Week 14: Reading B
Abhimanyu: The star crossed prince
Abhimanyu is the son of Krishna’s sister and was
also a descendant of the Pandavas. When the Pandavas were exiled by the
Kauravas, Abhimanyu and his mother remain in the city. Abhimanyu vows to avenge
the wrongdoings done to his father, Arjuna. During their thirteenth year of
exile, the Pandavas find themselves in the court of Virata. The king offers his
daughter in marriage to Arjuna. During this time, Krishna tries to broker peace
between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. However, his attempts are futile as the
Kauravas want war.
During the war, Abhimanyu attacks Bhisma and finally
kills him. Abhimanyu proves to be successful in his battle strategies. He
manages to wound Karna and smashes the chariot of Shayla’s brother.
Duryodhana’s son attacks Duryodhana, but Abhimanyu kills him which anger
Duryodhana.
The Kauravas try to defeat Abhimanyu by slicing the
reins of his horses, shattering his bow, and slaying his chariot driver. After
a long fight, it is Duryodhana’s son who defeats Abhimanyu. The Kauravas are
elated by the fact that their nemesis have perished, but they don’t know that
they will all be murdered by the Pandavas who will avenge Abhimanyu’s death.
This story was really interesting as we see how strong and intelligent
Abhimanyu was. The Kauravas were unable to defeat Abhimanyu and the fact that
he was killed was devastating for the Pandavas. However, without the death of
Abhimanyu, the Pandavas might not have felt as enraged and motivated to kill the
Kauravas.
Bibliography: Amar Chitra Katha, "Abhimanyu: the star crossed prince." Volume 533.
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