Abhimanyu was the incarnation of Varchas; son of the moon. When moon was approached about his son’s incarnation on earth, he lended him only for sixteen years as he could not bear life any longer than this without his son.
Abhimanyu was as brave and fearless fighter as his father Arjun and as wise and determined as his uncle Krishna. On the thirteen day of Mahabharat Kaurav sena created a seven tiered chakravyuh formation which was difficult to break . Only Arjun knew how to enter and break it. Abhimanyu learned how to penetrate it , while still in the womb of his mother Subhadra . As his mother Subhadra dozed off half way, when his father was telling her how to come out of Chakravyuh , Abhimanyu could not learn the secret of coming out of it.
Inside the Chakravyuh, the trapped Abhimanyu went on a killing rampage. He killed tens of thousands of Kaurav soldiers and attempted to break through this Kaurav formation from the inside. He defeated great warriors like Drona, Kripa, Aswatthama, Duryodhan, Salya, Dussasan, Bhurisrava and killed many prominent heroes including Duryodhan’s son Lakshmana, Salya’s son, Rukmaratha, Kritavarma’s son, Matrikavata, Salya’s brother, King Vrihadvala and many others. Karna was the only warrior who was able to match the young warrior in battlefield.
Finally, a strategy was formed and a joint attack on Abhimanyu followed. Karn cut off Abhimanyu’s bow, Kripacharya killed his two chariot-drivers and Kritavarma killed his horses. Abhimanyu took up a sword and a shield but these weapons were cut off by Dronacharya and Karna. Abhimanyu then took up a chariot-wheel and threw it at Dronacharya but Karna and Aswatthama saved Dronacharya by cutting the wheel. Abhimanyu then took up a mace and smashed Aswatthama’s chariot. Abhimanyu killed one of Sakuni’s brothers and many soldiers and elephants also in that fierce battle. Then he smashed the chariot of Dussasan’s son, who took a mace and confronted Abhimanyu. A badly wounded and exhausted Abhimanyu was finally killed by Dussasana’s son who smashed the fallen Abhimanyu’s head with his mace.
Abhimanyu’s son, Parikshit became the sole heir to the Pandav- empire and succeeded Yudhishthir to the Hastinapur throne. His son, Parikshit, born after his untimely death at the tender age of sixteen , remained the sole survivor of the Kuru clan at the conclusion of the Mahabharata war and carried on the Pandava lineage.
Abhimanyu, a very brave warrior on the Pandava side, willingly gave up his life in that war of Dharm and Adharm at a very young age. Abhimanyu will always be remembered for his audacious bravery and absolute loyalty to his father and Uncles.
Abhimanyu