संवाससमयो जीर्ण इत्य् अभाषत तं ततः ॥
हिडिम्बा समयं कृत्वा स्वां गतिं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥
कृत्यकाल उपस्थास्ये पितॄन् इति घटोत्कचः ॥
आमन्त्र्य राक्षसश्रेष्ठः प्रतस्थे चोत्तरां दिशम् ॥
स हि सृष्टो मघवता शक्तिहेतोर् महात्मना ॥
कर्णस्याप्रतिवीर्यस्य विनाशाय महात्मनः ॥
saṃvāsasamayo jīrṇa ity abhāṣata taṃ tataḥ ||
hiḍimbā samayaṃ kṛtvā svāṃ gatiṃ pratyapadyata ||
kṛtyakāla upasthāsye pitṝn iti ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
āmantrya rākṣasaśreṣṭhaḥ pratasthe cottarāṃ diśam ||
sa hi sṛṣṭo maghavatā śaktihetor mahātmanā ||
karṇasyāprativīryasya vināśāya mahātmanaḥ ||
"'The term of our cohabitation has ended,' Hidimba said to him then; and, having fulfilled the agreement, she went her own way. 'In the hour of need I shall appear before my fathers,' said Ghatotkacha, best of rakshasas; and, having taken leave, he set out toward the north. For he had been created by the great-souled Indra for the sake of spending the spear — for the destruction of Karna of unequaled valor, the great-souled one."
13af9739f655 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
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Here the hidden hand of providence over the whole story reveals itself. Striking is that Hidimba is faithful to the agreement to the end — she departs as she promised: pure love keeps its given word and does not cling beyond what is due. Striking too is the son's vow: "I shall appear before my fathers in the hour of need" — the devoted one is always ready to answer the call of those he loves. But most important of all is the final word: Ghatotkacha "was created by Indra" so that upon him Karna would spend his unfailing spear, thereby saving Arjuna. Both this love and this birth are woven into a higher design: destinies move toward a goal guided by providence, and Ghatotkacha's sacrifice was foreordained long before. Thus the scripture shows that behind the succession of events stands a hidden providence; and even the love of a rakshasi served the great work of saving the righteous.