That night Arjuna had a bad dream that shook him out of his sleep. In this dream, he saw an ebony-faced man looming over his bed. In a voice that was deep and abrasive, he said, ‘Tomorrow, I’ll sieze from you something that is most precious to you.’
‘But who are you?’ asked Arjuna.
‘A voice from the life beyond,’ the man responded and vanished like a whisper in the air.
Arjuna could not sleep thereafter, and he began to pace up and down in his tent, waiting anxiously for the dawn. When the sun rose, it looked as if it had emerged from a sea of blood. Dark red was its colour, not brown or orange. The day did not augur well for him, he thought.
When Krishna arrived at dawn to drive him to the battlefield, he was surprised to see Arjuna looking so distraught.
‘What’s the matter, Arjuna?’ he asked.
Arjuna told him all about the dark figure he had seen in his dream. Then, pointing towards the rising sun, he said, ‘Why does it look bloodstained, O Vasudeva? It seems something terrible is going to happen today.’
Looking fondly at him, Krishna said, ‘All this is your imagination. You had a bad dream, that’s all. Put it out of your mind and brace yourself for the day’s battle.’ He paused. ‘And if at all anything dreadful happens today, wouldn’t I be there to help you?’
‘I know that, O Lord,’ replied Arjuna, feeling reassured.
On the thirteenth day, Drona looked determined to accomplish something extraordinary. For the day’s battle, he had mobilized his army into a chakravyuha, a labyrinthine formation of countless twists and turns. It was impossible for the enemy to breach its front. And if at all he succeeded in wedging his way into it, he was certain to be trapped in the maze of the chakravyuha, like an insect in a cobweb.
Since the chakravyuha was patterned in the form of several rings of concentric circles, Drona positioned Duryodhana at its centre, while at the outer circle stood Radheya, Kripa and Duhsasana. The next circle was guarded by Jayadratha, supported by Asvatthama. Right at the point of entry into the chakravyuha, at the head of a formidable segment of the Kaurava army, stood Dronacharya himself. As a part of his strategy, Drona had also directed the Trigartas to once again engage Arjuna in battle far away on the southern side. He had planned this because Arjuna, he knew, was the only one who could negotiate his way both in and out of the vyuha.
Once again, Arjuna fell into the trap of confronting the Trigartas, far away from the main battlefield.
The day’s main battle began with Bheema leading his army towards the chakravyuha, followed by Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, Sikhandi and Nakula. But as they approached the outer circle of the vyuha, they were overpowered by a barrage of Drona’s arrows. Yudhishthira now realized that his army would find it difficult to penetrate the vyuha. Seeing everyone caught in suspense and anxiety, Abhimanyu turned to Yudhishthira and said, ‘Uncle, let me do it for you. I know how to break the outer ring of the chakravyuha.’
He then explained how he had learnt the secret of the vyuha when he was in the womb of his mother Subhadra. One night, when his father was sharing the secret with his mother, he had heard it all. But Abhimanyu did not realize that he had lost the thread of his father’s narration when his mother dozed off, while Arjuna was explaining how one could break out of the vyuha to safety. Consequently, while he knew how to enter the vyuha, he did not know how to negotiate his way out of it. When the young warrior was assured that Bheema, Dhrishtadyumna and several other stalwarts would be close on his heels, he believed that there would be no cause for worry.
Yudhishthira then decided, though not without great hesitation, to let his sixteen-year-old nephew breach the phalanx of the enemy’s formation. All eyes in the Pandava army were now focussed on Abhimanyu. He twanged his bow, which reverberated in the early morning sun like his father’s Gandiva, and then he drove his chariot towards the enemy, followed closely by Bheema, Dhrishtadyumna, Drupada and Satyaki.
There was, however, still a cloud of fear and danger hovering over Abhimanyu’s supporters. Drona had patterned his formation in such a manner that if someone did succeed in breaching the outer circle, it would close up instantly, making it impossible for anybody else to wedge his way into it. So, most likely, the intruder alone would be trapped inside, like a bee caught in a flytrap. But if Abhimanyu was somehow able to hold the breach for a while, thought Yudhishthira, Bheema and the others would also manage to follow him inside.
As Abhimanyu now drew close to the padmavyuha, the outer circle, he waved confidently to his uncle Yudhishthira, who said, ‘God bless you!’ The next moment, his chariot caused a breach in the padmavyuha, to the utter amazement of Drona, who saw the handsome young archer work this miracle. Once the phalanx was broken, the Kaurava army was seized with panic. Abhimanyu’s arrows now rained like hail, killing the enemy soldiers in hundreds.
Alarmed at Abhimanyu’s daring onslaught, Duryodhana brought up his chariot to confront the intruder. Seeing the two engaged in a single combat, Drona rushed there to rescue Duryodhana, knowing that he was no match to Arjuna’s son. But even though Drona was followed by Kripa, Asvatthama and Radheya, Abhimanyu fought them all valiantly. Injured grievously by one of his arrows, Radheya collapsed on the ground. Duhsasana, who now joined the fight, was so overpowered that he had to flee. Such was Abhimanyu’s fury that many of the Kaurava soldiers realized that his bow had more fire in it than his father’s Gandiva.
Frustrated, Duryodhana saw his soldiers fleeing in panic. But why had Drona not attacked Abhimanyu, he wondered. Was he being weak-kneed again because the young archer was his favourite pupil’s son? If he wanted, he could have easily killed Abhimanyu, whose death would have utterly demoralized the entire Pandava army. So, once again, his own commander-in-chief had let him down.
Then, suddenly, Abhimanyu’s chariot disappeared beyond the padmavyuha. When Bheema and the others tried to follow him inside, they were blocked by Jayadratha, a trusted ally of Duryodhana. Even though he could not withstand the might of Bheema and his companions, he succeeded in his strategy to isolate Abhimanyu from his supporters. Jayadratha had received a boon from Sankara that he would remain unvanquished unless he was confronted by Arjuna and Krishna. So he seized this moment to accomplish a crucial task. There now stood Jayadratha at the padmavyuha, gloating over the inability of Bheema and the others to follow Abhimanyu. Jayadratha knew that the young warrior had been trapped inside, like someone sucked into a whirlpool. Would he be able to emerge from this death trap?
Yudhishthira was seized with terror that his nephew might be hounded to death, like a deer chased by a pack of hungry wolves. How would he then answer Arjuna, Krishna and Subhadra? Had he not pushed this flower of the Pandava family into fire when Arjuna and Krishna were away fighting the wily Trigartas? Seized with fear, he felt the earth give way under his feet.
Now trapped inside the chakravyuha, Abhimanyu felt like a lion cub that had strayed away from its sire whose writ prevailed over the entire jungle. But taking courage in both hands, he continued to mow down whoever challenged him. Like lightning, his bow flashed to destroy countless Kaurava soldiers. He was like a tidal wave of fire that reduced to ashes anyone who came in his way. It was only when he turned around to locate the exit that he knew he was trapped within the chakravyuha. But he thought that if he could somehow recall the route he had taken while entering in vyuha, he might be able to find his way out.
However, when he looked for a way out, he found himself confronted by Duryodhana, Kripa, Asvatthama, Radheya, Sakuni, Jayadratha and Duhsasana. To Drona, Duryodhana said triumphantly, ‘You have done it, O revered guru. There is the lion’s cub now caged, with no exit. Let us get him today. My gratitude to you for carrying out your promise.’
But Drona’s brow darkened, as if he were wrestling with something within himself. In front of him stood the young archer, with the same effulgent face as his father’s, his bow raised in his right hand, ready to defend himself to his last breath. But did he have any chance against such stalwarts as Radheya, Kripa, Asvatthama and Duhsasana?
Jayadratha was the first to battle with him, but he was soon overpowered. When Duryodhana with his army of elephants attacked him, Abhimanyu’s arrows sent the animals fleeing in panic. Then Jayadratha stormed into the fray to help his leader. Abhimanyu, however, continued to fight defiantly, despite the heavy odds against him. In utter desperation, Sakuni approached Drona and said, ‘Unless we all join hands against him, it will not be possible to kill him.’
Drona responded, ‘No, you cannot kill him so long as he holds his bow, which is unassailable. So let someone snap its string and damage his chariot to render him defenceless. Otherwise, he will remain unvanquished.’
Taking his cue from Drona, Radheya sneaked behind Abhimanyu while he was fighting Jayadratha, and snapped the string of his bow. At the same moment, Drona killed his horses, while Kripa shot dead his charioteer. Then one of Drona’s arrows smashed Abhimanyu’s armour. Now he stood helplessly ambushed, without his bow, his charioteer and his horses. With his eyes shooting fire, he turned to Drona: ‘O revered guru, adored by my father, why did you lend yourself to this unchivalrous act of making me defenceless?’ Then, glowering at Radheya, he taunted: ‘Is this what you learnt from your teacher, Parasurama – to sneak behind my back and cut my bow’s string?’ To Kripa, he said, ‘You have been a spiritual guru to the Kuru family, but don’t you stand unmasked today?’ Then, pulling out his sword, he jumped off his chariot and said, ‘I would have taught you some archery today if you had come to me, one by one. But if you have all chosen to gang up against me, I will still fight till the end.’
But before he could raise his sword, one of Drona’s arrows smote its hilt, while Radheya smashed his shield. Abhimanyu now realized that he stood at the threshold of death. Images flashed before his mind’s eye – his father’s agony, his mother’s tears, and his uncle Krishna’s sorrow. How he wished they had all seen him fighting so bravely against a host of unchivalrous enemies! Would his father spare Jayadratha for being the real cause of his death?
Abhimanyu then pulled off one of the wheels of his chariot and began to swing it over his head. ‘Come, you cowards, I can still fight you all.’
But when the wheel too was splintered by Radheya’s arrows, he picked up his mace and rushed to attack Asvatthama who fled, unable to withstand the onslaught.
Now completely exhausted and bleeding profusely, Abhimanyu swooned and slumped to the ground. It was as though a bright star had fallen on the earth. There he now lay, gasping for breath. Seizing the moment, one of Duhsasana’s sons picked up his mace and struck Abhimanyu on the head. But he still struggled to gather himself up on his feet, only to fall again on the ground. He was now bleeding profusely. Then he closed his eyes and sank into oblivion. Just then, everyone on the battlefield heard the sound of wailing up in the sky, as if all the gods were crying over the death of someone who had been the victim of treachery and wanton cruelty.
A sense of guilt assailed Drona, who covered his eyes with both hands, for hadn’t he been an accomplice in this heinous act. He knew that he would have to pay for this sin, maybe with his own death, for the law of justice must run its course, relentlessly.
As for the Kauravas, they broke into shouts of victory. When this shouting reached the Pandavas, they understood that Abhimanyu had been killed. Yudhishthira broke down and Bheema roared like a lion pierced through its vitals by some hunter’s arrow. As the sun set on the battlefield, darkness seeped into the heart of every Pandava. Only one thought now haunted them all – how would they break the terrible news to Arjuna and Krishna?