GHATOTKACHA Bhima

Ghatotkacha From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about a character from Mahabharata. For the Gupta ruler, see Ghatotkacha (Gupta Ruler).

Karna (left) kills Ghatotkacha (centre) as Arjuna (right) watches Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit: घटोत्कच Ghaṭōtkaca "Bald Pot"), is a character in the Mahabharata, the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimbi (sister of Hidimba). 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.[1]

Ghatotkacha, when he was young, lived with his mother Hidimbi. One day he got a pearl which he gave to his cousin Abhimanyu. 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 and Meghvarna. 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, 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 against Ghatotkacha, killing him.[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.

Barbarik was the son Ghatatakocha who is the son of Bhima. Hirimba was his grandmother. Barbarik was the greatest fighter in the world.

In the Mahabharata, at the beginning of the battle of Kuruksetra, Barbarik came to see the Pandavas and Sri Krsna. He told them, “Please take me on your side and you will not have to fight this battle. I will kill everybody. There will be no need for this war. I can finish the battle in one minute.”

Sri Krsna said, “You should show me how you will do it.”

Barbarik then took a piece of grass and, reciting a mantra over it, threw it into the air. At that moment everyone's chest was struck with a red mark. All the Kauravas and the Pandavas, even Sri Krsna, had this red mark on their chest.

Krsna was very amazed to see this. At once he took his Sudharshan cakra and cut off Barbarik’s head.

Barbarik's head spoke, asking, “Why are you cutting me this way?”

Sri Krsna said, “You have the greatest power of any warrior here. You will not kill anyone here. Everything will be finished too quickly. This is not really a battle but an utter annihilation. We do not need you to kill them” Krsna then asked him, “What do you want?”

Barbarik said, “I want to see this Kuruksetra battle take place.”

Then Sri Krsna placed his still living head on the top of a nearby hill where he could see the whole field.

When the Mahabharata battle was finished Arjuna and Bhima were arguing amongst themselves who was the greatest fighter. Each was claiming himself as the greatest.

Then Sri Krsna told them, “Oh Bhima and Arjuna, let us go to Barbarik and ask him. He has witnessed this entire battle and will tell who is the greatest fighter.”

When they reached him they asked, “Oh Barabarik, who was the greatest fighter in this battle? Who killed all the enemies?”

Barbarik replied, “Sri Krsna is the greatest fighter, he killed everyone. He didn’t take any weapon but he killed everyone. He is very clever."

If you read the Mahabharata you will find this story.

He was born hairless and so named Gatodkacha