Abhimanyu, like a shooting star, illuminates the horizon of the Mahabharata epic for a few moments and vanishes in trails of glory.

Abhimanyu's father was the great Arjuna. His mother, Subhadra, was the sister of Lord Krishna. In spite of being overshadowed by such powerful personalities, Abhimanyu had no difficulty in finding his rightful place among the greatest of his time.

We know little of Abhimanyu's childhood except his lineage. His marriage to Uttara remained in the shadow of Arjuna's overbearing presence. But in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he came into his own and proved his mettle. His humility as seen in his obedience to Yudhishthira, his idealism in taking up the fatal assignment and his courage in confronting the enemy -all these proclaim a hero greater: than any of the Pandavas.

It took seven of the greatest on the Kaurava side to vanquish the young lion that was Abhimanyu. Youth has seldom scaled such heights in any epic known to mankind.