Abhimanyu is a legendary warrior from the ancient Hindu history ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
''. He was born to the third
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...
prince
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
and the
Yadu princess
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of d ...
, who was
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
's younger sister. The ''Sambhava Parva'' of the
Adi Parva The ''Adi Parva'' or ''The Book of the Beginning'' is the first of eighteen books of the Mahabharata. "Adi" ( आदि, Ādi) is a Sanskrit word that means "first".
Adi Parva traditionally has 19 parts and 236 adhyayas (chapters). The critical edi ...
states that he was an incarnation of
Varchas, son of
Soma
Soma may refer to:
Businesses and brands
* SOMA (architects), a New York–based firm of architects
* Soma (company), a company that designs eco-friendly water filtration systems
* SOMA Fabrications, a builder of bicycle frames and other bicycle ...
. Soma was reluctant to part with his son, agreeing to do so solely on the condition that Varchas would return to him after he turned sixteen.
Abhimanyu was raised by his mother and her relatives as his father Arjuna, along with his brothers and their common wife
Draupadi
Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothe ...
, had been exiled for thirteen years. After his father's return Abhimanyu married
Uttarā, the princess of the
Matsya Kingdom
Matsya ( sa, मत्स्य) was a Vedic kingdom and later became a part of sixteen Mahajanapadas, which also appears in Hindu Epic literature. The capital of Matsya was at Viratanagari (present-day Bairat, in Rajasthan) which is said to ...
.
During the
Kurukshetra War
The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...
, Abhimanyu fought for the Pandavas. On the thirteenth day of the war, the mightiest
Kaurava warriors came together and formed the
Chakravyuha
The Padmavyūha ( sa, पद्मव्यूह) or Chakravyūha ( sa, चक्रव्यूह) is a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. It resembles a labyrinth of multiple defensive ...
to trap the Pandavas, Arjuna having been enticed to another side of the battlefield. The young Abhimanyu was able to break through the circle, but
Jayadratha prevented the others from following him through the breach, and Abhimanyu found himself facing the Kaurava warriors all by himself. Even so, he proved too great an archer to be faced by any one warrior, and thus, against the canons of war, he was attacked by six great warriors simultaneously, and died young as the other gods had promised Soma.
Abhimanyu's posthumous son
Parikshit saved the Kuru lineage from extinction, and became a legendary monarch celebrated both in the ''Mahabharata'' and in the ''
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
''.
Etymology and epithets
* Arjuna Putra (अर्जुन पुत्र) - son of
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
. Abhimanyu was one of the greatest archers in the world.
* Subhadranandan (सुभद्र नंदन) - beloved son of
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of d ...
* Soubhadri (सौभद्रि) - born to
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of d ...
.
* Varchas Avatar (वर्चस् अवतार)- avatar of
Varchas.
* Krishna Shishya (कृष्ण शिष्य) - the disciple of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
.
* Raudra Dhari (रौद्रधारी) - one who possessed the mighty bow named Raudra which was given by his uncle
Balrama
Balarama ( Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Bala ...
which he received from lord
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...
.
Legends
Birth
Abhimanyu was born to
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
, the third Pandava, and
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of d ...
, the sister of Sri
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
. After the Pandavas
Yudhishthira
''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...
lost the game of dice, all the Pandavas along with
Draupadi
Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothe ...
were sent to exile for 13 years. Subhadra, during this period, stayed with her brothers in
Dwarka, where she, along with her family members, raised Abhimanyu. He was trained in arms and warfare by
Pradyumna,
Balarama and
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
. Abhimanyu was given the Raudra bow by Balarama.
After the Pandavas finished their exile,
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Bei ...
didn't agree to return their wealth and fortune. Thus, the Pandavas had to fight a battle to get their rights back.
According to folklore, when Abhimanyu was in his mother's womb, he heard about the
Chakravyuh
The Padmavyūha ( sa, पद्मव्यूह) or Chakravyūha ( sa, चक्रव्यूह) is a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. It resembles a labyrinth of multiple defensi ...
and gained half the knowledge to enter the Chakravyuh. However, in the epic, Abhimanyu learns to enter Chakravyuh from Arjuna.
Marriage
Before the
war of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas stayed with
Virata, the king of Matsya. He asked Arjuna to marry his daughter
Uttarā, but Arjuna refused as he had been her teacher, thus in the position of a parent, during their year in disguise. However, he proposed the marriage of Uttara with Abhimanyu, with the wedding being held in
Upaplavya.
While there is no such story in the ''Mahabharata'', the Telugu folktale
Sasirekha Parinayam claims that Abhimanyu married Sasirekha, the daughter of Balarama, before his marriage to Uttarā. The tale narrates that Abhimanyu fell in love with Sasirekha or Vatsala (as per Tamil tradition), but her father,
Balarama wanted her to marry
Laxmana Kumar, the son of
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Bei ...
. Wanting to help his cousin,
Ghatotkach
Ghatotkacha ( sa, घटोत्कच, , literally: "Bald Pot") is a prominent character in the story of '' Mahabharata''. His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (''utkacha'') and shaped like a ghatam, or a pot. Ghatotkacha ...
took the form of Vatsala and injured Laxmana Kumar's arm. After the incident, Laxmana broke his marriage to Vatsala. Meanwhile, the real Vatsala was in a forest along with Abhimanyu where they married.
The Kurukshetra War
In the war, Abhimanyu fought for his father's side. He displayed great bravery in the battle, even though he was a youngster. He killed warriors including Rukmartha, Brihadbala,
Laksmana (Duryodhana's son), Dushmanara (Dushasana's second son), six counselors and sons of Shalya, etc.
He also fought and resisted many mighty warriors including
Drona
Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaur ...
,
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
,
Ashwatthama
In the Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama ruled th ...
,
Kripa,
Shalya,
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Bei ...
,
Dushasana,
Vrishasena, etc. Before the 13th day, he exclusively attacked other warriors in group formation with the other 8 or 9 Pandava maharathis. He also fought mighty warriors such as
Bhishma
Bhishma ( Sanskrit: भीष्म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epi ...
and
Bhagadatta.
Heroic Death
On the 13th day of the war, Arjuna was diverted to the South by Susharma and the Trigartas. Taking advantage of his absence,
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Bei ...
and his allies made a plan to trap Yudhisthira so that the war can be stopped quickly and without losing many armies.
The army of Kauravas, under Dronacharya, formed
Chakravyuha
The Padmavyūha ( sa, पद्मव्यूह) or Chakravyūha ( sa, चक्रव्यूह) is a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. It resembles a labyrinth of multiple defensive ...
. Abhimanyu knew how to enter it but didn't know how to exit. He went into the trap, followed by his paternal uncles. Near the edges of the Chakravyuha, Abhimanyu ends up killing Laxmana, the son of Duryodhana. Outraged by the killing of his son, Duryodhana orders Dronacharya to change the plan to kill Abhimanyu, but the remaining four Pandavas followed Abhimanyu. However, the four Pandavas were stopped by
Jayadratha. Jayadratha defeated all four of them;
Drupada too was stopped and trapped.
Ashwathama
In the Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama ruled ...
and
Kritavarma defeated
Dhrishtadyumna and the
Upapandavas, leaving Abhimanyu all alone. Before reaching the center, Abhimanyu killed many other warriors like Rukhmartha, Brihadbala, Shon, etc. After Abhimanyu reached the center of the trap, he was attacked by
Drona
Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaur ...
,
Dushasana,
Ashwatthama
In the Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama ruled th ...
,
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
,
Shakuni,
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Bei ...
Kripa,
Kritavarma,
Vrishasena and Drumasena (Dushasana's son), and many other warriors with a small contingent of the army he arrived inside with. He dies in battle grossly outnumbered.
Outside Indian subcontinent
Indonesia
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
, in
Javanese wayang culture, Abhimanyu (
Indonesian: ''Abimanyu'' ) is an important figure. His figure in
Indonesian -
Javanese culture
Javanese culture is the culture of the Javanese people.
Javanese culture is centered in the provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java in Indonesia. Due to various migrations, it can also be found in other parts of the world, such as ...
, has developed and is different from the version in India.
Abhimanyu is also known as Angkawijaya, Jaya Murcita, Jaka Pengalasan, Partasuta, Kirityatmaja, Sumbadraatmaja, Wanudara and Wirabatana. He is the son of Arjuna (one of the five Pandava warriors) with Dewi Subhadra (daughter of Prabu Basudewa (ruler of Mandura) with Dewi Devaki). He has 13 other siblings, namely: Sumitra, Bratalaras, Bambang Irawan, Kumaladewa, Kumalasakti, Wisanggeni, Wilungangga, Endang Pregiwa, Endang Pregiwati, Prabakusuma, Wijanarka, Anantadewa and Bambang Sumbada. Abhimanyu is the beloved of the gods. Since in the womb, he has received "Revelation Hidayat," which can make him understand everything. It is said that because of his solemn asceticism, Abhimanyu received the Revelation of Makutha Raja, which is a revelation stating that his descendants will be the successors to the throne of the ruler of Astina.
In the wayang, Abhimanyu is told as a character who is gentle, well-behaved, honest, firm-hearted, responsible, and brave. His father taught his military education directly, while he got mysticism from his grandfather, Bagawan Abiyasa. Abhimanyu lived in the Palangkawati knighthood after defeating Prabu Jayamurcita. He has two wives, Dewi Siti Sundari, daughter of Prabu Kresna, king of the Dwarawati state with Dewi Pratiwi. The story of Abhimanyu's marriage to Siti Sundari was performed in a leather puppet show with the title Alap-Alapan Siti Sundari or Jaya Murcita Ngraman. Dewi Utari, daughter of King Matsyapati and Dewi Ni Yutisnawati, from the country of Wirata, and the son of Parikesit. The story of Abhimanyu's marriage to Utari was performed in a wayang kulit stage with the title Putu Rabi Nini or Kalabendana Gugur.
Baratayuda
Abhimanyu died in Baratayuda, the battle between the Kauravas against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra field. At that time, only three knights from the Pandavas were on the battlefield and mastered the war strategy, namely Bhima, Arjuna, and Abhimanyu. Ghatotkacha left because Karna stretched out Kunta Wijayadanu's weapon. Other knights lured Bima and Arjuna from the Kauravas to get out of the battlefield, so Abhimanyu was the only one that the Pandavas relied on at that time.
After all his brothers died, Abhimanyu forgot to set up the battle formation. He advanced alone into the middle of the Kauravas line and was trapped in the deadly formation his enemy had set up. The Kauravas rained weapons on Abhimanyu's body until Abhimanyu fell and fell from his horse—in the wayang, the wounds of charcoal from the basket are depicted (a lot of them). Abhimanyu looks like a hedgehog because of the various weapons stuck in his body. According to the story, the incident was a risk of taking an oath when proposing to Dewi Utari. Abhimanyu once swore that he was still single and stated that if he took a perjury oath, he was ready to die being beaten and impaled by various weapons of his enemies. Abhimanyu took a perjury oath because, at that time, he had already married Dewi Siti Sundari.
With various weapons stuck all over his body, Abhimanyu could no longer walk. However, Abhimanyu did not give up. He even managed to kill the future crown prince of Astina, namely Lesmana Mandrakumara, son of Prabu Duryodana, by throwing the Pulanggeni kris after penetrating the bodies of four other soldiers. At that time, the Kauravas knew that killing Abhimanyu required cutting off the langsang in his chest. In the end, Abhimanyu was killed by the mace of Kyai Glinggang or Galih Asem belonging to Jayadrata, a knight from Banakeling.
In popular culture
*In
B.R. Chopra's classic 1988 series, ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
'', Mayur Verma (Master Mayur) played Abhimanyu.
*Abhimanyu was portrayed by Anuj Sharma in the series, ''
Shri Krishna''.
*
Paras Arora portrayed Abhimanyu in
Star plus
StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedi ...
's successful 2013 series, ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
''.
*In
SET
Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics
*Set (mathematics), a collection of elements
*Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively
Electro ...
's ''
Suryaputra Karna'',
Meghan Jadhav portrayed Abhimanyu.
*In the Telugu epic movie ''
Mayabazar'',
Akkineni Nageswara Rao portrayed Abhimanyu.
*In the series ''Dharmakshetra'' on Epic Channel, the character of Abhimanyu was portrayed by Vishal Thakkar.
*In the Tamil epic movie ''
Mayabazar'',
Gemini Ganesan
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
portrayed Abhimanyu.
Modern assessment
In 1974, a base named INS Abhimanyu was established symbolizing the character of Abhimanyu. On 1 May 1980, the Premier Chariot Base in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
was commissioned as the permanent base for the unit. The Indian Maritime Special Forces (IMSF) is based with INS Abhimanyu.
See also
*
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
*
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of d ...
*
Shri Krishna
*
Draupadi
Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothe ...
*
Historicity of the Mahabharata
References
Sources
*
*
External links
{{Authority control
Characters in the Mahabharata