Abhimanyu (अभिमन्युः)

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अभिमन्योः पूर्वजन्म ॥ Previous Birth of Abhimanyu

The Adi Parva of the Mahabharata in the 67th Adhyaya enumerates about the previous birth of Abhimanyu. It says,

यस्तु वर्चा इति ख्यातः सोमपुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥११२॥

सोऽभिमन्युर्बृहत्कीर्तिरर्जुनस्य सुतोऽभवत् । यस्यावतरणे राजन्सुरान्सोमोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥११३॥

नाहं दद्यां प्रियं पुत्रं मम प्राणैर्गरीयसम् । समयः क्रियतामेष न शक्यमतिवर्तितुम् ॥११४॥

सुरकार्यं हि नः कार्यमसुराणां क्षितौ वधः । तत्र यास्यत्ययं वर्चा न च स्थास्यति वै चिरम् ॥११५॥

ऐन्द्रिर्नरस्तु भविता यस्य नारायणः सखा । सोर्जुनेत्यभिविख्यातः पाण्डोः पुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥११६॥

तस्यायं भविता पुत्रो बालो भुवि महारथः । ततः षोडश वर्षाणि स्थास्यत्यमरसत्तमाः ॥११७॥

अस्य षोडशवर्षस्य स सङ्ग्रामो भविष्यति । यत्रांशा वः करिष्यन्ति कर्म वीरनिषूदनम् ॥११८॥

नरनारायणाभ्यां तु स सङ्ग्रामो विनाकृतः । चक्रव्यूहं समास्थाय योधयिष्यन्ति वः सुराः ॥११९॥

विमुखाञ्छात्रवान्सर्वान्कारयिष्यति मे सुतः । बालः प्रविश्य च व्यूहमभेद्यं विचरिष्यति ॥१२०॥

महारथानां वीराणां कदनं च करिष्यति । सर्वेषामेव शत्रूणां चतुर्थांशं नयिष्यति ॥१२१॥

दिनार्धेन महाबाहुः प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति । ततो महारथैर्वीरैः समेत्य बहुशो रणे ॥१२२॥

दिनक्षये महाबाहुर्मया भूयः समेष्यति । एकं वंशकरं पुत्रं वीरं वै जनयिष्यति ॥१२३॥

प्रनष्टं भारतं वंशं स भूयो धारयिष्यति । एतत्सोमवचः श्रुत्वा तथास्त्विति दिवौकसः ॥१२४॥

yastu varcā iti khyātaḥ somaputraḥ pratāpavān ॥112॥

so'bhimanyurbr̥hatkīrtirarjunasya suto'bhavat । yasyāvataraṇe rājansurānsomo'bravīdidam ॥113॥

nāhaṁ dadyāṁ priyaṁ putraṁ mama prāṇairgarīyasam । samayaḥ kriyatāmeṣa na śakyamativartitum ॥114॥

surakāryaṁ hi naḥ kāryamasurāṇāṁ kṣitau vadhaḥ । tatra yāsyatyayaṁ varcā na ca sthāsyati vai ciram ॥115॥

aindrirnarastu bhavitā yasya nārāyaṇaḥ sakhā । sorjunetyabhivikhyātaḥ pāṇḍoḥ putraḥ pratāpavān ॥116॥

tasyāyaṁ bhavitā putro bālo bhuvi mahārathaḥ । tataḥ ṣoḍaśa varṣāṇi sthāsyatyamarasattamāḥ ॥117॥

asya ṣoḍaśavarṣasya sa saṅgrāmo bhaviṣyati । yatrāṁśā vaḥ kariṣyanti karma vīraniṣūdanam ॥118॥

naranārāyaṇābhyāṁ tu sa saṅgrāmo vinākr̥taḥ । cakravyūhaṁ samāsthāya yodhayiṣyanti vaḥ surāḥ ॥119॥

vimukhāñchātravānsarvānkārayiṣyati me sutaḥ । bālaḥ praviśya ca vyūhamabhedyaṁ vicariṣyati ॥120॥

mahārathānāṁ vīrāṇāṁ kadanaṁ ca kariṣyati । sarveṣāmeva śatrūṇāṁ caturthāṁśaṁ nayiṣyati ॥121॥

dinārdhena mahābāhuḥ pretarājapuraṁ prati । tato mahārathairvīraiḥ sametya bahuśo raṇe ॥122॥

dinakṣaye mahābāhurmayā bhūyaḥ sameṣyati । ekaṁ vaṁśakaraṁ putraṁ vīraṁ vai janayiṣyati ॥123॥

pranaṣṭaṁ bhārataṁ vaṁśaṁ sa bhūyo dhārayiṣyati । etatsomavacaḥ śrutvā tathāstviti divaukasaḥ ॥124॥

Meaning:

And he who was known as the mighty Varchas, the son of Soma, became Abhimanyu of wonderful deeds, the son of Arjuna. And before his incarnation, O king, the god Soma had said these words to the celestials, 'I cannot give (part with) my son. He is dearer to me than life itself. Let this be the compact and let it be not transgressed. The destruction of the Asuras on earth is the work of the celestials, and, therefore, it is our work as well. Let this Varchas, therefore, go thither, but let him not stay there long. Nara, whose companion is Narayana, will be born as Indra's son and indeed, will be known as Arjuna, the mighty son of Pandu. This boy of mine shall be his son and become a mighty car-warrior in his boyhood. And let him, ye best of immortals, stay

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on earth for sixteen years. And when he attaineth to his sixteenth year, the battle shall take place in which all who are born of your portions shall achieve the destruction of mighty warriors. But a certain encounter shall take place without both Nara and Narayana (taking any part in it). And, indeed, your portions, ye celestials, shall fight, having made that disposition of the forces which is known by the name of the Chakra-vyuha. And my son shall compel all foes to retreat before him. The boy of mighty arms having penetrated the impenetrable array, shall range within it fearlessly and send a fourth part of the hostile force, in course of half a day, unto the regions of the king of the dead. Then when numberless heroes and mighty car-warriors will return to the charge towards the close of the day, my boy of mighty arms, shall reappear before me. And he shall beget one heroic son in his line, who shall continue the almost extinct Bharata race.' Hearing these words of Soma, the dwellers in heaven replied, 'So be it.' And then all together applauded and worshipped (Soma) the king of stars.

Once upon a time, a conference took place amongst the Devas about their incarnation in the world for the destruction of the wicked people. At that time, Chandra told the Devas, “I do not like to send Varchas (Chandra’s son), whom I love more than my life, to the earth. However, I think it is not right to stand in the way of the plan of the Deities. Therefore, I will send my son on one condition. I am unable to be separated from him. So, let him be born as the son of Arjuna but, let him not stay there for long. When he attains the 16th year, the battle shall take place in which my son shall enter the Chakravyuha of the enemies to be killed by them and return to me.” The Devas agreed to this condition and thus, was born Chandra’s son Varchas as Abhimanyu.