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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






12

"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing his driver fallen, Shalya, O king, quickly took up
his mace made wholly of iron and stood immovable as a bull. Bhima,
however, armed with his mighty mace, rushed impetuously towards Shalya
who then looked like the blazing Yuga-fire, or the Destroyer armed with
the noose, or the Kailasa mountain with its formidable crest, or Vasava
with his thunder, or Mahadeva with his trident, or an infuriate elephant
in the forest. At that time the blare of thousands of conchs and trumpets
and loud leonine roars arose there, enhancing the delight of heroes. The
combatants of both armies, looking at those two foremost of warriors from
every side, applauded them both, saying, "Excellent, Excellent! Save the
ruler of the Madras, or Rama, that delighter of the Yadus, there is none
else that can venture to endure the impetuosity of Bhima in battle.
Similarly, save Bhima, there is no other warrior that can venture to
endure the force of the mace of the illustrious king of the Madras in
battle." Those two combatants then, Vrikodara and the ruler of the
Madras, roaring like bulls, careered in circles, frequently jumping up in
the air. In that encounter between those two lions among men, no
difference could be noticed between them either in respect of their
careering in circles or of their wielding the mace. The mace of Shalya,
wrapped round with a resplendent cloth of gold that looked like a sheet
of fire, inspired the spectators with dread. Similarly, the mace of the
high-souled Bhima, as the latter careered in circles, looked like
lightning in the midst of the clouds. Struck by the ruler of the Madras
with his mace, the mace of Bhima, O king, produced sparks of fire in the
welkin which thereupon seemed to be ablaze. Similarly, struck by Bhima
with his mace, the mace of Shalya produced a shower of blazing coals
which seemed exceedingly wonderful. Like two gigantic elephants striking
each other with their tusks, or two huge bulls striking each other with
their horns, those two heroes began to strike each other with their
foremost of maces, like a couple of combatants striking each other with
iron bound clubs. Their limbs being struck with each other's mace, they
soon became bathed in blood and looked handsomer in consequence like two
flowering Kinsukas. Struck by the ruler of the Madras on both his left
and right, the mighty-armed Bhimasena stood immovable like a mountain.
Similarly, though struck repeatedly with the force of Bhima's mace,
Shalya, O king, moved not, like a mountain assailed by an elephant with
his tusks. The noise made by the blows of the maces of those two lions
among men was heard on all sides like successive peals of thunder. Having
ceased for a moment, those two warriors of great energy once more began,
with uplifted maces, to career in closer circles. Once more the clash
took place between those two warriors of superhuman feats, each having
advanced towards the other by eight steps, and each assailing the other
with his uplifted iron club. Then, wishing to get at each other, they
once more careered in circles. Both accomplished (in the use of the mace)
they began to display their superiority of skill. Uplifting their
terrible weapons, they then again struck each other like mountains
striking each other with their crests at the time of an earthquake.
Exceedingly crushed with each other's mace in consequence of each other's
strength, both those heroes fell down at the same time like a couple of
poles set up for Indra's worship. The brave combatants then of both
armies, at that sight, uttered cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" Struck with
great force in their vital limbs, both of them had become exceedingly
agitated. Then the mighty Kripa, taking up Shalya, that bull among the
Madras, on his own car, quickly bore him away from the field of battle.
Within, however, the twinkling of an eye, Bhimasena, rising up, and still
reeling as if drunk, challenged, with uplifted mace, the ruler of the
Madras. Then the heroic warriors of thy army, armed with diverse weapons,
fought with the Pandavas, causing diverse musical instruments to be blown
and beat. With uplifted arms and weapons and making a loud noise, O
monarch, thy warriors headed by Duryodhana rushed against the Pandavas.
Beholding the Kaurava host, the sons of Pandu, with leonine roars, rushed
against those warriors headed by Duryodhana. Then thy son, O bull of
Bharata's race, singling out Chekitana amongst those rushing heroes,
pierced him deeply with a lance in the chest. Thus assailed by thy son,
Chekitana fell down on the terrace of his car, covered with blood, and
overcome with a deep swoon. Beholding Chekitana slain, the great
car-warriors among the Pandavas incessantly poured their arrowy showers
(upon the Kauravas). Indeed, the Pandavas, inspired with desire of
victory, O monarch, careered beautifully on all sides amongst thy
divisions. Kripa, and Kritavarma, and the mighty son of Subala, placing
the ruler of the Madras before them, fought with king Yudhishthira the
just. Duryodhana, O monarch, fought with Dhrishtadyumna, the slayer of
Bharadwaja's son, that hero endued with abundant energy and prowess.
3,000 cars, O king, despatched by thy son and headed by Drona's son,
battled with Vijaya (Arjuna). All those combatants, O king, had firmly
resolved to win victory and had cast off fear with life itself. Indeed, O
king, thy warriors penetrated into the midst of the Pandava army like
swans into a large lake. A fierce battle then took place between the
Kurus and the Pandavas, the combatants being actuated with the desire of
slaughtering one another and deriving great pleasure from giving and
receiving blows. During the progress, O king, of that battle which was
destructive of great heroes, an earthly dust, terrible to behold, was
raised by the wind. From only the names we heard (of the Pandava
warriors) that were uttered in course of that battle and from those (of
the Kuru warriors) that were uttered by the Pandavas, we knew the
combatants that fought with one another fearlessly. That dust, however, O
tiger among men, was soon dispelled by the blood that was shed, and all
the points of the compass became once more clear when that dusty darkness
was driven away. Indeed, during the progress of that terrible and awful
battle, no one among either thy warriors or those of the foe, turned his
back. Desirous of attaining to the regions of Brahman and longing for
victory by fair fight, the combatants displayed their prowess, inspired
with the hope of heaven. For paying off the debt they owed to their
masters on account of the sustenance granted by the latter, or firmly
resolved to accomplish the objects of their friends and allies, the
warriors, with hearts fixed on heaven, fought with one another on that
occasion. Shooting and hurling weapons of diverse kinds, great
car-warriors roared at or smote one another. "Slay, pierce, seize,
strike, cut off!" These were the words that were heard in that battle,
uttered by the warriors and those of the foe. Then Shalya, O monarch,
desirous of slaying him, pierced king Yudhishthira the just, that mighty
car-warrior with many sharp arrows. Conversant with what are the vital
limbs of the body, the son of Pritha, however, O monarch, with the
greatest ease, struck the ruler of the Madras with four and ten
cloth-yard shafts, aiming at the latter's vital limbs. Resisting the son
of Pandu with his shafts, Shalya of great fame, filled with rage and
desirous of slaying his adversary, pierced him in that battle with
innumerable arrows equipped with Kanka feathers. Once more, O monarch, he
struck Yudhishthira with a straight shaft in the very sight of all the
troops. King Yudhishthira the just, possessed of great fame and filled
with rage, pierced the ruler of the Madras with many keen arrows equipped
with feathers of Kankas and peacocks. The mighty car-warrior then pierced
Candrasena with seventy arrows and Shalya's driver with nine, and
Drumasena with four and sixty. When the two protectors of his car-wheels
were (thus) slain by the high-souled son of Pandu, Shalya, O king, slew
five and twenty warriors among the Cedis. And he pierced Satyaki with
five and twenty keen arrows, and Bhimasena with seven, and the two sons
of Madri with a hundred, in that battle. While Shalya was thus careering
in that battle, that best of kings, the son of Pritha, sped at him many
shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. With a broad-headed
arrow, Yudhishthira the son of Kunti then cut off from his car the
standard top of his adversary as the latter stood in his front. We saw
the standard of Shalya, which was thus cut off by the son of Pandu in
that great battle, fall down like a riven mountain summit. Seeing his
standard fallen and observing the son of Pandu standing before him, the
ruler of the Madras became filled with rage and shot showers of shafts.
That bull amongst Kshatriyas, Shalya of immeasurable soul, poured over
the Kshatriyas in that battle dense showers of arrows like the deity of
the clouds pouring torrents of rain. Piercing Satyaki and Bhimasena and
the twin sons of Madri by Pandu, each with five arrows, he afflicted
Yudhishthira greatly. We then, O monarch, beheld a net of arrows spread
before the chest of Pandu's son like a mass of risen clouds. The mighty
car-warrior Shalya, in that battle, filled with rage, shrouded
Yudhishthira with straight shafts. At this, king Yudhishthira afflicted
with those showers of shafts, felt himself deprived of his prowess, even
as the Asura Jambha had become before the slayer of Vritra.'"



13

"Sanjaya said, 'When king Yudhishthira the just was thus afflicted by the
ruler of Madras, Satyaki and Bhimasena and the two sons of Madri by
Pandu, encompassing Shalya with their cars, began to afflict him in that
battle. Beholding the unsupported Shalya thus afflicted by those great
car-warriors (and seeing him successfully repel those attacks), loud
sounds of applause were heard, and the Siddhas (who witnessed the
encounter) became filled with delight. The ascetics, assembled together
(for witnessing the battle), declared it to be wonderful. Then Bhimasena
in that encounter, having pierced Shalya who had become (as his name
implied) an irresistible dart in prowess, with one arrow, next pierced
him with seven. Satyaki, desirous of rescuing the son of Dharma, pierced
Shalya with a hundred arrows and uttered a loud leonine roar. Nakula
pierced him with five arrows, and Sahadeva with seven; the latter then
once more pierced him with as many. The heroic ruler of the Madras,
struggling carefully in that battle, thus afflicted by those mighty
car-warriors, drew a formidable bow capable of bearing a great strain and
of imparting great force to the shafts sped from it, and pierced Satyaki,
O sire, with five and twenty shafts and Bhima with three and seventy and
Nakula with seven. Then cutting off with a broad-headed arrow the bow,
with shaft fixed on the string of Sahadeva, he pierced Sahadeva himself,
in that battle, with three and seventy shafts. Sahadeva then, stringing
another bow, pierced his maternal uncle of great splendour with five
shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison or blazing fire. Filled
with great rage, he then struck his adversary's driver with a straight
shaft in that battle and then Shalya himself once more with three. Then
Bhimasena pierced the ruler of the Madras with seventy arrows, and
Satyaki pierced him with nine, and king Yudhishthira with sixty. Thus
pierced, O monarch, by those mighty car-warriors, blood began to flow
from Shalya's body, like crimson streams, running down the breast of a
mountain of red chalk. Shalya, however, quickly pierced in return each of
those great bowmen with five arrows, O king, which feat seemed
exceedingly wonderful. With another broad-headed arrow, that mighty
car-warrior then, O sire, cut off the stringed bow of Dharma's son in
that encounter. Taking up another bow, that great car-warrior, the son of
Dharma, covered Shalya, his steeds, and driver, and standard, and car,
with many arrows. Thus shrouded in that battle by the son of Dharma with
his shafts, Shalya struck the former with ten keen arrows. Then Satyaki,
filled with rage upon beholding the son of Dharma thus afflicted with
shafts, checked the heroic ruler of the Madras with clouds of arrows. At
this, Shalya cut off with a razor-faced arrow the formidable bow of
Satyaki, and pierced each of the other Pandava warriors with three
arrows. Filled with rage, O monarch, Satyaki of unbaffled prowess then
hurled at Shalya a lance equipped with a golden staff and decked with
many jewels and gems. Bhimasena sped at him a cloth-yard shaft that
looked like a blazing snake; Nakula hurled at him a dart, Sahadeva an
excellent mace, and the son of Dharma a Sataghni impelled by the desire
of despatching him. The ruler of the Madras, however, quickly baffled in
that battle all those weapons, hurled from the arms of those five
warriors at him, as these coursed towards his car. With a number of
broad-headed arrows Shalya cut off the lance hurled by Satyaki. Possessed
of valour and great lightness of hand, he cut off into two fragments the
gold-decked shaft sped at him by Bhima. He then resisted with clouds of
shafts the terrible dart, equipped with a golden handle, that Nakula had
sped at him and the mace also that Sahadeva had thrown. With a couple of
other arrows, O Bharata, he cut off the Sataghni sped at him by the king,
in the very sight of the sons of Pandu, and uttered a loud leonine roar.
The grandson of Sini, however, could not endure the defeat of his weapon
in that battle. Insensate with rage, Satyaki took up another bow and
pierced the ruler of the Madras with two shafts and his driver with
three. At this, Shalya, O monarch, excited with rage, deeply pierced all
of them with ten arrows, like persons piercing mighty elephants with
sharp-pointed lances. Thus checked in that battle by the ruler of the
Madras, O Bharata, those slayers of foes became unable to stay in front
of Shalya. King Duryodhana, beholding the prowess of Shalya, regarded the
Pandavas, the Pancalas, and the Srinjayas as already slain. Then, O king,
the mighty-armed Bhimasena, possessed of great prowess and mentally
resolved to cast off his life-breaths, encountered the ruler of the
Madras. Nakula and Sahadeva and Satyaki of great might, encompassing
Shalya, shot their arrows at him from every side. Though encompassed by
those four great bowmen and mighty car-warriors among the Pandavas, the
valiant ruler of the Madras still fought with them. Then, O king, the
royal son of Dharma, in that dreadful battle, quickly cut off with a
razor-headed arrow one of the protectors of Shalya's car-wheels. When
that brave and mighty car-warrior, that protector of Shalya's car-wheel,
was thus slain, Shalya of great strength covered the Pandava troops with
showers of arrows. Beholding his troops shrouded with arrows, O monarch,
in that battle, king Yudhishthira the just began to reflect in this
strain, "Verily, how shall those grave words of Madhava become true? I
hope, the rider of the Madras, excited with rage, will not annihilate my
army in battle.' Then the Pandavas, O elder brother of Pandu
(Dhritarashtra), with cars and elephants and steeds, approached the ruler
of the Madras and began to afflict him from every side. Like the wind
dispersing mighty masses of clouds, the king of the Madras, in that
battle, dispersed that risen shower of arrows and diverse other kinds of
weapons in profusion. We then beheld the downpour of gold-winged arrows
shot by Shalya coursing through the welkin like a flight of locusts.
Indeed, those arrows shot by the ruler of the Madras from the van of
battle were seen to fall like swarms of birds. With the gold-decked
shafts that issued from the bow of the Madra king, the welkin, O monarch,
became so filled that there was not an inch of empty space. When a thick
gloom appeared, caused by the arrows shot by the mighty ruler of the
Madras owing to his extreme lightness of hands in that dreadful battle,
and when they beheld the vast host of the Pandavas thus agitated by that
hero, the gods and the Gandharvas became filled with great wonder.
Afflicting with vigour all the Pandava warriors with his shafts from
every side, O sire, Shalya shrouded king Yudhishthira the just and roared
repeatedly like a lion. The mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, thus
shrouded by Shalya in that battle, became unable to proceed against that
great hero for fighting with him. Those, however, amongst the Pandavas,
that had Bhimasena at their head and that were led by king Yudhishthira
the just, did not fly away from that ornament of battle, the brave
Shalya.'"



14

"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Arjuna, in that battle, pierced with many
arrows by the son of Drona as also by the latter's followers, the heroic
and mighty car-warriors among the Trigartas, pierced Drona's son in
return with three shafts, and each of the other warriors with two. Once
again, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya covered his enemies with showers of
shafts. Though struck with keen arrows and though they looked like
porcupines in consequence of those arrows sticking to their limbs, still
thy troops, O bull of Bharata's race, fled not from Partha in that
battle. With Drona's son at their head, they encompassed that mighty
car-warrior and fought with him, shooting showers of shafts. The
gold-decked arrows, O king, shot by them, speedily filled the terrace of
Arjuna's car. Beholding those two great bowmen, those two foremost of all
warriors, the two Krishnas, covered with arrows, those invincible
(Kaurava) combatants became filled with delight. Indeed, at that time,
the Kuvara, the wheels, the shaft, the traces, the yoke, and the
Anukarsha, O lord, of Arjuna's car, became entirely enveloped with
arrows. The like of what thy warriors then did unto Partha had never
before, O king, been either seen or heard. That car looked resplendent
with those keen arrows of beautiful wings like a celestial vehicle
blazing with hundreds of torches dropped on the Earth. Then Arjuna, O
monarch, covered that hostile division with showers of straight shafts
like a cloud pouring torrents of rain on a mountain. Struck in that
battle with arrows inscribed with Partha's name, those warriors,
beholding that state of things, regarded the field of battle to be full
of Parthas. Then the Partha-fire, having for its wonderful flames and the
loud twang of Gandiva for the wind that fanned it, began to consume the
fuel constituted by thy troops. Then, O Bharata, heaps of fallen wheels
and yokes, of quivers, of banners and standards, with the vehicles
themselves that bore them, of shafts and Anukarshas and Trivenus, of
axles and traces and goads, of heads of warriors decked with earrings and
headgears, of arms, O monarch, and thighs in thousands of umbrellas along
with fans, and of diadems and crowns, were seen along the tracks of
Partha's car. Indeed, along the track of the angry Partha's car, O
monarch, the ground, miry with blood, became impassable, O chief of the
Bharatas, like the sporting ground of Rudra. The scene inspired the timid
with fear and the brave with delight. Having destroyed 2,000 cars with
their fences, that scorcher of foes, Partha, looked like a smokeless fire
with blazing flames. Indeed, even as the illustrious Agni when he blazes
forth (at the end of the Yuga) for destroying the mobile and the immobile
universe, even so looked, O king, the mighty car-warrior Partha.
Beholding the prowess of Pandu's son in that battle, the son of Drona, on
his car equipped with many banners, endeavoured to check him. Those two
tigers among men, both having white steeds yoked unto their vehicles and
both regarded as the foremost of car-warriors, quickly encountered each
other, each desirous of slaying the other. The arrowy showers shot by
both became exceedingly terrible and were as dense, O bull of Bharata's
race, as the torrents of rain poured by two masses of clouds at the close
of summer. Each challenging the other, those two warriors mangled each
other with straight shafts in that battle, like a couple of bulls tearing
each other with their horns. The battle between them, O king, was fought
equally for a long while. The clash of weapons became terrific. The son
of Drona then, O Bharata, pierced Arjuna with a dozen gold-winged arrows
of great energy and Vasudeva with ten. Having shown for a short while
some regard for the preceptor's son in that great battle, Vibhatsu then,
smiling the while, stretched his bow Gandiva with force. Soon, however,
the mighty car-warrior Savyasaci (Arjuna) made his adversary steedless
and driverless and carless, and without putting forth much strength
pierced him with three arrows. Staying on that steedless car, Drona's
son, smiling the while, hurled at the son of Pandu a heavy mallet that
looked like a dreadful mace with iron-spikes. Beholding that weapon,
which was decked with cloth of gold, coursing towards him, the heroic
Partha, that slayer of foes, cut it off into seven fragments. Seeing his
mallet cut off, Drona's son of great wrath took up a terrible mace
equipped with iron spikes and looking like a mountain summit.
Accomplished in battle, the son of Drona hurled it then at Partha.
Beholding that spiked mace coursing towards him like the Destroyer
himself in rage, Pandu's son Arjuna quickly cut it off with five
excellent shafts. Cut off with Partha's shafts in that great battle, that
weapon fell down on the Earth, riving the hearts, as it were, O Bharata,
of the (hostile) kings. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona's son with
three other shafts. Though deeply pierced by the mighty Partha, Drona's
son, however, of great might, relying upon his own manliness, showed no
sign of fear or agitation. That great car-warrior, the son of Drona,
then, O king, shrouded Suratha (the Pancala) with showers of shafts
before the eyes of all the Kshatriyas. At this, Suratha, that great
car-warrior among the Pancalas, in that battle, riding upon his car whose
rattle was as deep as the roar of the clouds rushed against the son of
Drona. Drawing his foremost of bows, firm and capable of bearing a great
strain, the Pancala hero covered Ashvatthama with arrows that resembled
flames of fire or snakes of virulent poison. Seeing the great car-warrior
Suratha rushing towards him in wrath, the son of Drona became filled with
rage like a snake struck with a stick. Furrowing his brow into three
lines, and licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, he looked at
Suratha in rage and then rubbed his bow-string and sped a keen cloth-yard
shaft that resembled the fatal rod of Death. Endued with great speed,
that shaft pierced the heart of Suratha and passing out entered the
Earth, riving her through, like the thunderbolt of Shakra hurled from the
sky. Struck with that shaft, Suratha fell down on the Earth like a
mountain summit riven with thunder. After the fall of that hero, the
valiant son of Drona, that foremost of car-warriors speedily mounted upon
the vehicle of his slain foe. Then, O monarch, that warrior, invincible
in battle, the son of Drona, well-equipped with armour and weapons, and
supported by the Samsaptakas, fought with Arjuna. That battle, at the
hour of noon, between one and the many, enhancing the population of
Yama's domains, became exceedingly fierce. Wonderful was the sight that
we then beheld, for, noticing the prowess of all those combatants,
Arjuna, alone and unsupported, fought with his foes at the same time. The
encounter was exceedingly fierce that thus took place between Arjuna and
his enemies, resembling that between Indra, in days of yore, and the vast
host of the Asuras.'"



15

"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of
Prishata, fought a fierce battle, using arrows and darts in profusion.
Both of them, O monarch, shot showers of arrows like showers of rain
poured by the clouds in the rainy season. The (Kuru) king, having pierced
with five arrows the slayer of Drona, Prishata's son of fierce shafts,
once more pierced him with seven arrows. Endued with great might and
steady prowess, Dhrishtadyumna, in that battle, afflicted Duryodhana with
seventy arrows. Beholding the king thus afflicted, O bull of Bharata's
race, his uterine brothers, accompanied by a large force, encompassed the
son of Prishata. Surrounded by those Atirathas on every side, the Pancala
hero, O king, careered in that battle, displaying his quickness in the
use of weapons. Shikhandi, supported by the Prabhadrakas, fought with two
Kuru bowmen, Kritavarma and the great car-warrior Kripa. Then also, O
monarch, that battle became fierce and awful since the warriors were all
resolved to lay down their lives and since all of them fought, making
life the stake. Shalya, shooting showers of shafts on all sides,
afflicted the Pandavas with Satyaki and Vrikodara amongst them. With
patience and great strength, O monarch, the king of the Madras at the
same time fought with the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), each of whom
resembled the Destroyer himself in prowess. The great car-warriors among
the Pandavas who were mangled in that great battle with the shafts of
Shalya, failed to find a protector. Then the heroic Nakula, the son of
Madri, seeing king Yudhishthira the just greatly afflicted, rushed with
speed against his maternal uncle. Shrouding Shalya in that battle (with
many arrows), Nakula, that slayer of hostile heroes, smiling the while,
pierced him in the centre of the chest with ten arrows, made entirely of
iron, polished by the hands of the smith, equipped with wings of gold,
whetted on stone, and propelled from his bow with great force. Afflicted
by his illustrious nephew, Shalya afflicted his nephew in return with
many straight arrows. Then king Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena, and Satyaki,
and Sahadeva, the son of Madri, all rushed against the ruler of the
Madras. The vanquisher of foes, the generalissimo of the Kuru army,
received in that battle all those heroes that rushed towards him quickly,
filling the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass with the
rattle of their cars and causing the Earth to tremble therewith. Piercing
Yudhishthira with three arrows and Bhima with seven, Shalya pierced
Satyaki with a hundred arrows in that battle and Sahadeva with three.
Then the ruler of the Madras, O sire, cut off, with a razor-headed arrow,
the bow with arrow fixed on it of the high-souled Nakula. Struck with
Shalya's shafts, that bow broke into pieces. Taking up another bow,
Madri's son, that great car-warrior quickly covered the ruler of the
Madras with winged arrows. Then Yudhishthira and Sahadeva, O sire, each
pierced the ruler of the Madras with ten arrows in the chest. Bhimasena
and Satyaki, rushing at the ruler of the Madras, both struck him with
arrows winged with Kanka feathers, the former with sixty, and the latter
with nine. Filled with rage at this, the ruler of the Madras pierced
Satyaki with nine arrows and once again with seventy straight shafts.
Then, O sire, he cut off at the handle the bow, with arrow fixed on it,
of Satyaki and then despatched the four steeds of the latter to Yama's
abode. Having made Satyaki carless, that mighty car-warrior, the ruler of
the Madras, struck him with a hundred arrows from every side. He next
pierced two angry sons of Madri, and Bhimasena the son of Pandu, and
Yudhishthira, O thou of Kuru's race, with ten arrows each. The prowess
that we then beheld of the ruler of the Madras was exceedingly wonderful,
since the Parthas, even unitedly, could not approach him in that battle.
Riding then upon another car, the mighty Satyaki, of prowess incapable of
being baffled, beholding the Pandavas afflicted and succumbing to the
ruler of the Madras, rushed with speed against him. That ornament of
assemblies, Shalya, on his car, rushed against the car of Satyaki, like
one infuriate elephant against another. The collision that then took
place between Satyaki and the heroic ruler of the Madras, became fierce
and wonderful to behold, even like that which had taken place in days of
yore between the Asura Samvara and the chief of the celestials. Beholding
the ruler of the Madras staying before him in that battle, Satyaki
pierced him with ten arrows and said, "Wait, Wait!" Deeply pierced by
that high-souled warrior, the ruler of the Madras pierced Satyaki in
return with sharp shafts equipped with beautiful feathers. Those great
bowmen then, the Parthas, beholding the king of the Madras assailed by
Satyaki, quickly rushed towards him from desire of slaying that maternal
uncle of theirs. The encounter then that took place between those
struggling heroes, marked by a great flow of blood, became exceedingly
awful, like that which takes place between a number of roaring lions. The
struggle, O monarch, that took between them resembled that which takes
place between a number of roaring lions fighting with each other for
meat. With the dense showers of shafts shot by them, the Earth became
entirely enveloped, and the welkin also suddenly became one mass of
arrows. All around the field a darkness was caused by those arrows.
Indeed, with the shafts shot by those illustrious warriors, a shadow as
that of the clouds was caused there. Then, O king, with those blazing
shafts sped by the warriors, that were equipped with wings of gold and
that looked like snakes just freed from their sloughs, the points of the
compass seemed to be ablaze. That slayer of foes, Shalya, then achieved
the most wonderful feat, since that hero alone, and unsupported,
contended with many heroes in that battle. The Earth became shrouded with
the fierce shafts, equipped with feathers of Kankas and peacocks, that
fell, sped from the arms of the ruler of the Madras. Then, O king, we
beheld the car of Shalya careering in that dreadful battle like the car
of Shakra in days of yore on the occasion of the destruction of the
Asuras.'"

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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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