Hidimbi- Hindu DemonDemon"Rakshasi Queen"
Also known as: Hiḍimbī, Hiḍimbā, हिडिम्बी, हिडिम्बा, and Hidimba
Description
Sent by her demon brother to capture the sleeping Pandavas as food, the rakshasi Hidimbi saw Bhima and fell in love so completely that she shapeshifted into a beautiful woman, betrayed her brother, and watched Bhima crush him to death — then pleaded with Kunti for permission to marry his killer.
Mythology & Lore
Encounter in the Forest
Hidimbi dwelt in a dense forest with her brother Hidimba, where the demon siblings devoured travelers who ventured into their domain. When the Pandavas entered the forest during their flight from the burning house of lac, Hidimba sent his sister to capture them as food. But upon seeing the sleeping Bhima, Hidimbi was struck by love so powerful it transformed her entirely. She used her shapeshifting powers to assume the form of a beautiful woman and approached Bhima with romantic rather than predatory intent.
The Marriage
When Hidimba discovered his sister's betrayal, he attacked in fury. Bhima fought the demon in a terrible battle and crushed him to death. Hidimbi did not mourn her brother but declared her love for his slayer, pleading with Kunti and the other Pandavas to allow the match. Her sincerity moved them, and Kunti gave her blessing on the condition that Bhima remain with Hidimbi only until she bore a child. The union was a Gandharva marriage, based on mutual love rather than formal arrangement.
Ghatotkacha
Their son Ghatotkacha inherited his mother's rakshasa powers and his father's enormous strength. He could change his size at will, fly through the air, and wield the illusion-magic of his mother's kind. Hidimbi raised him in the forest, teaching him the ways of the rakshasas while ensuring he knew his royal Pandava heritage. When the Kurukshetra War came, Ghatotkacha fought for the Pandavas, using his demonic powers to terrorize the Kaurava forces in night battles where his kind grew strongest. Karna killed him with the Shakti weapon he had been saving for Arjuna. In spending the Shakti on the son, Karna lost the one weapon that could have killed the father.