#hidimba

[friend-shaped-but]

[sambhavami]

Women in Mahabharata - Hidimba

She is the princess (later queen) of the cannibal Rakshasa tribe (just the native people there), who is enamoured with Bheema when he, alongside his brothers and mother, is on the run from the Kauravas after the fire at Varanavat. Mahabharata hints that this tribe generally found their food by robbing (and, eating, unfortunately) people who crossed the forest at night.

She is also one of the few women in Mahabharata to speak for her own desires without being too antagonized for it (also I won't lie it's bad, but just a bit refreshing to not see a woman being objectified this time). Also, this is one place we get a proper physical description of Bheema.

Seeing Bheema guarding his family, Hidimba takes a bath, dresses herself in the most expensive Aryan-friendly jewellery that she owns (looted from previous travelers perhaps), and then approaches him.

She explains her brother Hidimb's plan to kill and eat all of them and offers her protection in exchange for Bheema's romance. As a hardworking member of a tribe that deals with hard jungle conditions, she offers to carry all of the Pandavas on her back and fly them to safety. She even massages Bheema's feet in an effort to attract him further.

Bheema is also attracted to her, but refuses her 'protection', and offers to deal with her brother himself. This is when her brother catches the two conversing, and tries to murder her for being a 'traitor' to her tribe. Angered by this, Bheema pushes him away to a different corner of the forest to fight him without disturbing his brothers and mother, leaving Hidimba to guard them in the meantime.

In this hubbub, Kunti wakes up and starts asking questions and Hidimba answers, "Oh, you mean, my husband, your son? (Mama Kaantena, tava Putrena?") Still groggy from sleep, Kunti temporarily ignores that and just asks her to lead her to Bheema.

After Bheema kills Hidimb, the Pandavas completely ignore Hidimba and start walking out of the forest. Bheema, most probably embarrassed, doesn't say anything. Hidimba too, without hesitation, starts following them out.

After a while, Bheema, in a weird attempt to reopen this conversation and attract his family's attention his to-be-paramour, threatens to kill Hidimba. Immediately Yudhishthira gets involved, and declares- absolutely not! Finally, realizing that Bheema is totally useless when it comes to romance, Hidimba falls at Kunti's feet and proposes to her instead.

There's then a very uncomfortable conversation that Kunti has with Hidimba, where the latter explains her desires for Bheema and ends with, "You understand, right?" and "It's your duty now to unite me with your coward son!" The final point that convinces Yudhishthira is when Hidimba promises to leave Bheema alone in the nighttime and only take him away with her during the day, and he agrees.

Then Bheema suddenly jumps in, and says he'll only stay with her until she has a son. Given, his previous behaviour, Bheema is only trying to save face before his mother and older brother after flirting with Hidimba all night long.

She then takes Bheema along for a honeymoon to many beautiful places around the forest, and finally they have a son, who Bheema lovingly names Ghatotkacha- the one with a head like a pot.

After his birth, Bheema and Hidimba return to his family, who then spend some lovely time with Hidimba's tribe before leaving towards Ekachakra.

Kunti, going against what the Kuru family would have wanted, given his mother's identity, declares Ghatotkacha as the first prince of the next generation-

Tvam Kuru-naam kule jaato / You were born in the Kuru family,

Saakshaad-Bheema-samo hyasi, / Just like your father Bheema,

Jyeshthah putro-si panchaanaam. / The oldest son of these five.

Ghatotkacha would never have been accepted in the line of succession, and the Panadavas never try. Hidimba, however, is too self-conscious to ever go out and ask for it as well, remaining content in installing her son as the leader of her tribe.

Even if Ghatotkacha shows up every now and then and participates in the great war, Hidimba never visits the Pandavas, probably out of a fear of rejection. However, Draupadi and Hidimba seem to share a relationship of mutual respect and admiration (despite regional authors trying to uncover some nonexistent drama).

Bhasa's drama Madhyama-vyaayoga deals with a semi-comic representation of Bheema meeting Ghatotkacha without them recognizing each other and makes way for an emotional reunification of Bheema and Hidimba.

In a drama named Irakkamalikai, Hidimba, the character is called Itumpavati. In other dramas as part of the tradition of Terrukuttu, we find other names for her such as Kamalakanni or Munmullaikanni (idk tamizh pls help?).

Later in her life, Hidimba moves away to the north, making way for her, even today, being worshipped in parts of Manali as a protective goddess.

[nectarinez-rule]

*Bhima telling Gatotkacha how he met his mom*

Bhima: And then your mother sent her brother flying off into the sunset. They never found his body. Then we got married and then we had you!

Gatotkacha: I have an uncle?

Hidimba: You HAD an uncle

[arjuna-vallabha]

Mahamai Hidimba deities mohras (metal mask used as utsva murti), Himachal Pradesh

[lpbestiary]

Hidimba is a Rakshasa king from Hindu mythology. He is the uncle of Ghatotkacha and a friend to Kirmira. He stood twelve feet tall, and was said to be very strong.

He lived in Kamyaka Forest, and preyed on the Pandavas there. However, he was challenged and eventually killed by Bhima.

Image source.

Monster master list.

Suggest a spook.

[worddiva179]

Hidimbi;

Decked with celestial ornaments she advanced with smiles on her lips and a modest gait,

and addressing Bhima said, 'O bull among men, whence hast thou come here and who art thou?

Who, besides, are these persons of celestial beauty sleeping here?

Who also, O sinless one, is this lady of transcendent beauty sleeping so trustfully in these woods as if she were lying in her own chamber?

Dost thou not know that this forest is the abode of a Rakshasa. Truly do I say, here liveth the wicked Rakshasa called Hidimva.

[friend-shaped-but]

[arjuna-vallabha]

Hidimba Devi, Himachal Pradesh