Devas were taking incarnations on earth to reduce adharma which had increased beyond limits. They would assist Lord Krishna in this. It was Somadeva's son called Varchas who incarnated as Abhimanyu. When Varchas was about to go to earth, Somadeva told the other Devas- I can not live without my son for long. He will live a short life on earth, eliminate a large number of evil kings, and return to me at the age of 16. Abhimanyu was 16 when he was killed in the battle of Kurukshetra.

Knowledge Bank

Which character from Mahabharata was also called Panchali?

Draupadi. She was called Draupadi because she was the daughter of king Drupada. She was called Panchali because she belonged to Panchala desha (daughter of the king of Panchala).

What is the meaning of Manishada?

Manishada literally means - Don’t you, hunter! In this shloka at the beginning of Ramayana, Valmiki is reprimanding a hunter who shot an arrow at a pair of mating birds and killed one among them. He cursed the hunter to face problems in his life.