"It is as though a herd of elephants humbled a lion’s cub; as if several
snakes together killed the young one of a Garuda’ (Golden eagle) - so wailed the gods
in Heaven."
This is a description by the famous Kannada poet Kumaravyasa in his long poetical
narration of the Mahabharata. (His real name was Naranappa of Gadugu).
You have heared the story of Mahabharata-haven’t you? Maharshi Vedavysa first
narrated this story of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
What brave men fought in the Mahabharata war! Bheema, Arjuna, Duryodhana, Dusshassana,
Bheeshma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Shalya . . . . . It is a long, long list. It
seems the gods themselves crowded in the sky to witness the valour of these heroes. These
gods had already witnessed the amazing valour of the mighty heroes. But when they saw a
great warrior attacked by several foes and saw him killed, they praised him and wept for
his death, says Kumaravyasa.
Who - among mighty men like Bheeshma, Drona, Bheema, Arjuna, Karna, Ashwatthama,
Duryodhana and Dusshasana - was this great hero who won such praise?
He was yet a boy. Such was his prowess that the entire army of the Kauravas trembled.
Mighty heroes among the Kauravas, who were deemed unequalled, had to flee, To defeat
and kill that young boy, all of them had to join together and encircle him.
That human thunderbolt was the heroic Abhimanyu.
