The Prince was born in Dwarka. He grew up at his Uncle's place, learning the art of weapons from him. He proved a worthy heir to the warrior prince. Wherever he went, he was praised for his archery skills. People said he inherited it from his father, the son of Indra. He also learned to use the Mace and Sword. When he was fifteen, news arrived that his father's exile was over, and he had decided to marry his son to the princess of Matsya. His mother was pleased. The grand wedding followed the preparations for the battle. What excited him most was meeting his father, uncles, Rajmaata Panchali and his cousins for the first time. The young prince spent a few months in the Matsya capital of Viratnagar with his new bride.
A few months later... at Kurukshetra...
The Battlefield was getting ready. It was the Twelfth Night of the battle, waiting for the Thirteenth day. Bheema Sena had killed twenty of the Kauravas the day before, and he was content. The Pandavas were making battle plans for the next day. Everyone was confident that the Dharma side would win. They saw light at the end of the tunnel. Vasudeva was sitting alone in a corner. He looked distant. Panchali walked in with a smile, " What happened, Madhav? Come join the Dinner Party, I cooked for you."
" I can see Panchali. I see destruction. I see Darkness." Panchali's smile faded. " What are you saying, Madhav? What will happen?"
" Nothing. Come, let's eat."
A little far away from this party, in a tent, the young prince came back to his pregnant bride, who greeted him with a smile. He sat down beside her and asked, " How are you? Today I had a fight with TatShree."
" Ssshhhh, I told you, Arya, do not tell these stories to your son. He doesn't need to hear about violence."
" Ohh, sorry," He stuck out his tongue and made his wife laugh. They were still teenagers. New in love.
" Come, let me put the balm on those wounds."
The fifteen-year-old wife was applying the Ayurveda balm to her sixteen-year-old husband's wound. He stared lovingly at her face, concerned about the wounds. He was content. The day's battle was worth this.
" Uttara?"
"What is it, Arya?"
" How do you know it's a son and not a daughter?"
" Because I prayed to Bholenath that I would have a son just like his father."
" No, Uttara, my son will not risk his life and existence at my age; he will live a secure life, and His father will protect him like my father could not."
" Yes, Arya, now you rest, tomorrow is another day...."
He watched his wife sleep contentedly. He knew there was no guarantee of life on the battlefield. He did not fear death on the battlefield, yet something scared him. The thought of Uttara and his son. What if it's a daughter? Who will protect them in my absence? Who will tell her about me?
Meanwhile... at the Kaurava camp, Duryodhana was fierce at the death of his brothers. He promised revenge. His anger was supported by Shakuni and Karna. They planned the greatest of plans. That turned out to be the turning point of the next day's battle.
The Pandavas were confused. Arjun was busy fighting at the other end when the Kaurava sena formed the Chakra Vuh. That only Arjun could break. They wanted to seek revenge by killing the greatest Pandava warrior. Seeing Yudhisthir's worry, at once a young prince came forward. " I will break the Chakravuha and enter. You all follow me in. All you have to do is stay close because I cannot get out on my own."
" All right, you go ahead, I promise to get you out, Abhimanyu," Yudhisthir assured his nephew.
He went in bravely, for the way of getting in he had learned from his father when he was in his mother's womb. Inside, he found his uncles ready to slay him. Turning around, he was shocked. Nobody was there with him; he was the lone Pandava warrior. He took out his arrow, but Karna broke it. He took out his Sword, which too was broken. Helpless and without a weapon among five great warriors of the enemy, he picked up his Chariot wheel. Five warriors killed a teenage boy mercilessly. He yelled, but nobody came to his aid. He was trapped. If only he knew the art of going out. If only... Uttara's smiling face was all he remembered before the darkness... Uttara!!
This tragedy moved every warrior. It gave the Pandavas a reason to slay their enemies mercilessly. The cries of the widowed Uttara filled the night sky. She was always told by her husband to stay prepared, any night could be last. But she was not prepared. The Pandavas were angry. Their concern now was the protection of the stillborn baby of Abhimanyu. Krishna, who had taught Abhimanyu to be a warrior, cried angrily. His nephew was killed. Arjun, for the first time, blamed Yudhisthir. If only he could stop Abhimanyu. The battle was won in the next five days. They killed each of their murderers mercilessly. Yet it did not compensate for Uttara's loss. She promised herself to make her son or daughter a warrior, as brave as his father, the father he would never know.
A popular tale from the Ramayana suggests that there was a guard at Rama's palace in Ayodha who did not let Sage Durvasha enter without Rama's permission. He, who was famous for his rage, cursed, " The One who did not let me enter will not be able to get away from death, and will be trapped in death." There is a popular belief that this guard was reborn as Abhimanyu, and the curse was fulfilled. That is why, knowing everything, Krishna could not resist his death.
Whatever the reason might be, His was one of the most undeserving yet painful deaths in the epic battle, which proved to be a turning point of the war. He died battling, a hero, a martyr, and yet he remains one of the minor characters in the epic. He fought with no expectation of any reward. There are even tales of how he was on good terms with his cousin Laxmana, son of Duryodhan, and they had decided to rule in harmony together if both survived the war. But Laxmana backstabbed him and killed him in the war. The tale of his battle with Bheema's son and elder cousin Ghatotkacha is also famous for how he almost defeated and killed his cousin, not knowing his identity, until their mothers intervened. All through these different tales, he proved to be the greatest warrior the epic had. At his age, the kind of bravery he displayed was truly great, and he proved to be the worthy son of Arjun and Subhadra.
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