A long time ago in ancient India, there was a great war called the Mahabharata between two groups of cousins: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Among the Pandavas was a brave young warrior named Abhimanyu. He was the son of Arjuna, the mighty archer, and Subhadra, the sister of Lord Krishna.

Abhimanyu was special—he was kind, smart, and a very skilled warrior, even as a teenager! From the time he was in his mother’s womb, he had already started learning battle strategies by listening to his father.

He grew up strong and fearless. Everyone admired him for his courage and honesty. He also got married to a princess named Uttara, and they were very happy together.

One morning, during the fierce battle of Kurukshetra, the Kauravas made a special war formation called the Chakravyuh. Imagine a giant spinning maze shaped like a flower with many petals—soldiers arranged in circles that kept spinning and closing in. Only warriors with special knowledge could break in and get back out.

The Pandavas were in trouble. Arjuna, who knew how to handle the Chakravyuh, had been lured away to fight in another part of the battlefield. That’s when Abhimanyu, just 16 years old, stood up and said, “I know how to get in—I can do it!”

But here’s the twist: he had only learned how to enter the Chakravyuh, not how to get out! He had learned the entry part when he was in his mother’s tummy, but before Arjuna could explain the exit strategy, Subhadra had fallen asleep.

Everyone was surprised. He was young, but so full of courage. Even Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, gently warned him, “But you don’t know how to come out, dear one.”

Abhimanyu smiled bravely. “I will go in and open the way. If my uncles follow me, we can break it together.”

So Abhimanyu rode into battle like a thunderbolt. His chariot wheels sped forward, his bow rained arrows, and the Kaurava warriors were stunned by his speed and strength. He broke through the outer circle of the Chakravyuh with ease.

But then, something terrible happened—his uncles, the other Pandava warriors, were stopped at the gates by Jayadratha, a powerful warrior guarding the entrance. Abhimanyu was now alone inside the spinning war maze, with enemies all around.

Yet he didn’t panic. With fierce determination, he kept fighting. He defeated many great warriors—like Duryodhana's brother, and even the mighty Dushasana’s son. It was as if he had become a blazing fire on the battlefield.

As Abhimanyu pushed deeper into the Chakravyuh, the Kaurava leaders realized that he was unstoppable. They became afraid. So, even though it was against the rules of war, they all attacked him together.

Among them was Karna, a powerful and respected warrior. Karna had great respect for fairness and skill—but on this day, he listened to Duryodhana’s command. He joined in the group attack to stop Abhimanyu.

Abhimanyu’s bow was broken. Then his chariot was smashed. Even his horses were killed. But he still didn’t give up.

He jumped off the chariot, picked up a sword and shield, and kept fighting. When those were broken, he grabbed a fallen chariot wheel and spun it like a giant discus, defending himself like a hero in a storybook.

The Kauravas were amazed by his strength, but they kept attacking from all sides. It was not a fair fight. Finally, when he was tired and wounded, they struck the final blow.

The sky grew dark. The earth seemed to tremble. Even the warriors who had defeated him felt shame. They knew they had done something wrong.

Back in the Pandava camp, there was deep sorrow. Arjuna, Abhimanyu’s father, was heartbroken. But everyone knew that Abhimanyu had died a hero—fighting for justice and dharma, even when he was alone.

Later, his wife Uttara gave birth to their son, Parikshit, who would grow up to be a wise and noble king—the last shining light of the Pandava family.