Hidimba
Hidimba is a cannibalistic rākṣasa (demon) who resided in the forest alongside his sister, Hidimbi. The siblings make their home in a towering Sala tree and prey on travelers who pass through their territory. He becomes furious when he realizes that his sister has betrayed him and storms toward them to kill them all, but is killed by Bhima.
↻ synthesized from 2 sources
When
- First attested
- 1500 BCE
- Attested period
- -1500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Appears in the Mahabharata, estimated composition date between 400 BCE and 400 CE.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Haḍimbā, Ghatotkacha, Drona, Purochana, Vidura, Chitraratha, Dhaumya, Bhishma
- sibling of
- Hiḍimbī
- consort of
- Bhima
- allied with
- Bhima
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Hidimbi is introduced in the Mahabharata in the Hidimba-Vadha Parva episode of the Adi Parva (First book of the epic). Hidimbi is depicted as a formidable rākṣasī (demoness) who resided in the forest alongside her brother, Hidimba, a cannibal.”
#30755 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“After the lac palace in Varanavata burned to ashes, the Mahabharata recounts that the Pandavas were presumed dead, and decided to go on hiding to avoid further such incidents. Vidura secretly informed Bhishma of their survival. While in hiding in the forests, Yudhishthira permitted Bhima to marry Hidimba, a rakshasi they encountered .”
#39477 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001