79. ABHIMANYU :

EARLY next morning, Duryodhana went
to Dronacharya in a state of bitterness and
anger. After the customary salutation, he
addressed him thus in the presence of a
large number of generals:



"Esteemed brahmana, Yudhishthira was
quite within your reach yesterday and, if
you had really wished to take him no one
could have prevented you. Yet, you did
not take him, and to me the events of
yesterday are inexplicable. I cannot
understand what makes it hard for you to
carry out your promise to me. Verily great
men are not understandable."
Dronacharya was exceedingly hurt by this
insulting insinuation.



"Duryodhana," he said, "I am putting forth
on your be half all the strength and skill I
possess. You entertain thoughts unworthy
of a king. As long as Arjuna is present,
supporting Yudhishthira, it is not possible
for us to seize him. I have told you that
already. It is only if we manage some how
to get Arjuna out of the battlefield that we
can hope to carry out this plan as you
desire. And I am devising ways to attain
this objective."
Thus did Drona nobly conquer his just
anger and seek to comfort Duryodhana in
his distress.



On the thirteenth day, the samsaptakas
again challenged Arjuna to battle and he
accordingly went to attack them, where
they were arrayed to the south of the main
battlefront. The battle that was fought
between the samsaptakas and Arjuna was
the fiercest that ever had been seen or
heard of till that day.



When Dhananjaya left the main front for
meeting the samsaptakas, Drona
rearranged his army in lotus formation
and attacked Yudhishthira fiercely.
Bhima, Satyaki, Chekitana,
Dhrishtadyumna, Kuntibhoja, Drupada,
Ghatotkacha, Yudhamanyu, Sikhandin,
Uttamaujas, Virata, the Kekayas,
Srinjayas and many others opposed him.
But their resistance seemed paralysed by
the violence of Drona's offensive.



Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna and Subhadra,
was still adolescent, but had already won
recognition as a mighty man-at arms even
as the equal of his father and uncle in
battle. Yudhishthira called Abhimanyu
and said to him:



"Dear son, Dronacharya is attacking our
army greatly. Arjuna is absent and, if we
should be defeated in his absence, he will
be grieved beyond measure. No one
among us has been able to break Drona's
array. You know you can do it and no one
else. I ask you to take up this task."



"I can do it," replied Abhimanyu. "I have
been instructed by my father how to
penetrate this formation and can certainly
do so. But if after forcing my way, it
should unfortunately become necessary
for me to come out, I shall be at a loss
what to do, being as yet uninstructed in
the art of extrication."



"Valiant boy, break this impregnable
formation and open a passage for us. We
shall all break in your wake. We shall be
with you to face any danger and no
question can arise of your having to come
out."



Bhimasena supported Yudhishthira's
proposal: "I shall be immediately behind
you and enter when you succeed in
breaking the enemy's formation. So also
will Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, the
Panchalas, the Kekayas and the forces of
Matsyadesa. Only break the formation as
you alone can do. We shall do the rest and
smash the Kaurava army."



Abhimanyu thought of his father and
Krishna. Feeling encouraged by what had
been said by Bhimasena and
Yudhishthira, and impelled by his own
gallant nature, undertook the adventure.
"I shall please my great father and uncle,"
he said with enthusiasm. "Let my valor be
staked on this."



"May your prowess grow," said
Yudhishthira and blessed the youth.
"Sumitra, see Drona's flag flying there!
Drive straight and fast to that point," said
Abhimanyu to his charioteer.
"Faster, faster!" urged Abhimanyu as they
sped along.



"May the gods protect you!" said the
charioteer. "Yudhishthira has placed a
very great burden on your young
shoulders. Think well before you pierce
Drona's array and enter. The acharya is
unrivalled in skill and experience, while
you, though his equal in valor, have not
his long years to back it."



Abhimanyu smiled and replied: "Friend, I
am Krishna's nephew and son of Arjuna,
am I not? Which other has that advantage?
Fear dares not approach me! These
enemies here have not a sixteenth part of
my strength. Drive fast towards Drona's
division. Do not hesitate."
The charioteer obeyed.



As the golden chariot to which were
yoked beautiful young horses approached,
the soldiers in the Kaurava army shouted:
"Abhimanyu is corning! He has come!"
The Pandavas followed Abhimanyu close
behind him.



The Kaurava warriors were perturbed as
they saw Abhimanyu's chariot approach
them with great speed.
"Here is one greater in valor than Arjuna,"
they thought and began to lose heart.



Like a young lion on a herd of elephants,
Abhimanyu rushed on. There was a ripple
in the Kaurava ranks which bent under his
headlong onslaught.



The bend soon became a break and under
Drona's very eyes, the formation was
breached and Abhimanyu entered. But the
breach closed under the inspiration of
Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, before
the other Pandava warriors could force
their way in according to plan and
Abhimanyu was alone!



Kaurava warriors opposed him, but they
fell like moths in the fire, one after
another. Abhimanyu's shafts searched the
weak points in the armor of his enemies.
And the bodies of soldiers lay strewn on
the field like Kusa grass on the sacrificial
platform.



Bows, arrows, swords, shields, javelins,
pieces of harness, chaiot canopies, axes,
maces, spears, whips, conchs, along with
severed heads and limbs of slain warriors,
covered the field.



Seeing the destruction wrought by
Abhimanyu, Duryodhana was wroth and
rushed in person to oppose the youthful
warrior. Drona, having leant that the king
himself was engaged in battle with
Abhimanyu, became anxious and sent
veterans to protect Duryodhana.



With great difficulty, they managed to
rescue the king from the boy-hero who
greatly disappointed at the escape of
Duryodhana, vented his anger on the
warriors that had come to rescue him and
put them to headlong flight.



Then, throwing away all sense of shame
and chivalry, a large number of veteran
warriors made a combined and
simultaneous attack on the hero, who
found himself alone, surrounded by
enemies on all sides. But, even as on all
sides a rock receives the rising tide of the
sea, Arjuna's son withstood this united
ouslaught.



Drona, Aswatthama, Kripa, Karna,
Sakuni, Salya and many other great
warriors in their chariots, equipped with
all arms, surged in attack on the young
hero, only to be dashed back, baffled and
broken.



Asmaka rode his chariot at great speed
against Abhimanyu's. But smiling,
Abhimanyu sent his shafts and disposed
of him in no time. Karna's armor was
pierced.



Salya was badly wounded and sat, unable
to move, in his chariot. Salya's brother
came up in great wrath to avenge his
brother's disgrace but he fell and his
chariot was broken to pieces.



Thus did Abhimanyu, alone and
unsupported, oppose a host of veteran
warriors and show the skill in the use of
arms which he had learnt from his
illustrious father and from Vasudeva, his
uncle. Seeing this, the poet says,
Dronacharya's eyes were filled with tears
of affectionate admiration.



"Was there ever a fighter to equal this boy
Abhimanyu?" exclaimed Drona to Kripa,
in the hearing of Duryodhana who could
not contain his anger.



"The acharya's partiality for Arjuna
prevents him from killing Abhimanyu,"
Duryodhana said, "and he sings his praises
instead of fighting him. Indeed, if the
acharya were minded to dispose of
Abhimanyu, would it take him long to do
it!"



Often did Duryodhana suspect and
complain in this manner against Bhishma
and Drona. Having undertaken a war of
adharma, he was often led to speak in this
manner and hurt the feelings of the
acharyas who stood loyally by him, even
when they saw the wickedness of his
ways.



Duhsasana roared in anger and
exclaiming: "This obstinate lad will perish
now!" led his chariot forward to attack
Abhimanyu. The chariots of Abhimanyu
and Duhsasana made wonderful
movement against each other and the
battle raged long.



Duhsasana was struck senseless in his car,
and his charioteer just managed to drive
away from the field saving Duhsasana's
life. Karna attacked Abhimanyu with his
shafts and harassed him greatly.
But one of Abhimanyu's arrows felled
Karna's bow and the young warrior
followed up this advantage so vigorously
that he put Karna and his supporters to
flight. The Kaurava forces, when they saw
this, were completely demoralised.



The army was in confusion and men fled
in all directions, not caring for Drona's
shouts of remonstrance. And Abhimanyu
destroyed those that stood, as fire destroys
a dry jungle in summer.


NEXT  : 80. THE DEATH OF ABHIMANYU


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