The Death Of Abhimanyu
Despite realizing the situation, Abhimanyu was certainly not the type to be discouraged.
“I don’t know how to get out of this tangle of armies,” he told his charioteer, “and therefore we are prisoners. But a solution still exists: to totally destroy the Kaurava army.”
Moving like a vortex, the young man destroyed whatever came within his reach; his abilities drove Duryodhana mad with rage that he wondered how a boy of that age could be so skilled. It seemed impossible. Moreover, he was not content with massacring simple soldiers, but killed many famous warriors; Rukmaratha and other sons of Shalya were among those who fell in the courageous attempt to oppose Abhimanyu. In front of him all were forced to flee or die.
The proud Lakshmana, one of Duryodhana’s dearest sons, could not bear that vision of warrior glory and launched into the attack, but lost the duel and his life. That sudden tragedy, which occurred within seconds, traumatized the envious King Kaurava.
“That damn boy must be killed in any way,” he yelled with unprecedented anger.
And the protagonists of one of the cruelest tragedies that happened in Kurukshetra began to take their places on the scene: six maharathas, namely Drona, Kripa, Asvatthama, Karna, Brihadbala and Kritavarma surrounded Abhimanyu and attacked him at the same time; but even in that way he did not give up, and counterattacked, defeating them all. Even the powerful Brihadbala lost his life on that occasion.
Karna’s body was a mask of blood, and Asvatthama only miraculously managed to save the life of one of his sons from that fury. In that whirlwind of destruction, the Kauravas decided that Abhimanyu must be eliminated by any means, fair or unfair. And the vilest act a Kshatriya could ever imagine was perpetrated by Karna: while Abhimanyu simultaneously faced an attack made by Drona and others, he shot an arrow from his shoulders at the bowstring, severing it cleanly and breaking with a second the same arch. Amazed by this vile act, Abhimanyu turned to find out who had been the author.
“Only you, son of a Suta, could attack an enemy in this way. Where value is lacking, cheat and dice play. But soon you too will have what you deserve.”
But taking advantage of that moment of distraction, Drona killed his horses, while Kripa eliminated the two charioteers. And while Abhimanyu was still on the chariot, unarmed, six maharathas attacked him without giving him time to organize a defense. The eyes of the young man, born of the energy of the moon Deva, flared with a fiery red, and the fury made them very similar to Krishna’s. He shouted to Drona:
“You were my father’s teacher, and therefore you should be a virtuous man; how could you and Kripa attack me while I was facing Karna?”
Grabbing his sword, he jumped out of the now immobile chariot, and rushed towards them with all the intention of doing summary justice.
But the ignoble deeds of the frightened Kauravas were not yet over. Going around him, Drona broke his sword from behind and Karna shattered his shield.
Now the heroic Abhimanyu stood proudly on the field of Kurukshetra, devoid of any weapon. Grasping the wheel of a chariot, his body full of arrows and entirely wet with blood and his angry face shone ominously, Abhimanyu began to whirl it over his head, calling his opponents one by one by name and challenging them to approach and fight with dignity. In that pose he looked like a second Vishnu.
Realizing that no one had the courage enough to accept the challenge, he threw that wheel against the enemy ranks, still throwing confusion and terror, until they managed to shatter it in his hands.
But Abhimanyu, who had by no means abandoned the idea of exterminating the opposing army alone, took a club from the ground and once again challenged them to come forward one at a time. Seeing him tall and proud, firmly planted on his legs and smoldering rage, again no one accepted the challenge and he again attacked them.
Asvatthama, frightened, just had time to escape, before he and the chariot, the horses and the charioteer were destroyed. Having put the Brahmana to flight, Abhimanyu threw himself at the son of Duhssasana and deprived him of his means. The two proud young men continued the fight on foot, but as soon as Abhimanyu, tired and injured, took a moment to get up, the son of Duhssasana, breaking every rule of Kshatriya loyalty, hit him on the head.
Abhimanyu fell to the ground lifeless.
It had been one of the vilest crimes ever in the history of a nation that had brought civilization to the world.
When the Pandavas heard the shouts of joy and the sound of the horns of the Kauravas, they knew that their beloved nephew had fallen. Tortured by pain and remorse, Yudhisthira cried bitter tears until he fainted.
And when the sun went down and everyone sadly returned to the camp, no one could think of anyone but Abhimanyu and what they might say to their father when he returned.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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