Lakshmana Kumara

This article is about the character of Mahabharata. For other uses, see Lakshman (disambiguation).

Laxman Kumara
Abhimanyu kills Lakshmana
Information
Family	Duryodhana (father) Mayuri (mother) Lakshmanā(Sister)
Relatives	Dhritrashtra (Grandfather) Gandhari(Grandmother) other Kauravas, Pandavas(Uncles), Dushala (Aunt)

In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Lakshmana Kumara (also spelled Laxman(a)) was the son of Duryodhana and Mayuri and grandson of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. He had a twin sister called Lakshmanaa who was kidnapped by Samba (Krishna's son). Only few mentions of Lakshmana are there the Mahabharata. He was the one who killed Kshatradeva, Shikhandi's son, on the twelfth day of the Kurukshetra War, while himself being slain on the 13th day of the war by Abhimanyu who decapitated him using the nagashirastra.

In folklore

In Telugu folklore, not present in Mahabharata, Vatsala (Sashirekha), the daughter of Balarama, is betrothed to the Pandava prince Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu is the son of Krishna's sister Subhadra and (Krishna's close friend) the Pandava prince Arjuna. So initially the marriage of Vatsala is to be performed with Abhimanyu but when Abhimanyu's father Arjuna goes into exile Balarama's wife Revati says that Arjuna has no kingdom left and a prince without a kingdom may well be a commoner. Balarama thinks about it and feels that his wife is right and that he is supposed to think about the welfare of his daughter to break off the marriage with Abhimanyu.

Balarama arranges it instead with Duryodhana's son Laxman. Abhimanyu learns of this and is annoyed. Abhimanyu asks his maternal uncle- Balarama's brother and Arjuna's ally, Krishna to intervene. Krishna says he cannot do so but he should ask help from his first cousin Ghatotkacha - the half-demon son of Arjuna's brother Bhima who lives in Varnavat. Abhimanyu sets out to Varnavat and meets his cousin's brother and tells him why he seeks his help. Ghatotkacha is furious at Balarama because he wants to keep an alliance with the very people who were the cause of the Pandavas' misery. Meanwhile, the marriage preparations take place at Balarama's house. Ghatotkacha hatches a plan to get Vatsala and Abhimanyu married.

Ghatotkacha goes disguised as Vatsala to the marriage ceremony. He clamps Laxman's arm, scaring Laxman who promptly faints. Laxman vows never to marry. The real Vatsala has been transported by Ghatotkacha to Varnavat where Abhimanyu awaits. The couple's marriage is celebrated. When Duryodhana learns that Abhimanyu has married Vatsala, he is infuriated and thus his anger toward the Pandavas is further fuelled. .

See also

• Duryodhana