Sushmajee
Mahaabhaarat | General
 

Doubts

Home | Mahaabhaarat | General

Doubts-4

Previous | Next

   
Doubts-4

Why Arjun was After Jayadrath for Killing Abhimanyu?
According to Mahaabhaarat, Jayadrath didn't kill Abhimanyu, as the popular belief is. Even the MBH Serial shows this that when Arjun goes to Bheeshm in the evening and says that Abhimanyu was killed. Bheeshm asked, "How?" Arjun told him the whole story, Bheeshm also said that "It was Jayadrath who was responsible for the killing of Abhimanyu because he did not allow help for Abhimanyu." Why he was also of the view that Jayadrath was responsible for his killing? Was it a rule that the help should have been allowed? If yes, then what was the meaning of his guarding the gate? In fact, he was killed by Dushaasan's son, whose name is not given. Then why did Arjun hold Jayadrath responsible for killing Abhimanyu?

Of course, according to war rules it was not fair to fight for several people to fight with only one person. But still Jayadrath had no share in his kiling

Let us see who was doing what at that time? (Read 6-War, 17-battle-13-1 for full description)

(1) Drone was guarding the entrance gate. And since Abhimanyu knew entering the Chakra Vyooh, he entered the Vyooh.

(2) First Dushaasan attacked Abhimanyu, and he got unconscious.

(3) Then came Karn, he also fled away.

(4) Paandav wanted to come to Abhimanyu's help, but Jayadrath stopped them letting them in.

(5) Then came Drone, Ashwatthaamaa, Shakuni, and Karn etc but all were defeated by Abhimanyu.

(6) Then came six great warriors to fight with Abhimanyu - Drone, Kripaa, Karn, Ashwatthaamaa, Brihadwal and Kritvarmaa, but Abhimanyu still defeated them all.

(7) Seeing this Karn asked Drone the way to defeat him, otherwise he could kill their whole army.

(8) Now this is noticeable here - that Drone told him the way to kill him. "With well-shot arrows, you can cut his bow, bow string, the rein of his horses, kill his horses and two Saarathee. Do it if you are competent, make him turn back, then strike him. Till he has his bow in his hands, he can defeat even Devtaa and Asur together. So break his chariot and bow first." This was the way to kill him.

(9) Then Karn broke his bow, Kritvarmaa killed his horses, Kripaa killed his two Saarathee; and others covered him with arrows.

(10) After his chariot was destroyed, he jumped on the ground to fight. Then Drone cut his sword and Karn cut his shield.

(11) He took the wheel of his chariot to fight. During the fight, when he was fighting with Dushaasan's son, he hit him on his head which made him unconscious and that hit took his life.

This is the account of his fight given in Mahaabhaarat. Now one can decide himself that who was responsible for his death? It was Drone, who told the way to kill him, and then Karn who carried out the plan, and in the last Dushaasan's son who hit him on his head.

Where comes Jayadrath in this picture? His duty was only to guard the entrance gate which he was doing sincerely. According to the boon he was able to stop Paandav (minus Arjun) on that day too. He didn't even touch Abhimanyu at all. Then why Arjun was after Jayadrath?

I am happy to see the Footnote at the bottom of  MBH, Aashramvaasikaa, 11, that other people also hold the same view as mine. The Note reads -

"It is difficult to imagine why the rider of the Sindhus, Jayadrath, only should be regarded as a wrong-doer to the Paandav. In the matter of the slaying of Abhimanyu he played a very minor part, by only guarding the entrance of the array against the Paandav warriors. ..."

 

 

Home | Mahaabhaarat | General

 

Previous | Next

Created by Sushma Gupta on 05/27/04
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 01/17/12