The difference between Arjuna and Abhimanyu, in terms of human types and not skills, is that Arjuna is a conscious and chosen divinely appointed instrument. He is not only the best, the perfect archer, but one who is completely surrendered to the Divine. He has forgiven the personal injustices done against him by the Kuru brothers and no more fights for any personal reasons.
Abhimanyu, on the other hand, is not fighting the battle for a divine purpose but out of the sense of chivalry, for the sake of his people, towards whom injustice has been done. He sacrifices his life, which is the highest that a true Kshatriya warrior can conceive of.
Neither would use any unfair means in the battle, even if the cause is right. This quality comes again and again with reference to Arjuna, who has given himself completely to the Lord. Even if all the rest were the same, yet this singular act of conscious surrender to become a willing instrument of the Divine in a gory war marks Arjuna as unique and incomparable in the history of earth’s evolution, at least during the times of the Mahabharata.
(Follow-up Question:)
Why was only Arjuna an Adhikari of the Gita? What are the indispensable Qualities required to become an Adhikari of the Gita in the Present Age? 🌻📙✨
Arjuna combines the lower and the higher perfection. As an Archer, he is the best who has mastered the highest skills of his work through intense practice and tapasya. So the instrument is beautifully prepared.
And yet he will not misuse his capacities for any egoistic purposes or selfish reasons. As an instrument, he is completely surrendered to Sri Krishna, his friend and Lord and Master, whose command he is ready to follow regardless of the price. Especially after the Gita, he is no more deluded, nasto moha, as he says and is ready to act without fear or flinching the Will of God.
It is because of these two rarest combinations that his personal deficiencies, especially his emotional nature that has sometimes wandered, attracted towards some worldly ties of affection and attachment, do not count or matter much. He is given to Krishna as completely as the gopas and gopis, but additionally, instead of simply rejoicing in the company of his Lord as the traditional bhakta, he goes out with Him to destroy the evil-doers and conquer the Kingdom at the bidding of Sri Krishna. No wonder, to Sri Krishna, he is the dearest of all for whom Sri Krishna could go to any extent, including changing the rules of Nature, discarding his own rule of never lifting a weapon for the sake of his eternal friend and companion.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
