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Hiḍimbī, also known as Hiḍimbā (Sanskrit: हिडिम्बा), is a character in the Mahabharata, one of the two great Sanskrit epics of ancient India. She is introduced as a man-eating Rakshasi (demoness) and the sister of Hidimba, a powerful demon who ruled a forested region. In the narrative, Hidimbi is tasked by her brother to deceive the exiled Pandava brothers—the main characters of the epic—but instead falls in love with Bhima, second of the five Pandava brothers. She exposes the scheme, leading to Hidimba's death at the hands of Bhima. Afterwards, Hidimbi marries Bhima and becomes the mother of Ghatotkacha, who plays an important role in the Kurukshetra War. In contemporary times, Hidimbi is identified with a guardian goddess named Haḍimbā, locally worshipped in the Himalayan region.
Aware that her monstrous form may frighten the warrior, Hidimbi transforms into a beautiful maiden and approaches Bhima. She warns him of her brother’s intentions and urges him to flee. She offers to carry him and his family away to safety with her supernatural abilities, but Bhima refuses to flee. Hidimba, realizing that his sister has betrayed him, becomes furious and calls her promiscuous. He storms toward them to kill them all. Bhima, however, steps forward to face him. The two engage in a fierce battle, while Hidimbi watches anxiously. In the end, Bhima overpowers Hidimba and kills him, freeing the forest from his menace.
The Pandavas and Kunti, continue their journey, followed closely by Hidimbi. Bhima, wary of her presence, warns her to leave, but Yudhishthira intervenes, reminding him that virtue is more important than suspicion. Hidimbi, deeply in love with Bhima, pleads with Kunti for acceptance, vowing to protect the Pandavas and remain loyal. The eldest brother Yudhishthira agrees to let Bhima be with her during the day, as long as he returns by nightfall. Hidimbi, taking on a beautiful form, carries Bhima to various beautiful Himalayas, where they spend time together. Eventually, she conceives and gives birth to Ghatotkacha, a powerful Rakshasa warrior who matures instantly, displaying extraordinary strength and combat skills. Devoted to the Pandavas, he quickly becomes a trusted ally. Once her time with Bhima ends, Hidimbi bids farewell and departs, leaving her son to stand by the Pandavas’ side.
Scholars have offered various theories to explain this transformation. M.N. Srinivas, Richard King, O.C. Handa argue that Haḍimbā was originally a local or even Vajrayana goddess who was later absorbed into Hinduism and identified with Hiḍimbī due to linguistic and theological overlaps. Neeru Nanda suggests that the Bhim-Hiḍimbī episode mythologizes an ancient conflict between Aryan race Devas and Himalayas Asuras. B.R. Sharma and Ashok Jerath propose that Haḍimbā was a historical tribal queen who was later deified. Vogel and Hutchison claim that colonial scholars reinforced her Mahabharata identity by prioritizing Sanskritic over oral traditions, while Mark Elmore highlights the role of tourism and state-sponsored heritage branding in popularizing her epic connection, especially after Himachal Pradesh’s formation in 1971 and the rise of television adaptations like B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharata.
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