Tuesday 22 May 2012

Abhimanyu breaches the padma vyuha, but cannot come out. Mahabharata 148

Samhita's view of  Abhimanyu dealing with chakra vyuha.

When Yudhisthira tells Abhimanyu that he should breach the vyuha and they will support him from behind, he agrees. 'This will surely please my father and my uncle.  Let the world see how a boy can destroy hordes of enemies. If I let anyone escape with his life, I am not the one born to Arjuna and Subhadra!' 

Abhimanyu accordingly races towards the vyuha and breaches it and kills Bruhadbala and hundreds of kings, including Lakshmana, son of Duryodhana. Both Karna and Dussasana faint unable to face his assault! But the pandavas who followed him are thwarted by Jayadratha and he stops them from entering the formation alongside Abhimanyu.

Finally Abhimanyu is face to face with Duryodhana. To protect him Drona, Ashwatthama, Karna, Kripa, Shalya, Shakuni and many others surround Abhimanyu. But Abhimanyu is relentless in his attack. Both Sakuni and Karna get worried, 'It seems he is going to kill us all one by one! What should we do?'

Drona with a smile says, 'What you say is true! He has an impregnable sheild, so no one can beat him fighting from the front. Get behind him and kill his charioteer and break his bow. We can then manage to stop him.'  Karna follows his advice, and Drona then kills the horse and demolishes the chariot. Others continue to shower arrows on the lone warrior.

Abhimanyu then with a mace in his hand  jumps out of the broken chariot and starts fighting. Dussasana's son engages him in a duel and Abhimanyu  keeps fighting but is killed and attains the heaven of the brave! Thus kauravas manage to kill the lone Abhimanyu in the manner of hunters killing a wild elephant. 

Samhita calls it the 'warrior dance!'

1 comment:

Raghunath said...

One of the sad episodes of the War. When is Ghatotkacha coming?

R