Abhimanyu (Sanskrit: अभिमन्यु abhīmanyu [əbʱimən̪ju]) is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He is the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who is the half-sister of Lord Krishna. He was killed in the Mahabharata war, after the war his son Parikshit from the wife, Uttara, the daughter of King of Virata, succeed to the throne of Hastinapur.[1]
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As an unborn child in his mother's womb, Abhimanyu learned the knowledge of entering the deadly and virtually impenetrable Chakravyuha (see Wars of Hindu Mythology) from Arjuna, his father. The epic explains that he overheard his father, Arjuna, talking about this with his wife Subhadra, while he was still in his mother′s womb. Arjuna explains to Subhadra in detail, the technique of attacking and escaping from various vyuhas (an array of army formation) such as Makaravyuha, Kurmavyuha, Sarpavyuha etc. After explaining all the vyuhas, he explains about the technique of cracking Chakravyuha. Arjuna explains to her how to enter the Chakryavyuha. When he was about to explain how to exit from the Chakravyuha, he realises that Subhadra is asleep and stops expounding on the Chakravyuha further. As a result, he could not hear the whole story about how to exit.
Abhimanyu spent his childhood in Dwaraka, his mother's city. He was trained by Pradyumna, the son of Sri Krishna, as well as Krishna's kinsmen Krit Verma and Satyaki. He was also influenced by his great warrior father Arjuna, and brought up under the guidance of Krishna and Balarama . His father arranged his marriage to Uttara, daughter of King Virata to seal an alliance between the Pandavas and the royal family of Virata, in light of the forthcoming Kurukshetra War. The Pandavas had been hiding incognito to live through the final year of their exile without being discovered, in Virata's kingdom of Matsya. Once the Pandavas disclose their identity, then King Viraat wishes Uttara to marry Arjuna. Arjuna being the guru of Uttara considers her as his daughter, but suggests her wedding with Abhimanyu. Thus, Abhimanyu weds Uttara.
Abhimanyu was also the reincarnation of Moon’s son. When God requested Moon to let his son be incarnated on Earth, the moon agreed but said that could not bear apartness from his son for more than 16 years.
After twelve days of war, of which Abhimanyu is most recognized for destroying the banner and checking the advance of Bhishma on the first day of the way, Abhimanyu's short but eventful life gains the most prominence on the thirteenth day of the war when he is made to enter the powerful 'Chakravyuha' battle formation of the Kaurava army. Drona had made this contraption in order to capture Yudhishthira. On the side of the Pandavas, only Pradyumna, Krishna, and Arjuna were aware of the secret technique to break this seven-tier defensive spiral formation used by Dronacharya. As they are elsewhere on the battlefield, it falls on Arjuna's son to invade the Chakravyuha with his partial knowledge of entry (but not exit). The 16-year-old obliges to keep the honour of his kinsmen, but is killed before he can get out.
Being the grandson of Lord Indra, god of mystical weapons and wars, Abhimanyu was a courageous and dashing warrior. Considered an equal to his father owing his prodigious feats, Abhimanyu was able to hold at bay great heroes like Drona, Karna, Duryodhana and Dushasana. Determined to exit the Chakravyooha by shattering it from within, Abhimanyu goes on rampage, reaching the heart of the trap. Fighting with such ferocity, none from the Kaurava side can best him in a one on one combat (dwandva yudha), Bhishma being the only Kaurava warrior who could have done so. Proceeding, Abhimanyu defeats all the Maharathis on a one on one battle, hightlights including Abhimanyu piercing the armor of Karna, injuring Salya, the king of Magdha so badly he cannot sit, and killing Brihadbala, the king of Kosala of the Ikshwaku dynasty. Abhimanyu really proves very expensive for the Kaurava army, destroing 3/4 of an Akshouhini army single-handedly. Incensed at the admiration those like Kripa and Drona express for Abhimanyu, Duryodhana attacks the boy. Sparing him so that his uncle Bhima can fulfill his oath, Abhimanyu leaves Duryodhana chariotless and weaponless, bleeding all over. He also kills Duryodana's son Lakshamana, who had come to defend his father. Enraged, Duryodhana orders all the Kaurava Maharathis to attack Abhimanyu, who with disgust counters all their attacks. Stung by Duryodhana's doubts in his abilities, Drona suggests that Abhimanyu could only be killed through illicit means. His comments are not met with disagreement, and Karna snaps Abhimanyu's bow from behind while Drona kills Abhimanyu's horses and charioteer from the front. Abhimanyu draws a sword and shield and continues to wreck havoc on the Kaurava army, only to be disarmed from afar once again. The Kaurava forces team up and kill a defenseless Abhimanyu, who famously uses the wheel of a broken chariot to fend of attackers in lieu of his weapons. The final blow was struck by the son of Dushasana, Durmashana. This was the only way by which Abhimanyu could attain Moksha.
News of the despicable acts committed on Abhimanyu reached his father Arjuna at the end of the day, who vows to kill Jayadratha the very next day by sunset, and failing to do so, commit suicide by self-immolation immediately.
The Kaurava army the next day places Jayadratha furthest away from Arjuna, and every warrior including the Samshaptakas (mercenaries to vow only to return from battle fields only upon victory else death) attempts to prevent Arjuna from reaching anywhere close to Jayadratha. Only bypassing Dronacharya's chariot with his permission, Arjuna hacks through the Kaurava army and kills more than a hundred thousand soldiers and warriors in a single day. With the aid of Satyaki and Bhima, Arjuna is able to advance to the end of the Kaurava's formation, only to see Jayadratha being guarded by seven maharathis. Distracted by the coming sundown, Arjuna is unable to break through. Lord Krishna being the Almighty God uses His powers to temporarily create an eclipse. In his haste to see Arjuna's death, Jayadratha abandons his protection and comes to taunt Arjuna. Lord Krishna removes the eclipse He has effectively created, and the sun comes out again. Before the Kauravas can take corrective action, Lord Krishna points out to Arjuna and asks him to pick up his Gandiva and behead Jayadratha. Arjuna's unerring Pashupathastra decapitate Jayadratha, and his vow to kill Jayadratha by sunset that day and avenge Abhimanyu's death is fulfilled.
His son, Parikshit, born after his death, remains the sole survivor of the Kuru clan at the conclusion of the Mahābhārata war, and carries on the Pandava lineage. Abhimanyu is often thought of as a very brave warrior on the Pandava side, willingly giving up his life in war at a very young age. Abhimanyu was praised for his audacious bravery and absolute loyalty to his father, his uncles and to their cause.
Abhimanyu is often quoted as an example for his partial knowledge about Chakravyooh. Since, he knew how to penetrate the Chakravyooh, but did not know how to exit from it during the time of danger contributed to his death. Similarly, Ashwatthama too had a partial knowledge in the context of Brahmastra. He only knew how to invoke it. But did not know how to withdraw it. It was only Arjuna who had complete knowledge of both Chakravyooh (to break and exit from it) and Brahmastra (to invoke and withdraw it).
In case of Ashwatthama, Dronacharya does not trust Ashwathhama the manner in which he trusts Arjuna. Hence, he teaches him only to invoke Brahmastra, but does not teach him how to withdraw it. If an archer is aware of both the invocation and withdrawal of Brahmastra, then he can invoke it as many times as he wants. Hence, to avoid Ashwathhama from invoking Brahmastra multiple times, Dronacharya only gives a partial knowledge about it.
The life of Abhimanyu is made into dramas and films in different languages. Some of them as part of Mahabharata story, while others are done exclusively his story beginning from his birth and to his death in War. It is as Tamil film titled Abhimanyu in 1948 starring M. G. Ramachandran as Arjuna. It is made as one of the hit Telugu films in 1965 titled Veerabhimanyu starring N. T. Rama Rao as Krishna, Kanta Rao as Arjuna and Sobhan Babu as Abhimanyu.
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