Padmavyūha was a very special formation (), and knowledge of how to penetrate it was limited to only a handful of warriors on the Pandavas' side, namely: Abhimanyu, Arjuna, Krishna and Pradyumna, of whom only Abhimanyu was present when the Kauravas used it on the battlefield. After Abhimanyu had penetrated the sixth tier of the formation, all the Kauravas' commanders attacked him simultaneously, which was against the righteous rules of warfare Dharmayuddha, and gradually exhausted and killed him. See also Abhimanyu Akshauhini Historicity of the Mahabharata References Kurukshetra War Tactical formations