Abhimanyu Caught Alone In the Chakravyuha : Episode 148

On the thiteenth day of Kurukshetra war, Arjuna proceeds rapidly towards the center of the Kaurava sena, but is stopped by Susharma who challenges him to fight with him before proceeding further. Arjuna hesitates, but Susharma heckles him with provocative words detracting his gallantry. With Krishna's encouragement, Arjuna follows Susharma out of the battle-field. Once Arjuna is out of sight, Drona fires an astra skyward, which sends fiery sparks spiralling brilliantly.

The Kaurava army moves fast and all of a sudden, the troops array themselves in a chakra vyuha. Yudhishtra, Satyaki and Bhima watch in amazement. To continue to fight, they should now enter the vyuha, but the trio do not know the procedure. Abhimanyu reveals that he knows how to enter the vyuha, since he has heard his father Arjuna describing the technique to his mother Subhadra while he was still in her womb. As a baby, he listens intently and absorbs the knowledge, but by the time Arjuna starts explaining how to break out of the vyuha, Subhadra feels sleepy, and Arjuna stops the narration. So Abhimanyu isn't aware how to exit from the vyuha.

Yudhishtra and Bhima assure Abhimanyu that they would follow him and enter the vyuha.

Sending torrents of shafts that leave dead bodies flying everywhere, Abhimanyu makes a successful entry into the chakravyuha. The minute he enters the vyuha, the breach is closed immediately, and Yudhishtra, Bhima and others can't enter. With his devillish laughter, Jayadratha pushes back all the warriors. With the boon of invincibility from Shiva, the Sindu king is able to hold at bay all the warriors pitted against him. This is not his usual self, and the Pandava brothers are perplexed by his extraordinary strength.

Left isolated, Abhimanyu does not panic. He fights with Dushasana, but says that he has spared his life because he would like his uncle Bhima to fulfil his oath. He defeats Karna's son Vrishasena. He fights with Lakshamana, the son of Duryodhana, and in the end, chops his head off and and injures Durmasana (Dushasana's son).

Duryodhana and Dushasana are enraged by the killing of their sons. Duryodhana insults Drona, who is now pressurized to prove his integrity and repay the debt of being on his payrolls. He orders everybody, including Drona, Krupacharya Salya and Aswathama, to fight with him collectively and orders Karna to attack Abhimanyu from the rear.