of her sister-in-law, suggests that he was already treated like a slave and so should be released as an act of mercy. So bowing down to the merciful Yudhishthira, Jayadratha returned to his capital. Kurukshetra war After his humiliation at the hands of Pandavas, Jayadratha gave control of his kingdom to his wife and did severe penance towards Lord Shiva. Pleased with his austerities, Shiva appears before him and grants him a boon. Jayadratha asks for the ability to defeat all five Pandavas. However, Shiva told him that this was impossible. Still, Jayadratha implores him for any help in avenging himself. Reluctantly, Shiva grants him the boon that while he won't be able to defeat the Pandavas, for one day, he will be able to check their advance. Saying these words, Shiva warns Jayadratha that even this boon couldn't hold Arjuna. Satisfied, Jayadratha returns to his kingdom. Two years later, Jayadratha fights on the side of his brother-in-law in the Kurukshetra War. At noon on the 1st day, he defeats King Drupada after a long duel. On the 11th day, he is defeated by Abhimanyu in a sword fight and is forced to flee. On the 13th day, when the chakravyuha is launched by Dronacharya, Arjuna's son Abhimanyu manages to enter the formation; he intends for the Pandava forces to follow after him and smash the formation from the inside. However, Jayadratha moves to close the gap, and Shiva's boon triggers as he is able to hold all of the Pandava brothers and their allies at bay. As part of the Kaurava strategy, Arjuna and Krishna are busy battling Susharma and the Trigata Army elsewhere. With no aid, Abhimanyu is trapped and brutally killed by the Kaurava warriors. Abhimanyu's death is a gigantic blow to the Pandavas. In particular, Draupadi, Yudhishthira, and Bhima feel very guilty for not killing Jayadratha when they did have the chance. Arjuna blames Jayadratha to be the cause for Abhimanyu's death and vows to kill him the very next day before sunset, vowing that if he fails he would immolate himself. This sets the stage for the epic 14th day of battle. Arjuna's revenge Dronacharya arranged a combination of 3 vyuhas in order to protect Jayadratha from Arjuna: The Shakata vyuha (the cart formation), the Suchimukha Vyuha (the needle formation), and finally the Padma Vyuha (the lotus formation). Bhima, Satyaki, and Arjuna tear through the