WHO’S WHO IN MAHABHARATA
By Dwisha Hathi

ABHIMANYU

The Mahabharata is a great epic of the Hindu mythology. It is a mammoth work comprising one lakh verses, composed by the great Rishi Veda-Vyas. In it we come across heroes and warriors. Abhimanyu was one such brave, heroic character of the Mahabharata.

Abhimanyu was the son of the great warrior Arjuna born of his wife Subhadra who was the sister of Lord Krishna. He was born in Dwaraka and had spent his childhood under the guidance of Lord Krishna. He was a very well trained and a courageous warrior. Abhimanyu was married to Uttara who was the daughter of King of Virata.

As an unborn child, Abhimanyu had learnt the art of entering the deadly Chakravyuha from Lord Krishna. It is said that Lord Krishna was talking about this to Subhadra. But when Lord Krishna saw that she had fallen asleep while listening to him, he stopped and so, Abhimanyu could not learn the art of coming out of the Chakravyuha, which led to his death in the war of the Mahabharata. It is said that during the war, Lord Krishna and Arjuna had gone far away from the battlefield, chasing King Susharma and the Kauravas challenged the Pandavas to enter the Chakravyuha. Knowing that Abhimanyu could enter the Chakravyuha, the Pandavas accepted the challenge and asked Abhimanyu to enter the Chakravyuha, thinking that once he enters, they would all follow him and protect him. Abhimanyu then entered the Chakravyuha but the rest of the Pandavas could not, because of Jayadrath. Though Abhimanyu fought bravely with great warriors like Drona, Kripacharya, Duryodhana, Dushasana, Karna, Ashwathama and King Shalya, he finally succumbed as he could not come out of the Chakravyuha. Thus came a tragic end to the life of this great warrior Abhimanyu.