Question

This is a summary of a story from the Adi Parvan of the Mahabharata: The Pandavas had fled into the forest. They were tired and fell asleep; only Bhima, the second Pandava, renowned for his prowess, was keeping watch. A man-eating rakshasa caught the scent of the Pandavas and sent his sister Hidimba to capture them. She fell in love with Bhima, transformed herself into a lovely maiden and proposed to him. He refused. Meanwhile, the rakshasa arrived and challenged Bhima to a wrestling match. Bhima accepted the challenge and killed him. The others woke up hearing the noise. Hidimba introduced herself and declared her love for Bhima. She told Kunti: “I have forsaken my friends, my dharma and my kin; and good lady, chosen your tiger-like son for my man … whether you think me a fool, or your devoted servant, let me join you, great lady, with your son as my husband.” Ultimately, Yudhisthira agreed to the marriage on condition that they would spend the day together but that Bhima would return every night. The couple roamed all over the world during the day. In due course, Hidimba gave birth to a rakshasa boy named Ghatotkacha. Then the mother and son left the Pandavas. Ghatotkacha promised to return to the Pandavas whenever they needed him. Some historians suggest that the term rakshasa is used to describe people whose practices differed from those laid down in Brahmanical texts.

Identify the practices described in this passage which seem non-Brahmanical.

Answer 1

The passage describes several non-Brahmanical practices that directly contradict the rigid social, marital, and domestic norms laid down in ancient Dharmashastras.

The practices of non-Brahmanical are identified as:

• Inter-community Marriage: A union between a human prince (Bhima) and a non-human/outsider entity (rakshasi Hidimba).
• Female-Initiated Courtship: The woman explicitly takes the initiative to propose marriage directly to the man.
• Absence of Parental Consent: The marriage lacks any parental arrangement or the traditional Brahmanical ritual of kanyadana (gifting the daughter).
• Forsaking Clan and Dharma: Hidimba openly rejects her own kin, family traditions, and assigned social duties for love.
• Unconventional Marital Contract: The couple agrees to a temporary daily arrangement instead of a permanent household union.
• Matrilocal Living/Separation: The mother and son live independently outside the father’s patriarchal family structure after the child’s birth.