Ghatotkacha is a character that is well known in many countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and India. He had the unique feat of being a half-demon and was one of the best sorcerers at that time. He was second only to Lord Krishna. Let us look at the life and times of Ghatotkacha and how his deeds made him go to heaven.
Bhima had married Hidimbi after rescuing her from her evil brother Hidimba. They had a son named Ghatotkacha. After his birth, Bhima had to go back to Hastinapur to fulfil his duties. Thus, the mighty sorcerer lived alone in the forest with his mother. He was brought up by his mother and had inherited the powers and the might of a demon as Hidimbi was a demoness. He was very strong and could manifest any number of illusions and deceptions.
One day, Hidimbi had asked him to get any human for sacrificing and pleasing God. Ghatotkacha went ahead and found a Brahman in the forest. He asked the Brahmin and the Brahmin was ready after consulting his wife. He had a wish to bathe in the river Ganga and so he was bathing there. While he was bathing there, Bhima came and asked what is the matter and why does the Brahmin look so sad. Ghatotkacha told him the matter and unknown of his reality, they both ended up fighting each other.
The fight lasted days and days until they faced a stalemate and were tired. Hidimba found his son and told him that the warrior he was fighting was none other than his own father – Bhima. He realized his mistake and touched Bhima’s feet. Bhima appreciated and praised the might and bravery of Ghatotkacha. However, he criticized both his wife and son for the sacrifice and condemned the rites.
Ghatotkacha is mostly remembered for his contribution to the Kurukshetra war. He was called upon to fight the war by his father and he fulfilled his duty with full commitment and sincerity. He fought for the Pandavas. His might and illusion powers were a key weapon for the Pandavas. His most notable contribution is on the 14th day of the war when he went to create havoc and defeated 4 Akshauhinis. One Akshauhini army is 218,700 soldiers in the army and Ghatotkacha defeated 4 Akshauhinis in the battle with his powers.
The only warrior who was not scared of his might and was fighting him until the end was Karna. Karna was able to fight all his illusions and misdirections and was fed up with the tricks he had. Finally, Karna had no choice but to use the Vasavi Shakti that was given to him by Indra and he could use it only once. Karna used it on Ghatotkacha instead of Arjuna which he was planning.
Ghatotkacha was mortally wounded and was dying. Even while dying, he increased his size to its fullest and managed to take up one more Akshauhini. The Pandavas were shattered to see their mighty son falling down while Lord Krishna smiled lightly knowing that Ghatotkacha had fulfilled his Dharma and was ascending to Heaven.
Click here to read about Duryodhana – The Eldest Brother Of The Kauravas.
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