GHATOTKACH, BHIMAS SON: Ghatotkacha is the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimba (sister of Hidimb). His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa and gave him many magical powers such as the ability to fly that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic. He got his name from his head, which was hairless (utkaca) and shaped like a ghatam. 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 sons were Barbarika,Barbarika was the strongest kshatriya according to Krishna and Meghvarna. ROLE IN KURUKSHETRA WAR: 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). Ghatotkach had received the ultimate boon from Krishna that nobody in all the worlds could match his magical capabilities, except Krishna himself. 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 called Indrastra(Naikartana) 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 Indrastra(Naikartana) against Ghatotkacha, killing him. 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.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:00:18 +0000
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