Hidimba attacks, Bhima vows to defend his family
Hidimba the rakshasa, furious that his sister has delayed bringing him human prey, descends from his tree to attack the sleeping Pandavas himself. His sister, now in human form, warns Bhima and offers to carry the family to safety, but Bhima refuses, boasting of his strength and vowing to kill the monster before her eyes.
The rakshasa Hidimba had sent his sister to scout. When she did not return with the sleeping humans he had smelled, his patience ran out. He got down from his tree.
He was a lord of rakshasas. His eyes were red, his arms gigantic, his hair standing on end. His strength was immense, his complexion like storm clouds, his teeth sharp, his face aflame. He came to where the Pandavas lay.
His sister, the rakshasi also named Hidimba, saw this malformed one descend and was frightened. She turned to Bhimasena. “The evil-minded maneater is coming, and he is angry. You and your brothers must do what I ask. Since I have the power of the rakshasas, I can go wherever I want, at will. Climb onto my hips and I will carry you through the sky. Awake your mother and brothers. Taking all of them, I will travel through the sky.”
Bhima replied, “O lady with the broad hips! Do not be afraid. I am certain that as long as I am here, no one can harm us. O slender-waisted one! I will kill him before your eyes. The worst of rakshasas is no match for my strength. All the rakshasas together cannot stand up to me in a fight.” He pointed to his own body as proof. “Look at my arms, as round as the trunks of an elephant. Look at my thighs, like iron clubs. Look at my broad and hard chest. Today, you will be witness to my valour, like that of Indra. Do not think that I am only a man and consider me to be weak.”
Hidimba the rakshasi answered, “O tiger among men! You are like a god. I do not consider you to be weak. But I have witnessed the power this rakshasa has unleashed on men.”
While they spoke, the man-eating rakshasa heard their words and grew furious. He also saw his sister transformed. She was in human form, her crown bedecked with flowers, her face like the full moon. Her eyebrows, nose, eyes, and the tips of her hair were beautiful; her nails and skin delicate. She was adorned with ornaments and wore a fine, transparent dress.
Seeing her in that beautiful, deluding human form, the maneater concluded she was lusting for a man. His anger boiled over. He dilated his gigantic eyes and addressed her. “Who is the deluded one who comes in my way when I am hungry? O Hidimba! Have you become so senseless that you are not frightened of my anger? Shame on you, you who lust after men! You do that which causes me displeasure. You bring disrepute to all the chief rakshasas, your ancestors. Today, I will kill you, together with all those for whose sake you have done this great injury to me.”
Having spoken, the red-eyed Hidimba gnashed his teeth and rushed at her, intent on killing her first.
Seeing this, Bhima, the supreme wielder of all weapons, stepped forward. He reproached the rakshasa strongly and told him to stop.