Ghatotkacha

Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit घटोत्कच), as per the Mahābhārata epic, was the son of Bhima and Hidimbi (Hidimbaa, classically). His maternal parentage made him half-Rakshasa, and gave him many magical powers that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic. He got his name from his head, which was shaped like a pot (in Sanskrit, Ghatam means pot and "Utkach" means head ".^[1]

Ghatotkacha as seen in Javanese shadow puppet play (wayang)

Ghatotkacha, when he was young, lived with his mother Hidimbaa, when one day he had a fight with Abhimanyu, his cousin, without knowing that Abhimanyu was Arjuna's son.^[2]

Ghatotkacha is considered to be a loyal and humble figure. He made himself and his followers available to his father Bhima at any time; all Bhima had to do was to think of him and he would appear. Like his father, Ghatotkacha primarily fought with the mace.

His wife was Ahilawati and his son was Barbarika.

In the Mahābhārata, Ghatotkacha was summoned by Bhima to fight on the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra battle. Invoking his magical powers, he wrought great havoc in the Kaurava army. In particular after the death of Jayadratha, when the battle continued on past sunset, his powers were at their most effective (at night).

At this point in the battle, the Kaurava leader Duryodhana appealed to his best fighter, Karna, to kill Ghatotkacha as the whole Kaurava army was coming close to annihilation due to his ceaseless strikes from the air. Karna possessed a divine weapon, or shakti, granted by the god Indra. It could be used only once, and Karna had been saving it to use on his arch-enemy, the best Pandava fighter, Arjuna.

Unable to refuse Duryodhana, Karna used the missile at Ghatotkacha, killing him on.^[1] This is considered to be the turning point of the war. After his death, the Pandava counselor Krishna smiled, as he considered the war to have been won for the Pandavas now that Karna no longer had a divine weapon to use in fighting Arjuna.

There is a temple built in Manali, Himachal Pradesh for Ghatotkacha near Hidimba Devi Temple.

[edit] See also

Ghatothkach - An animated Hindi movie based on Ghatotkacha's life.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://members.cox.net/apamnapat/entities/Ghatotkacha.html
2. ^ "Bheemasena's son!"

[edit] External links

• Mahābhārata Book 7 Ghatotkacha-vadha Parva