Bhima's son by the rakshasi Hidimbi, whose strength at night forces Karna to spend the one weapon he had saved for Arjuna.
Appears in
Hidimba and Baka — Bhima kills two man-eaters and wins a rakshasi wife, and Kunti offers her own son to a demon to repay a host's kindness.
Ghatotkacha's night — Karna spends the one spear that could kill Arjuna on Bhima's rakshasa son, and Krishna dances on the chariot while the Pandavas weep
Embodies
Kinship and enmity — The war is a family quarrel: across the field stand cousins, teachers and elders, all owed reverence.
Questions to explore
Why does Krishna rejoice when Ghatotkacha dies?
What does the epic make of a rakshasa fighting for the Pandavas?
