pierced the son of his
preceptor with a hundred arrows in all his vital limbs. And then he
poured many arrows on the steeds and driver and the bowstring of Drona's
son in the very sight of thy warriors. Having pierced Drona's son in
every vital part, Pandu's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then felled
his adversary's driver from the car-niche with a broad-headed arrow.
Drona's son, however, himself, taking up the reins, covered Krishna with
many arrows. The activity of prowess that we then beheld in Drona's son
was exceedingly wonderful, since he guided his steeds while he fought
with Phalguni. That feat of his in battle, O king, was applauded by all
the warriors. Then Vibhatsu, otherwise called Jaya, smiling the while,
quickly cut off the traces of Ashvatthama's steeds in that battle, with a
razor-faced arrow. Already afflicted by the energy of Arjuna's shafts,
the steeds of Drona's son thereupon ran away. Then a loud noise arose
from thy troops, O Bharata! Meanwhile the Pandavas, having obtained the
victory, and desiring to improve it, rushed against thy troops, shooting
from all sides sharp arrows at them. The vast Dhartarashtra host, then, O
king, was repeatedly broken by the heroic Pandavas inspired with desire
of victory, in the very sight, O monarch, of thy sons, conversant with
all modes of warfare, and of, Shakuni the son of Subala, and of Karna, O
king! Though sought to be stopped, O king, by thy sons, that great army,
afflicted on all sides, stayed not on the field. Indeed, a confusion set
in among the vast terrified host of thy son in consequence of many
warriors flying away on all sides. The Suta's son loudly cried out,
saying "Stay, Stay!" but thy army, slaughtered by many high-souled
warriors, did not stay on the field. Loud shouts were uttered then, O
monarch, by the Pandavas, inspired with this desire of victory, on
beholding the Dhartarashtra host flying away on all sides. Then
Duryodhana addressing Karna from affection, "Behold, O Karna, how our
army, exceedingly afflicted by the Pandavas, though thou art here, is
flying away from battle! Knowing this, O thou of mighty arms, do that
which is suited to the hour, O chastiser of foes! Thousands of (our)
warriors, routed by the Pandavas, are O hero, calling after thee only, O
best of men!" Hearing these grave words of Duryodhana, the son of Radha,
as if smiling, said these words unto the ruler of the Madras, "Behold the
prowess of my arms and the energy of my weapons, O ruler of men! Today I
will slay all the Pancalas and the Pandavas in battle! Cause the steeds
to proceed with my car, O tiger among men! Without doubt, everything will
be as I have said!" Having said these words, the Suta's son of great
valour, that hero, taking up his ancient and foremost of bows called
Vijaya, stringed it and rubbed the string repeatedly. Bidding the troops
stay on the field after having assured them upon his truth and by an
oath, the mighty Karna of immeasurable soul fixed on his bow-string the
weapon known by the name of Bhargava. From that weapon flowed, O king,
millions and millions of keen arrows in that great battle. Entirely
shrouded with those blazing and terrible arrows winged with feathers of
Kankas and peacocks, the Pandava army could not see anything. Loud wails
of woe arose from among the Pancalas, O king, afflicted, in that battle,
with the mighty Bhargava weapon. In consequence then of elephants, O
king, and steeds, by thousands, and cars, O monarch, and men, falling on
all sides, deprived of life, the Earth began to tremble. The vast force
of the Pandavas became agitated from one extremity to another. Meanwhile
Karna, that scorcher of foes, that foremost of warriors, that tiger among
men, while consuming his foes, looked resplendent like a smokeless fire.
Thus slaughtered by Karna, the Pancalas and the Cedis began to lose their
senses all over the field like elephants during the conflagration in a
forest. Those foremost of men, O tiger among men, uttered loud roars like
those of the tiger. Loud became the wails of woe, like those of living
creatures at the universal dissolution that were uttered by those crying
combatants struck with panic and running wildly on all sides, O king, of
the field of battle and trembling with fear. Beholding them thus
slaughtered, O sire, by the Suta's son, all creatures, even beasts and
birds, were filled with fear. The Srinjayas then, thus slaughtered in
battle by the Suta's son, repeatedly called upon Arjuna and Vasudeva like
the spirits of the dead within Yama's dominions calling upon Yama to
rescue them. Hearing those wails of the troops slaughtered with Karna's
shafts, and beholding the terrible bhargava weapon invoked into existence
Kunti's son Dhananjaya said unto Vasudeva these words, "Behold, O Krishna
of mighty arms, the prowess of the bhargava weapon! It cannot, by any
means, be baffled! Behold the Suta's son also, O Krishna, filled with
rage in this great battle and resembling the Destroyer himself, in
prowess and employed in achieving such a fierce feat! Urging his steeds
incessantly, he is repeatedly casting angry glances upon me! I will never
be able to fly away from Karna in battle! The person that is living, may,
in battle, meet with either victory or defeat. To the man, however, that
is dead, O Hrishikesha, even death is victory. How can defeat be his that
is dead?" Thus addressed by Partha, Krishna replied unto that foremost of
intelligent men and chastiser of foes, these words that were suitable to
the occasion, "The royal son of Kunti hath been deeply wounded and
mangled by Karna. Having seen him first and comforted him, thou wilt
then, O Partha, slay Karna?" Then Keshava proceeded, desirous of
beholding Yudhishthira, thinking that Karna meanwhile, O monarch, would
be overwhelmed with fatigue! Then Dhananjaya, himself desirous of
beholding the king afflicted with arrows, quickly proceeded on that car,
avoiding the battle, at Keshava's command. While the son of Kunti was
thus proceeding from desire of seeing king Yudhishthira the just, he cast
his eyes on every part of the army but failed to find his eldest brother
anywhere on the field. The son of Kunti proceeded, O Bharata, having
fought with the son of his preceptor Drona, and having vanquished that
hero incapable of being resisted by the wielder of the thunderbolt
himself.'"



65

"Sanjaya said, 'Having vanquished the son of Drona and achieved a mighty
and heroic feat that is exceedingly difficult of accomplishment,
Dhananjaya, irresistible by foes, and with bow outstretched in his hands,
cast his eyes among his own troops. The brave Savyasaci, gladdening those
warriors of his that were still battling at the head of their divisions
and applauding those among them that were celebrated for their former
achievements, caused the carwarriors of his own army to continue to stand
in their posts. Not seeing his brother Yudhishthira of Ajamida's race,
the diadem-decked Arjuna, adorned, besides, with a necklace of gold,
speedily approached Bhima and enquired of him the whereabouts of the
king, saying, "Tell me, where is the king?" Thus asked, Bhima said, "King
Yudhishthira the just, hath gone away from this place, his limbs scorched
with Karna's shafts. It is doubtful whether he still liveth!" Hearing
those words, Arjuna said, "For this reason go thou quickly from the spot
for bringing intelligence of the king, that best of all the descendants
of Kuru! Without doubt, deeply pierced by Karna with shafts, the king
hath gone to the camp! In that fierce passage at arms, though deeply
pierced by Drona with keen shafts, the king endued with great activity,
had still stayed in battle, expectant of victory, until Drona was slain!
That foremost one among the Pandavas, possessed of great magnanimity, was
greatly imperilled by Karna in today's battle! For ascertaining his
condition, quickly go hence, O Bhima! I will stay here, checking all our
foes!" Thus addressed, Bhima said, "O thou of great glory, go thyself for
ascertaining the condition of the king, that bull amongst the Bharatas!
If, O Arjuna, I go there, many foremost of heroes will then say that I am
frightened in battle!" Then Arjuna said unto Bhimasena, "The samsaptakas
are before my division! Without slaying those assembled foes first, it is
impossible for me to stir from this place!' Then Bhimasena said unto
Arjuna, 'Relying upon my own might, O foremost one among the Kurus, I
will fight with all the samsaptakas in battle! Therefore, O Dhananjaya,
do thou go thyself!'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing in the midst of foes, those words of his
brother Bhimasena that were difficult of accomplishment, Arjuna, desiring
to see the king, addressed the Vrishni hero, saying, "Urge the steeds, O
Hrishikesha, leaving this sea of troops! I desire, O Keshava to see king
Ajatasatru!'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Just as he was on the point of urging the steeds,
Keshava, that foremost one of the Dasharhas, addressed Bhima, saying,
"This feat is not at all wonderful for thee, O Bhima! I am about to go
(hence). Slay these assembled foes of Partha!" Then Hrishikesha proceeded
with very great speed to the spot where king Yudhishthira was, O king,
borne by those steeds that resembled Garuda, having stationed Bhima, that
chastiser of foes, at the head of the army and having commanded him, O
monarch, to fight (with the samsaptakas). Then those two foremost of men,
(Krishna and Arjuna), proceeding on their car, approached the king who
was lying alone on his bed. Both of them, alighting from that car,
worshipped the feet of king Yudhishthira the just. Beholding that bull of
tigers among men safe and sound, the two Krishnas became filled with joy,
like the twin Ashvinis on seeing Vasava. The king then congratulated them
both like Vivasvat congratulating the twin Ashvinis, or like Brihaspati
congratulating Sankara and Vishnu after the slaughter of the mighty asura
Jambha. King Yudhishthira the just, thinking that Karna had been slain,
became filled with joy, and that scorcher of foes thereupon addressed
them in these words in a voice choked with delight.'"



66

"'Yudhishthira said, "Welcome, O thou that hast Devaki for thy mother,
and welcome to thee, O Dhananjaya! The sight of both of you, O Acyuta and
Arjuna, is exceedingly agreeable! I see that without being wounded
yourselves, you two, his foes, have slain the mighty car-warrior Karna!
He was in battle like unto a snake of virulent poison. He was
accomplished in all weapons. The leader of all the Dhartarashtras, he was
their armour and protector! While fighting he was always protected by
Vrishasena and by Sushena, both of whom are great bowmen! Of great
energy, he had received lessons from Rama in weapons! He was invincible
in battle! The foremost one in all the world, as a car-warrior he was
celebrated throughout all the worlds. He was the saviour of the
Dhartarashtras, and the proceeder in their van! A slayer of hostile
troops, he was the crusher of large bands of foes. Ever engaged in
Duryodhana's good, he was always prepared to inflict woe on us! He was
invincible in battle by the very gods with Vasava at their head. In
energy and might he was equal unto the god of fire and the god of wind.
In gravity he was unfathomable as the Nether world. The enhancer of the
joys of friends, he was like the Destroyer himself unto foes! Having
slain Karna (who was even so) in dreadful battle, by good luck it is that
you two have come, like a couple of celestials after vanquishing an
Asura! Today, O Acyuta and Arjuna, a great battle was fought between
myself exerting with might and that hero resembling the Destroyer
himself, while seeking to exterminate all creatures! My standard was cut
down, and my two Parshni drivers also were slain by him. I was also made
steedless and carless by him in the very sight of Yuyudhana, of
Dhrishtadyumna, of the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), of the heroic
Shikhandi, as also in the very sight of the sons of Draupadi, and all the
Pancalas! Having vanquished those innumerable foes, Karna of mighty
energy then vanquished me, O thou of mighty arms, although I exerted
myself resolutely in battle! Pursuing me then and without doubt,
vanquishing all my protectors, that foremost of warriors addressed me in
diverse harsh speeches. That I am still alive, O Dhananjaya, is due to
the prowess of Bhimasena. What more need I say? I am unable to bear that
humiliation! For thirteen years, O Dhananjaya, through fear of Karna, I
did not obtain any sleep by night or any comfort by day! Filled with
hatred of Karna, I burn, O Dhananjaya! Like the bird Vaddhrinasa I fled
from Karna, knowing that the time for my own destruction had come. The
whole of my time had passed in the thought as to how I would accomplish
the destruction of Karna in battle! Awake or asleep, O son of Kunti, I
always beheld Karna (with my mind's eye). Wherever I was, the universe
appeared to me to be full of Karna! Inspired with the fear of Karna,
wherever I used to go, O Dhananjaya, thither I beheld Karna standing
before my eyes! Vanquished in battle, with my steeds and car, by that
hero who never retreated from battle, alive I was let off by him! What
use have I of life or of kingdom either, since Karna, that ornament of
battle, today cried fie on me? That which I had never before met with at
the hands of Bhishma or Kripa or Drona in battle, that I met with today
at the hands of the Suta's son, that mighty car-warrior! It is for this,
O son of Kunti, that I ask thee today about thy welfare! Tell me in
detail how thou hast slain Karna today! In battle Karna was equal unto
Sakra himself. In prowess he was equal unto Yama. In weapons he was equal
unto Rama. How then hath he been slain? He was regarded as a mighty
car-warrior, conversant with all modes of warfare. He was the foremost of
all bowmen, and the one man amongst all men! O prince, the son of Radha
was always worshipped by Dhritarashtra and his son, for thy sake! How
then hath he been slain by thee? In all engagements, Dhritarashtra's son,
O Arjuna, used to regard Karna as thy death, O bull among men! How then,
O tiger among men, hath that Karna been slain by thee in battle? Tell me,
O son of Kunti, how that Karna hath been slain by thee! How, while he was
engaged in battle, didst thou, O tiger among men, strike off his head in
the very sight of all his friends like a tiger tearing off the head of a
ruru deer? That Suta's son who in battle searched all the points of the
compass for finding thee, that Karna who had promised to give a car with
six bulls of elephantine proportions unto him that would point thee out,
I ask: doth that Karna of wicked soul lie today on the bare ground, slain
with thy keen arrows equipped with kanka feathers? Having slain the
Suta's son in battle, thou hast accomplished a deed highly agreeable to
me! Encountering him in battle, hast thou really slain that Suta's son,
who, filled with arrogance and pride and bragging of his heroism, used to
search everywhere on the field of battle for thee? Hast thou, O sire,
really slain in battle that sinful wretch who used to always challenge
thee and who was desirous for thy sake of giving unto others a
magnificent car, made of gold along with a number of elephants and bulls
and steeds? Hast thou really slain today that sinful wight who was
exceedingly dear to Suyodhana, and who, intoxicated with pride of
heroism, used always to brag in the assembly of the Kurus? Encountered in
battle, doth that wretch lie today on the field, his limbs exceedingly
mangled with sky-ranging shafts sped by thee from thy bow and all steeped
in blood? Have the two arms of Dhritarashtra's son been (at last) broken?
Have those words been unfulfilled, uttered from folly by him who, filled
with pride, used to always boast in the midst of the kings for gladdening
Duryodhana, saying, 'I will slay Phalguna'? O son of Indra, hath that
Karna of little understanding been slain by thee today, that Suta's son
who made the vow that he would not wash his feet as long as Partha lived?
That Karna of wicked understanding who in the assembly; before the Kuru
chiefs, had addressed Krishna, saying, 'Why, O Krishna, dost thou not
abandon the Pandavas that are divested of might, exceedingly weak, and
fallen?' That Karna who had vowed for thy sake, saying that he would not
return from battle without having slain Krishna and Partha. I ask, doth
that Karna of sinful understanding lie today on the field, his body
pierced with shafts? Thou knowest the nature of the battle that took
place when the Srinjayas and the Kauravas encountered each other, the
battle in which I was brought to that distressful plight. Encountering
that Karna, hast thou slain him today? O Savyasaci, hast thou today, with
blazing shafts sped from gandiva, cut off from the trunk of that Karna of
wicked understanding his resplendent head decked with earrings? Pierced
with Karna's shafts today, I had, O hero, thought of thee (that thou
wouldst slay him)! Hast thou then, by the slaughter of Karna, made that
thought of mine true? In consequence of the protection granted him by
Karna, Suyodhana, filled with pride, always recked us little. Displaying
thy prowess, hast then today destroyed that refuge of Suyodhana? That
Suta's son of wicked soul, that Karna of great wrath, who had formerly,
in the presence of the Kauravas and in the midst of the assembly called
us sesame seeds without kernel, encountering that Karna in battle, hast
thou slain him today? That Suta's son of wicked soul who had, laughing
the while, commanded Duhshasana to forcibly drag Yajnasena's daughter won
in gambling by Subala's son, hath he been slain today by thee? That Karna
of little understanding who, having been counted as only half a
car-warrior during the tale of rathas and atirathas, had upbraided that
foremost of all wielders of weapons on Earth, our grandsire Bhishma, hath
he been slain by thee? Extinguish, O Phalguna, this fire in my heart that
is born of vindictiveness and is fanned by the wind of humiliation, by
telling me that thou hast slain Karna today, having encountered him in
battle! The news of Karna's slaughter is exceedingly agreeable to me.
Tell me, therefore, how the Suta's son hath been slain! Like the divine
Vishnu waiting for the arrival of Indra with the intelligence of Vritra's
slaughter, I had so long waited for thee, O hero!"'"

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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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