During the 13th day of the Mahbhrata war, Drona (the commander in chief of the Kaurava army at the time) created the Chakravyu formation which only Arjuna & Krishna (on the Pandava side) knew how to defeat. Unfortunately, they were dragged into a war with the Samsaptaka forces led by Susharma at the other end of the battle-field and too far from the formation to know about it.
Drona at the head of the formation was wreaking havoc with the Pandava forces. Seeing the destruction of his army, Yudhishthira asked Abhimanyu for help. Abhimanyu informed him that he how to enter the Chakravyu formation but not the way out. Yudhishira, Bheema, Nakul, Sahadeva, and other warriors were to follow Abhimanyu into the chakravyu to assist him in getting out.
Unfortunately, they were not able to follow him in due to Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhus who utilized a boon that he had received from Shiva to single-handedly hold off the Pandava forces for the day. Another reason that the rest of the Pandava forces could not accompany him could be that in his zeal, he rushed through the forces and did not wait for his senior colleagues to support him.
Abhimanyu lacked the knowledge and strategy required to defeat the chakravyuha battle strategy. He attacked whoever came his way, and vanquished many - but once he entered the cakra vyuha, he lacked a specific direction to move, and kept wandering, trying to find his way out because he only learned how to enter but not how to exit. As a result, he ended up fighting the entire Kuru host, trying to stand in the war instead of moving through the forces. He was deemed invincible as long as he was moving with the knowledge of direction. Neither did he have support from Pandava forces to stay nor the know-how to move away.
During the course of the battle, he killed approximately 10,000 soldiers, horsemen, and elephant-men. He killed the following maha-rathis:
- King of Asmaka
- Sushena
- Drighalochana
- Kundavedhin
- the younger brother of Salya
- younger brother of Karna (younger son of Radha)
- Vasatiya
- Rukmaratha, son of Salya
- Lakshmana, son of Duryodhana
- King of Kratha
- Vrindaraka
- Vrihadvala, King of Kosala
- six of Karna's counsellors
- son of the ruler of the Magadhas
- Bhoja prince of Martikavata
- Satrunjaya
- Chandraketu,
- Mahamegba
- Suvarchas,
- Suryabhasa
- Suvala's son, Kalikeya
The following maha-rathis fought and were wounded by Abhimanyu and forced to turn away or lost consciousness for a short period of time before resuming the battle:
- Karna
- Salya
- Duhsasana
- Vrishasena
- Duryodhana
As night drew near, Duryodana asked Drona how Abhimanyu could be killed. Drona said:
Observing him with vigilance, have any of you been able to detect any defeat in this youth? He is careening in all directions. Yet have any of you been able to detect today the least hole in him? Behold the lightness of hand and quickness of motion of this lion among men, this son of Arjuna. In the track of his car, only his bow drawn to a circle can be seen, so quickly is he aiming his shafts and so quickly is he letting them off. Indeed, this slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, gratifieth me although he afflicteth my vital breath and stupefieth me with shafts. Even the mightiest car-warriors, filled with wrath, are unable to detect any flaw in him. The son of Subhadra, therefore, careering on the field of battle, gratifieth me greatly. I do not see that in battle there is any difference between the wielder of Gandiva himself and this one of great lightness of hand, filling all the points of the horizon with his mighty shafts.
Karna, repeating the question asked:
Exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Abhimanyu, I am staying in battle, only because (as a warrior) I should stay here. Indeed, the arrows of this south of great energy are exceedingly fierce. Terrible as they are and possessed of the energy of fire, these arrows are weakening my heart.
Drona answered:
Abhimanyu is young, his prowess is great. His coat of mail is impenetrable. This one's father had been taught by me the method of wearing defensive armour. This subjugator of hostile towns assuredly knoweth the entire science (of wearing armour). With shafts well shot, you can, however, cut off his bow, bow-string, the reins of his steeds, the steeds themselves, and two Parshni charioteers. O mighty bowman, O son of Radha, if competent, do this. Making him turn back from the fight (by this means), strike him then. With his bow in hand he is incapable of being vanquished by the very gods and the Asuras together. If you wish, deprive him of his car, and divest him of his bow
Following which Karna quickly cut Abhimanyu's bow. Kritayarman killed his horses and Kripacharya killed his two Parshni charioteers. The others all simultaneously attacked him with their arrows. Bowless and carless, Abhimanyu, took up a sword and a shield and attacked. However, Drona cut his sword at the hilt and Karna destroyed his shield. He then picked up a chariot wheel from the ground and rushed at Drona. The kings all attacked and broke the wheel into small fragments. Abhimanyu than picked up a mace and rushed at Aswatthaman. Aswatthaman jumped out of his chariot and ran as Abhimanyu destroyed his chariot. Abhimanyu than attacked and killed Kalikeya and seven hundred and seventy of his army. He then attacked Duhasasana's son and destroyed his chariot. They both knocked each other down. Duhasasana's son got up first and hit Abhimanyu on the head, killing him as he was getting up.
Abhimanyu's Death as the Turning point of the Mahbhrata War
Abhimanyu's death was certain the moment he set out to penetrate the chakravyuha, and Abhimanyu was well aware of this but his courage and commitment were so strong, that he never cared. And when he stood alone and without a bow, he had in his sight several warriors shooting at him from distance, whom he could not hope to fight - and he was left with whatever he could find on the ground, a mace or a chariot wheel. In a way, his death was considered to be murder rather than death in the battlefield.
In attacking him, the Kauravas committed the biggest breach of ethics and code of the Mahbhrata war. This in a way, was the turning point of the war. On the 14th day, the Pandavas retaliated with all their might and fury--holding nothing back. Bhimasena killed twenty-five of Duryodhana's brothers and rendered Karna helpless and ineffective. Arjuna killed Jayadratha. Collectively, the Pandavas destroyed eight of the eleven Akshauhini Kaurava army.
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