Bhima : The Mighty Pandava

Bhima

Introduction

Kunti and Vayu Dev named their child Bhima. The latter was chosen because she desired a son who was powerful, noble, and strong. He was also the brother of Lord Hanuman, as they share a similar father in the Wind god. One of the most skilled warriors in the world, Bhima was trained by Kripa and Drona. His grandfather, Bhishma, taught him various martial arts, and he would often accompany the other Pandavas. He was also known for his practical jokes, and he would not hesitate to mock the Kauravas. During his childhood, Bhima had a conflict with his cousins, especially Duryodhana. One of their attempts to kill him was by throwing him into a river. He was rescued by Ngas, who administered a drink that made him impervious to venom.

Physical Traits

He was a massive man who had great strength and was known for his temper. He was also a cruel and vicious foe, and he was called Vrikodara, which literally means wolf’s belly. His family provided him with half of their food, and he was taught how to use a club by Balarama and Drona.

Family

Pandu was unable to have children due to his curse. When Kunti was small, she was granted a boon, which allowed her to have any number of children with any deva. The first one she had was Yudhistira from Yama, and she would continue to have multiple children throughout her life. Pandu wanted to have a child with a strong and powerful personality.

After considering their options, Kunti decided to ask Vayu the god of wind for their child’s name. When the child was born, a message from the sky stated that he would be known for his immense strength. A few days later, while sleeping on Kunti’s lap, a tiger appeared. Surprised by the tiger, she suddenly dropped the child. When he fell on a boulder, the pieces of it broke away and did not harm him.

When he killed the demon known as Hidimba in the forest known as Kamyaka, he met, Hidimbi. After they got married, she told Kunti that she and her son, Ghatotkacha, would stay away from the Pandavas’ luxuries. After becoming the king of Kamyaka, Bhima continued to reign for five years. 

As a Pandava, he was also married to Draupadi, a Drupada princess.  At some point, he also married the princess Valandhara, who was the daughter of Kasi’s king. He had a son called Savarga, who would eventually become the ruler of Kashi and did not participate in the war in Kurukshetra. Ghatotkacha died at the hands of Karna, and Sutasoma was killed at the hands of Ashwatthama.

Other names

In Sanskrit, the word Bhima is often used to describe frightening or dreadful things. It can also mean “awful,” “terrific,” “awful,” “formidable,” and “tremendous.” Among the other names given to him are Kusuma, Pondan Paksajandu, Satria Jodipati, and Dandu Wacana. He is also referred to as Bhimasena, which literally means “who is equal to an army.” He is also known as Vikrodhara, Jarasandhajit, Kichakajit, Jihmayodhin and Ballava.

Powers and Abilities

One of the best and skilled mace fighters in the world, Bhima was taught by Kripa and Drona. His guidance was provided by his Balarama as well. He was also taught various other forms of martial arts. Angered by this, Duryodhana planned to kill him twice. He would first give him poison, which would then cause him to drown in the Ganga. The river was also filled with snakes that bit him. The Duryodhana’s plot had gone awry after the Nagas’ poison proved to be an antidote. Upon seeing his valour and might, the god of the Nagas blessed him with a potion that would greatly enhance his strength.

By skillfully navigating through Duryodhana’s wax palace snare, the Pandavas were able to escape. He was also able to apprehend the person who planned the attack, Purochana. He slayed several monsters, including Hidimba and Bakasura. Through the guidance of Krishna, who was also a great warrio, he was a part of the Rajasuya Yagna and he was able to defeat Jarasandha and beat Kichaka, who tried to molest Draupadi. He eventually became the Pandavas’ strength, and he killed all of the Kauravas during the war. After Yudhishthira took the throne, he became the commander of Hastinapur. 

Modern Day Influence

The character of Bhima was the central figure in the novel “Randamoozham” written by M T Vasudevan Nair and has been portrayed by various actors in different adaptations. Dara Singh played the character in the Hindi film “Mahabharat” (1965), while Praveen Kumar, Mahendra Ghule, Vindu Dara Singh, and Chetan Hansraj portrayed the character in different Hindi television series. The Indian animation series “Chhota Bheem” drew inspiration from Mahabharata’s Bhima for its character.