Abhimanyu's gruesome death changed everything for Arjuna. Abhimanyu was the apple of his eye & he took immense pride everytime people praised Abhimanyu for his precocious talent. When Arjuna finally got a glimpse of Abhimanyu's wound-stricken corpse, he was distraught, (1/n) https://twitter.com/IbrAp1KAchU20/status/1259046614863245313

and inconsolable. Engulfed in anger & grief, Arjuna took a vow on his life that if on the next day, he fails to kill Jayadratha, then, he will jump to a pyre of Holy fire & embrace his death. Now, what is so special about Jayadratha ? Jayadratha was a cunning & adept (2/n)

warrior. He was directly responsible for Abhimanyu's death because it was him who closed the door of the Chakravyuh, which led to Abhimanyu being trapped inside all alone. And on top of it, Jayadratha was blessed by the boon that anyone who kills him will burst into pieces(3/n)

unless he beheads Jayadratha & Jayadratha's head falls right in front of his father, who had taken Sanyas. So, Jayadratha had deliberately hidden his father, away from Kurukshetra & with his father far away, he was close to being immortal on the battlefield. On hearing (4/n)

Arjuna's vow, Shakuni, Duryodhana & Dronacharya made a plan : Next day, Jayadratha would be place on the innermost & most secure zone of the army with multi-level protection, each level being guarded by one of the Maharathis in Kaurava Army. The plan was simple : Delay (5/n)

Arjuna's march towards Jayadratha till sunset (when war is ended for the day) because if Arjuna fails to kill him by then, he will self-immolate himself & the war would be as good as done & dusted for the Pandavas, with Arjuna's death. Doesn't it sound like Jose Mourinho's (6/n)

"Park The Bus" strategy ? Anyways, that day, Arjuna was a different beast. He literally slaughtered everyone that came on his way & despite beating everyone, he spared them their lives because he was under pledge to kill only 1 Maharathi : Jayadratha on that day. He (7/n)

defeated Dronacharya, Duryodhana, Karna, Dushashan , Kripacharya..... All in 1 day. It was like Lionel Messi dribbling past 7-8 World Class players. It was an in-form Arjuna Masterclass. Seeing his wrath & determination, Shakuni tried to taunt him with jeers on Abhimanyu, (8/n)

but it had no effect. Arjuna was focussed that day, like an assassin with a target. With evening on the verge, Duryodhana unleashed his entire army & when it seemed it was impossible to beat a huge army, Shri Krishna tricked them all. Cometh the hour, Cometh the man ! (9/n)

Shri Krishna deliberately used his Sudarshan Chakra to hide the sun with a cloud & with the sun out, everyone rejoiced, thinking it was the end of the day & Arjuna had failed. Everyone in the Kauravas had a sigh of relief & started dancing, with Jayadratha finally (10/n)

coming out & taunting Arjuna, calling Abhimanyu a coward begging for his life. Arjuna almost threw his Gandhiva, knowing that despite giving his best, he failed to get justice for his son. But guess what ? Picture abhi baki hai ! Suddenly, Shri Krishna took out his (11/n)

Sudarshan Chakra from the Sun's path & the Sun-rays split across the nebulous clouds. The smile of victory on Shakuni's face suddenly changed to a spasm of pain & the inevitable of what was about to come. Arjuna looked at Jayadratha, with his eyes telling him : "This is (12/n)

for Abhimanyu ! Adios !" & then, Arjuna shot his arrow through his Gandhiva with so much power, that the arrow ripped apart Jayadratha's head from his body & carried the head to his father's feet, who was having his lunch in his kingdom, miles away. There was silence. And (13/n)

the silence didn't imply a sense of defeat, but a fear, with the Gandhiva's shockwaves still reverberating in everyone's years. Dronacharya was stunned because he never expected this shot from Arjuna. And Karna, the supposed rival to Arjuna, was silenced with a tutorial (14/n)

on World-Class Archery.

That's why I reiterate : Never equate Karna with Arjuna. Arjuna, when he is on his mood, is a different animal.

And Shri Krishna, for the first time, saw in Arjuna : a cold-hearted focussed assassin; not a grieved father.

Thanks for reading ! (15/15)