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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






74

"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Keshava, O Bharata, Vibhatsu soon
cast off his anxiety and became cheerful. Rubbing then the string of
gandiva and stretching it, he held his bow for the destruction of Karna,
and addressed Keshava, saying, 'With thee for my protector, O Govinda,
and when thou that art acquainted with the past and the future art
gratified with me today, victory is sure to be mine. Aided by thee, O
Krishna, I can, in great battle, destroy the three worlds assembled
together, what need be said of Karna then? I see the Pancala host is
flying away, O Janardana. I see also Karna careering fearlessly in
battle. I see too the bhargava weapon careering in all directions, having
been invoked by Karna, O thou of Vrishni's race, like the puissant
thunder invoked by Shakra. This is that battle in which Karna will be
slain by me and of which all creatures will speak as long as the earth
will last. Today, O Krishna, unbarbed arrows, impelled by my arms and
sped from the gandiva, mangling Karna, will take him to Yama. Today king
Dhritarashtra will curse that intelligence of his in consequence of which
he had installed Duryodhana, who was undeserving of sovereignty, on the
throne. Today, O mighty-armed one, Dhritarashtra will be divested of
sovereignty, happiness, prosperity, kingdom, city, and sons. I tell thee
truly, O Krishna, that today, Karna being slain, Duryodhana will become
hopeless of both life and kingdom. Today, beholding Karna cut in pieces
by me with my arrows, like Vritra in days of yore by Indra in the battle
between the gods and the asuras, let king Duryodhana call to mind the
words thou hast spoken for bringing about peace. Today let the son of
Subala, O Krishna, know that my shafts are dice, my gandiva the box for
throwing them, and my car, the chequered cloth. O Govinda, slaying Karna
with keen shafts I will dispel the long sleeplessness of Kunti's son.
Today the royal son of Kunti, upon the slaughter of the Suta's son by me,
shall be gratified and be of cheerful heart and obtain happiness for
ever. Today, O Keshava, I will shoot an irresistible and unrivalled arrow
that will deprive Karna of life. Even this, O Krishna, was the vow of
that wicked-souled one about my slaughter, viz., 'I will not wash my feet
till I slay Phalguna.' Falsifying this vow of that wretch, O slayer of
Madhu, I will, with straight shafts, throw down his body today from his
car. Today the earth will drink the blood of that Suta's son who in
battle condemns all other men on earth! With Dhritarashtra's approbation,
the Suta's son Karna, boasting of his own merits, had said, 'Thou hast no
husband now, O Krishna!' My keen shafts will falsify that speech of his.
Like angry snakes of virulent poison, they will drink his life-blood.
Cloth-yard shafts, of the effulgence of the lightning, shot by myself
possessed of mighty arms, sped from Gandiva, will send Karna on his last
journey. Today the son of Radha will repent for those cruel words that he
said unto the princess of Pancala in the midst of the assembly, in
disparagement of the Pandavas! They that were on that occasion sesame
seeds without kernel, will today become seeds with kernel after the fall
of the Suta's son Karna of wicked soul, otherwise called Vaikartana! 'I
will save ye from the sons of Pandu!'--even these were the words that
Karna, bragging of his own merits, said unto the sons of Dhritarashtra!
My keen shafts will falsify that speech of his! Today, in the very sight
of all the bowmen, I will slay that Karna who said, 'I will slay all the
Pancalas with their sons.' Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will slay that
Karna, that son of Radha, relying on whose prowess the proud son of
Dhritarashtra, of wicked understanding, always disregarded us. Today, O
Krishna, after Karna's fall, the Dhartarashtras with their king, struck
with panic, will fly away in all directions, like deer afraid of the
lion. Today let king Duryodhana repent upon the slaughter of Karna, with
his sons and relatives, by me in battle. Today, beholding Karna slain,
let the wrathful son of Dhritarashtra, O Krishna, know me to be the
foremost of all bowmen in battle. Today, I will make king Dhritarashtra,
with his sons and grandsons and counsellors and servants, shelterless.
Today, cranes and other carnivorous birds will, O Keshava, sport over the
limbs of Karna cut off into pieces with my shafts. Today, O slayer of
Madhu, I will cut off in battle the head of Radha's son Karna, in the
very sight of all the bowmen. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will cut off in
battle the limbs of Radha's son of wicked soul with keen vipathas and
razor-faced arrows. Today, the heroic king Yudhishthira will cast off a
great pain and a great sorrow cherished long in his heart. Today, O
Keshava, slaying the son of Radha, with all his kinsmen, I will gladden
king Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma. Today, I will slay the cheerless
followers of Karna in battle, with shafts resembling the blazing fire or
the poison of the snake. Today, with my straight shafts equipped with
vulturine feathers, I will, O Govinda, cause the earth to be strewn with
(the bodies of) kings cased in golden armour. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I
will, with keen shafts, crush the bodies and cut off the heads of all the
foes of Abhimanyu. Today, I will bestow the earth, divested of
Dhartarashtras on my brother, or, perhaps, thou, O Keshava, wilt walk
over the earth divested of Arjuna! Today, O Krishna, I will free myself
from the debt I owe to all bowmen, to my own wrath, to the Kurus, to my
shafts, and to gandiva. Today, I will be freed from the grief that I have
cherished for thirteen years, O Krishna, by slaying Karna in battle like
Maghavat slaying Samvara. Today, after I have slain Karna in battle, let
the mighty car-warriors of the Somakas, who are desirous of accomplishing
the task of their allies, regard their task as accomplished. I do not
know what will be the measure, O Madhava, of the joy of Sini's grandson
today after I shall have slain Karna and won the victory. Today, I will
slay Karna in battle as also his son, that mighty car-warrior, and give
joy to Bhima and the twins and Satyaki. Today, slaying Karna in dreadful
battle, I will pay off my debt, O Madhava, to the Pancalas with
Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi! Today let all behold the wrathful
Dhananjaya fight with the Kauravas in battle and slay the Suta's son.
Once more there is none equal to me in the world. In prowess also, who is
there that resembles me? What other man is there that is equal to me in
forgiveness? In wrath also, there is no one that is equal to me. Armed
with the bow and aided by the prowess of my arms, I can vanquish the
Asuras and the gods and all creatures united together. Know that my
prowess is higher than the highest. Alone assailing all the Kurus and the
Bahlikas with the fire of my shafts issuing from Gandiva, I will, putting
forth my might, burn them with their followers like a fire in the midst
of a heap of dry grass at the close of winter. My palms bear these marks
of arrows and this excellent and outstretched bow with arrow fixed on the
string. On each of the soles of my feet occur the mark of a car and a
standard. When a person like me goeth forth to battle, he cannot be
vanquished by any one." Having said these words unto Acyuta, that
foremost of all heroes, that slayer of foes, with blood red eyes,
proceeded quickly to battle, for rescuing Bhima and cutting off the head
from Karna's trunk.'"



75

"Dhritarashtra said, 'In that awful and fathomless encounter of the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas with the warriors of my army, when Dhananjaya,
O sire, proceeded for battle, how, indeed, did the fight occur?'

"Sanjaya said, 'The innumerable divisions of the Pandava army, decked
with lofty standards and swelling (with pride and energy) and united
together in battle, began to roar aloud, drums and other instruments
constituting their mouth, like masses of clouds at the close of summer
uttering deep roars. The battle that ensued resembled a baneful shower
out of season, cruel and destructive of living creatures. Huge elephants
were its clouds; weapons were the water they were to pour; the peal of
musical instruments, the rattle of car-wheels, and the noise of palms,
constituted their roar; diverse weapons decked with gold formed their
flashes of lightning; and arrows and swords and cloth-yard shafts and
mighty weapons constituted their torrents of rain. Marked by impetuous
onsets blood flowed in streams in that encounter. Rendered awful by
incessant strokes of the sword, it was fraught with a great carnage of
Kshatriyas. Many car-warriors, united together, encompassed one
car-warrior and despatched him to Yama's presence. Or, one foremost of
car-warriors despatched a single adversary, or one despatched many
adversaries united together. Again, some one car-warrior despatched to
Yama's abode some one adversary along with his driver and steeds. Some
one rider, with a single elephant, despatched many car-warriors and
horsemen. Similarly, Partha, with clouds of shafts, despatched large
number of cars with drivers and steeds, of elephants and horses with
their riders, and of foot-soldiers, belonging to the enemy. Kripa and
Shikhandi encountered each other in that battle, while Satyaki proceeded
against Duryodhana. And Srutasravas was engaged with Drona's son, and
Yudhamanyu with Citrasena. The great Srinjaya car-warrior Uttamauja was
engaged with Karna's son Sushena, while Sahadeva rushed against Shakuni,
the king of the Gandharas, like a hungry lion against a mighty bull. The
youthful Satanika, the son of Nakula, rushed against the youthful
Vrishasena, the son of Karna, shooting showers of shafts. The heroic son
of Karna struck that son of the princess of Pancala with many arrows.
Conversant with all modes of warfare, Madri's son Nakula, that bull among
car-warriors, assailed Kritavarma. The king of the Pancalas,
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Yajnasena, attacked Karna, the commander of
the Kaurava army, with all his forces. Duhshasana, O Bharata, with the
swelling host of the samsaptakas forming a portion of the Bharata army,
fiercely attacked in that battle Bhima, that foremost of warriors of
irresistible impetuosity. The heroic Uttamauja, putting forth his
strength struck the son of Karna and cut off his head which fell down on
the earth, filling the earth and the welkin with a loud noise. Beholding
the head of Sushena lying on the ground, Karna became filled with grief.
Soon, however, in rage he cut off the steeds, the car, and the standard,
of his son's slayer with many keen shafts. Meanwhile Uttamauja, piercing
with his keen shafts and cutting off with his bright sword the steeds of
Kripa and those warriors also that protected Kripa's sides, quickly
ascended the car of Shikhandi. Beholding Kripa deprived of his car,
Shikhandi who was on his vehicle, wished not to strike him with his
shafts. The son of Drona then, covering with his own the car of Kripa,
rescued the latter like a bull sunk in a mire. Meanwhile Bhima, the son
of the Wind-god clad in golden mail, began to scorch with his keen arrows
the troops of thy sons like the mid-day sun scorching everything in the
summer season.'"



76

"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of the fierce engagement, Bhima,
while fighting along, being encompassed by innumerable foes, addressed
his driver, saying, "Bear me into the midst of the Dhartarashtra host.
Proceed, O charioteer, with speed, borne by these steeds. I will despatch
all these Dhartarashtras to the presence of Yama." Thus urged by
Bhimasena, the charioteer proceeded, quickly and with great impetuosity,
against thy son's host to that spot whence Bhima desired to slaughter it.
Then a large number of Kaurava troops, with elephants and cars and horse
and foot, advanced against him from all sides. They then, from every
side, began to strike that foremost of vehicles belonging to Bhima, with
numerous arrows. The high-souled Bhima, however, with his own shafts of
golden wings, cut off all those advancing arrows of his enemies. Thus cut
off into two or three fragments with Bhima's arrows, those shafts,
equipped with golden wings, of his enemies, fell down on the earth. Then,
O king, amongst those foremost of Kshatriyas, struck with Bhima's shafts,
the elephants and cars and horse and foot, set up a loud wail, O monarch,
that resembled the din made by mountains when riven with thunder. Thus
struck by Bhima, those foremost of Kshatriyas, their limbs pierced with
Bhima's powerful shafts, rushed against Bhima in that battle from every
side, like new-fledged birds towards a tree. When thy troops thus rushed
against him, Bhima of furious impetuosity displayed all his vim like
Destroyer himself armed with a mace when he burns and exterminates all
creatures at the end of the Yuga. Thy soldiers were unable to resist in
that battle that fierce forcible energy of Bhima endued with fierce
impetuosity, like that of the Destroyer himself of wide open mouth when
he rusheth at the end of the Yuga for exterminating all creatures. Then,
O Bharata, like masses of clouds scattered by the tempest the Bharata
host, thus mangled and burnt in that battle by the high-souled Bhima,
broke and fled in fear in all directions. Then the mighty Bhimasena of
great intelligence once more cheerfully said unto his charioteer,
"Ascertain, O Suta, whether those assembled cars and standards that are
advancing towards me, are ours or the enemy's. Absorbed in battle, I am
unable to distinguish them. Let me not shroud our own troops with my
shafts. O Visoka, beholding hostile warriors and cars and the tops of
their standards on all sides, I am greatly afflicted. The king is in
pain. The diadem-decked Arjuna also has not yet come. These things, O
Suta, fill my heart with sorrow. Even this is my grief, O charioteer,
that king Yudhishthira the just should have gone away, leaving me in the
midst of the enemy. I do not know whether he, as also Vibhatsu, is alive
or dead. This adds to my sorrow. I shall, however, though filled with
great grief, destroy those hostile troops of great might. Thus
slaughtering in the midst of battle my assembled foes, I shall rejoice
with thee today. Examining all the quivers containing my arrows, tell me,
O Suta, ascertaining the matter well, what quantity of arrows is still
left on my car, that is, how much of what sort."

"'Thus commanded, Visoka said, "Of arrows, O hero, thou hast yet 60,000,
while thy razor-headed shafts number 10,000, and broad-headed ones number
as much. Of cloth-yard shafts thou hast still 2,000, O hero, and of
Pradaras thou hast still, O Partha, 3,000! Indeed, of the weapons, O son
of Pandu, the portion that still remains is not capable of being borne,
if placed on carts, by six bullocks. Shoot and hurl them, O learned one,
for of maces and swords and other weapons used with the arms alone, thou
hast thousands upon thousands, as also lances and scimitars and darts and
spears! Never fear that thy weapons will be exhausted."

"'Bhima said, "Behold, O Suta, today this awful battle in which
everything will be shrouded with my impetuous arrows sped fiercely from
my bow and, mangling all my foes, and in consequence of which the very
sun will disappear from the field, making the latter resemble the domains
of Death! Today, even this will be known to all the Kshatriyas including
the very children, O Suta, that Bhimasena hath succumbed in battle or
that, alone, he hath subjugated all the Kurus! Today, let all the
Kauravas fall in battle or let all the world applaud me, beginning with
the feats of my earliest years. Alone, I will overthrow them all, or let
all of them strike Bhimasena down. Let the gods that aid in the
achievement of the best acts bless me. Let that slayer of foes Arjuna
come here now like Sakra, duly invoked, quickly coming to a sacrifice.
Behold, the Bharata host is breaking! Why do those kings fly away? It is
evident that Savyasaci, that foremost of men, is quickly shrouding that
host with his shafts. Behold, those standards, O Visoka, and elephants
and steeds and bands of foot-soldiers are flying away. Behold, these
cars, assailed with shafts and darts, with those warriors riding on them,
are being scattered, O Suta! Yonder, the Kaurava host, assailed with the
shafts, equipped with wings of gold and feathers of peacocks, of
Dhananjaya, and resembling thunderbolts in force, though slaughtered
extensively, is repeatedly filling its gaps. There, cars and steeds and
elephants are flying away, crushing down bands of foot-soldiers. Indeed,
all the Kauravas, having lost their sense, are flying away, like
elephants filled with panic at a forest conflagration, and uttering cries
of woe. These huge elephants, again, O Visoka, are uttering loud cries,
assailed with shafts."

"'Visoka said, "How is it, O Bhima, that thou dost not hear the loud
twang of the yawning Gandiva stretched by Partha in wrath? Are these two
ears of thine gone? All thy wishes, O son of Pandu, have been fulfilled!
Yonder the Ape (on Arjuna's banner) is seen in the midst of the elephant
force (of the enemy). Behold, the string of Gandiva is flashing
repeatedly like lightning amid blue clouds. Yonder the Ape on
Dhananjaya's standard-top is everywhere seen to terrify hostile divisions
in this dreadful battle. Even I, looking at it, am struck with fear.
There the beautiful diadem of Arjuna is shining brilliantly. There, the
precious jewel on the diadem, endued with the splendour of the sun,
looketh exceedingly resplendent. There, beside him, behold his conch
Devadatta of loud blare and the hue of a white cloud. There, by the side
of Janardana, reins in hand, as he penetrates into the hostile army,
behold his discus of solar effulgence, its nave hard as thunder, and its
edge sharp as a razor. Behold, O hero, that discus of Keshava, that
enhancer of his fame, which is always worshipped by the Yadus. There, the
trunks, resembling lofty trees perfectly straight, of huge elephants, cut
off by Kiritin, are falling upon the earth. There those huge creatures
also, with their riders, pierced and split with shafts, are falling down,
like hills riven with thunder. There, behold, O son of Kunti, the
Panchajanya of Krishna, exceedingly beautiful and of the hue of the moon,
as also the blazing Kaustubha on his breast and his triumphal garland.
Without doubt, that first and foremost of all car-warriors, Partha, is
advancing, routing the hostile army as he comes, borne by his foremost of
steeds, of the hue of white clouds, and urged by Krishna. Behold those
cars and steeds and bands of foot-soldiers, mangled by thy younger
brother with the energy of the chief of the celestials. Behold, they are
falling down like a forest uprooted by the tempest caused by Garuda's
wings. Behold, four hundred car-warriors, with their steeds and drivers,
and seven hundred elephants and innumerable foot-soldiers and horsemen
slain in this battle by Kiritin with his mighty shafts. Slaughtering the
Kurus, the mighty Arjuna is coming towards thy side even like the
constellation Citra. All thy wishes are fulfilled. Thy foes are being
exterminated. Let thy might, as also the period of thy life, ever
increase."

"'Bhima said, "Since, O Visoka, thou tellest me of Arjuna's arrival, I
will give thee four and ten populous villages and a hundred female slaves
and twenty cars, being pleased with thee, O Suta, for this agreeable
intelligence imparted by thee!"'"



77

"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing the roars of cars and the leonine shouts (of the
warriors) in battle, Arjuna addressed Govinda, saying, "Urge the steeds
to greater speed." Hearing these words of Arjuna, Govinda said unto him,
"I am proceeding with great speed to the spot where Bhima is stationed."
Then many lions among men (belonging to the Kaurava army), excited with
wrath and accompanied by a large force of cars and horse and elephants
and foot-soldiers and making the earth resound with the whizz of their
arrows, the rattle of their car wheels, and the tread of their horses'
hoofs, advanced against Jaya (Arjuna) as the latter proceeded for
victory, borne by his steeds white as snow or conchs and decked in
trappings of gold and pearls and gems like the chief of the celestials in
great wrath proceeding, armed with the thunder, against (the asura)
Jambha for slaying him. Between them and Partha, O sire, occurred a great
battle destructive of body, life, and sin, like the battle between the
asuras and the god Vishnu, that foremost of victors for the sake of the
three worlds. Alone, Partha, decked with diadem and garlands, cut off the
mighty weapons sped by them, as also their heads and arms in diverse
ways, with his razor-faced and crescent-shaped and broad-headed arrows of
great keenness. Umbrellas, and yak-tails for fanning, and standards, and
steeds, and cars, and bands of foot-soldiers, and elephants, fell down on
the earth, mutilated in diverse ways, like a forest broken down by a
tempest. Huge elephants, decked in caparisons of gold and equipped with
triumphal standards and warriors (on their backs), looked resplendent, as
they were pierced with shafts of golden wings, like mountains ablaze with
light. Piercing elephants and steeds and cars with excellent shafts
resembling Vasava's thunder, Dhananjaya proceeded quickly for the
slaughter of Karna, even as Indra in days of yore for riving (the asura)
Vala. Then that tiger among men, that mighty-armed chastiser of foes,
penetrated into thy host like a makara into the ocean. Beholding the son
of Pandu, thy warriors, O king, accompanied by cars and foot-soldiers and
a large number of elephants and steeds, rushed against him. Tremendous
was the din made by them as they advanced against Partha, resembling that
made by the waters of the ocean lashed into fury by the tempest. Those
mighty car-warriors, resembling tigers (in prowess) all rushed in that
battle against that tiger among men, abandoning all fear of death.
Arjuna, however, routed the troops of those leaders of the Kurus as they
advanced, shooting at him showers of weapons, like a tempest driving off
masses of congregated clouds. Those great bowmen, all skilled in smiting,
united together and proceeded against Arjuna with a large number of cars
and began to pierce him with keen shafts. Then Arjuna, with his shafts,
despatched to Yama's abode several thousands of cars and elephants and
steeds. While those great car-warriors in that battle were thus struck
with shafts sped from Arjuna's bow, they were filled with fear and seemed
to disappear one after another from their cars. In all, Arjuna, with his
sharp arrows, slew four hundred of those heroic car-warriors exerting
themselves vigorously in battle. Thus struck in that battle with sharp
shafts of diverse kinds, they fled away on all sides, avoiding Arjuna.
Tremendous was the uproar made at the van of the army by those warriors
as they broke and fled, like that made by the surging sea when it breaks
upon a rock. Having routed with his arrows that army struck with fright,
Pritha's son Arjuna then proceeded, O sire, against the division of the
Suta's son. Loud was the noise with which Arjuna faced his foes, like
that made by Garuda in days of yore when swooping down for snakes.
Hearing that sound, the mighty Bhimasena, desirous as he had been of
obtaining a sight of Partha, became filled with joy. As soon as the
valiant Bhimasena heard of Partha's arrival, he began, O monarch, to
grind thy troops, reckless of his very life. Possessed of prowess equal
to that of the wind, the valiant Bhima, the son of the Wind-god, began to
career in that battle like the wind itself. Afflicted by him, O monarch,
thy army, O king, began to reel like a wrecked vessel on the bosom of the
sea. Displaying his lightness of hands, Bhima began to cut and mangle
that host with his fierce arrows and despatch large numbers to the abode
of Yama. Beholding on that occasion the superhuman might of Bhima, O
Bharata, like that of the Destroyer at the end of the Yuga, thy warriors
became filled with fright. Seeing his mightiest soldiers thus afflicted
by Bhimasena, O Bharata, king Duryodhana addressed all his troops and
great bowmen, O bull of Bharata's race, commanding them to slay Bhima in
that battle, since upon Bhima's fall he would regard the Pandava troops
already exterminated. Accepting that command of thy son, all the kings
shrouded Bhima with showers of shafts from every side. Innumerable
elephants, O king, and men inspired with desire of victory, and cars, and
horse, O monarch, encompassed Vrikodara. Thus encompassed by those brave
warriors on all sides, O king, that hero, that chief of Bharata's race,
looked resplendent like the Moon surrounded by the stars. Indeed, as the
Moon at full within his corona looks beautiful, even so that best of men,
exceedingly handsome, looked beautiful in that battle. All those kings,
with cruel intent and eyes red in wrath, inflicted upon Vrikodara their
arrowy downpours, moved by the desire of slaying him. Piercing that
mighty host with straight shafts, Bhima came out of the press like a fish
coming out of a net, having slain 10,000 unretreating elephants, 200,200
men, O Bharata, and 5,000 horses, and a hundred car-warriors. Having
slaughtered these, Bhima caused a river of blood to flow there. Blood
constituted its water, and cars its eddies; and elephants were the
alligators with which it teemed. Men were its fishes, and steeds its
sharks, and the hair of animals formed its woods and moss. Arms lopped
off from trunks formed its foremost of snakes. Innumerable jewels and
gems were carried along by the current. Thighs constituted its gravels,
and marrow its mire. And it was covered with heads forming its rocks. And
bows and arrows constituted the rafts by which men sought to cross that
terrible river, and maces and spiked bludgeons formed its snakes. And
umbrellas and standards formed its swans, and head-gears its foam.
Necklaces constituted its lotuses, and the earthy dust that arose formed
its waves. Those endued with noble qualities could cross it with ease,
while those that were timid and affrighted found it exceedingly difficult
to cross. Warriors constituting its crocodiles and alligators, it ran
towards the region of Yama. Very soon, indeed, did that tiger among men
cause that river to flow. Even as the terrible Vaitarani is difficult of
being crossed by persons of unrefined souls, that bloody river, terrible
and enhancing the fears of the timid, was difficult to cross. Thither
where that best of car-warriors, the son of Pandu, penetrated, thither he
felled hostile warriors in hundreds and thousands. Seeing those feats
achieved in battle by Bhimasena, Duryodhana, O monarch, addressing
Shakuni, said, "Vanquish, O uncle, the mighty Bhimasena in battle. Upon
his defeat the mighty host of the Pandavas may be regarded as defeated."
Thus addressed, O monarch, the valiant son of Subala, competent to wage
dreadful battle, proceeded, surrounded by his brothers. Approaching in
that battle Bhima of terrible prowess, the heroic Shakuni checked him
like the continent resisting the ocean. Though resisted with keen shafts,
Bhima, disregarding them all, proceeded against the sons of Subala. Then
Shakuni, O monarch, sped a number of cloth-yard shafts equipped with
wings of gold and whetted on stone, at the left side of Bhima's chest.
Piercing through the armour of the high-souled son of Pandu, those fierce
shafts, O monarch, equipped with feathers of Kankas and peacocks, sunk
deep into his body. Deeply pierced in that battle, Bhima, O Bharata,
suddenly shot at Subala's son a shaft decked with gold. The mighty
Shakuni however, that scorcher of foes, O king, endued with great
lightness of hands, cut off into seven fragments that terrible arrow as
it coursed towards him. When his shaft fell down on the earth, Bhima, O
king, became highly enraged, and cut off with a broad-headed arrow the
bow of Subala's son with the greatest ease. The valiant son of Subala
then, casting aside that broken bow, quickly took up another and six and
ten broad-headed arrows. With two of those straight and broad-headed
arrows, O monarch, he struck Bhima himself, with one he cut off Bhima's
standard, and with two, his umbrella. With the remaining four, the son of
Subala pierced the four steeds of his antagonist. Filled with rage at
this, the valiant Bhima, O monarch, hurled in that battle a dart made of
iron, with its staff adorned with gold. That dart, restless as the tongue
of a snake, hurled from Bhima's arms, speedily fell upon the car of the
high-souled son of Subala. The latter then, filled with wrath, O monarch,
took up that same gold-decked dart and hurled it back at Bhimasena.
Piercing through the left arm of the high-souled son of Pandu, it fell
down on the earth like lightning flashed down from the sky. At this, the
Dhartarashtras, O monarch, set up a loud roar all around. Bhima, however,
could not bear that leonine roar of his foes endued with great activity.
The mighty son of Pandu then, quickly taking up another stringed bow, in
a moment, O monarch, covered with shafts the soldiers of Subala's son in
that battle, who were fighting reckless of their very lives. Having slain
his four steeds, and then his driver, O king, Bhima of great prowess next
cut off his antagonist's standard with a broad-headed arrow without
losing a moment. Abandoning with speed that steedless car, Shakuni, that
foremost of men, stood on the ground, with his bow ready drawn in his
hands, his eyes red like blood in rage, and himself breathing heavily. He
then, O king, struck Bhima from every side with innumerable arrows. The
valiant Bhima, baffling those shafts, cut off Shakuni's bow in rage and
pierced Shakuni himself, with many keen arrows. Deeply pierced by his
powerful antagonist, that scorcher of foes, O king, fell down on the
earth almost lifeless. Then thy son, O monarch, seeing him stupefied,
bore him away from battle on his car in the very sight of Bhimasena. When
that tiger among men, Shakuni was thus taken up on Duryodhana's car, the
Dhartarashtra troops, turning their faces from battle, fled away on all
sides inspired with fear on that occasion of great terror due to
Bhimasena. Upon the defeat of Subala's son, O king, by that great bowman,
Bhimasena, thy son Duryodhana, filled with great fright, retreated, borne
away by his fleet steeds, from regard for his maternal uncle's life.
Beholding the king himself turn away from the battle, the troops, O
Bharata, fled away, from the encounters in which each of them had been
engaged. Seeing all the Dhartarashtra troops turn away from battle and
fly in all directions, Bhima rushing impetuously, fell upon them,
shooting many hundreds of shafts. Slaughtered by Bhima, the retreating
Dhartarashtras, O king, approaching the spot where Karna was, once more
stood for battle, surrounding him. Endued with great might and great
energy, Karna then became their refuge. Finding Karna, O bull of
Bharata's race, thy troops became comforted and stood cheerfully, relying
upon one another, like shipwrecked mariners, O tiger of men, in their
distressful plight, when at last they reach an island. They then, once
more, making death itself their goal, proceeded against their foes for
battle.'"

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

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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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