Sages & Others
Hidimba
हिडिम्ब
Rakshasa of the Forest
Who was Hidimba?
Hidimba (हिडिम्ब): Rakshasa of the Forest, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The man-eating rakshasa of the forest where the Pandavas fled after the house of lac.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | हिडिम्ब |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Rakshasa of the Forest |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | savage, powerful, doomed |
| Featured in | 10 stories |
About Hidimba
The man-eating rakshasa of the forest where the Pandavas fled after the house of lac. He sent his sister Hidimbi to lure them and was slain by Bhima in a night-long wrestling match.
In Their Words
Sister, fetch me these sleepers - the smell of men makes me hungry.
Hidimba
Traits
- savage
- powerful
- doomed
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Hidimba
9 further tales on this site name Hidimba, in canonical reading order.
- Bhima and HidimbiThe Birth of Ghatotkacha
- The Curse on Duryodhana's ThighA sage asks politely once, and is answered with a scratched foot
- What Kunti Sent Instead of ComfortA mother counts her sons aloud, then tells them to fight
- Kurukshetra Day 8: The Rakshasa's HourIravan falls and Ghatotkacha answers for him
- What Krishna Had Already DoneArjuna asks, and gets a list he did not expect
- The King They Thought Was DeadBhima's mace crushes Duryodhana's chariot, and both armies believe the Kuru king killed
- Karna by Night Against the PanchalasThe armies throw down their torches, and the Suta's son scatters Dhrishtadyumna and all of Panchala in the dark
- The Rakshasa Who Came for a DebtAlayudha, and the night that belonged to the man-eaters
- The Gem on Ashwatthama's HeadDraupadi sits down to starve until the stone is brought to her
Places in Hidimba's Story
Drawn from the stories Hidimba appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.