Bhima

Second of the five mythical Pandava brothers and protagonists of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, known for his heroism, exceptional skills as a warrior, passionate loyalty, and voracious appetite. Bhima in Sanskrit means ‘formidable’ or ‘fearsome’. His superhuman strength is at times attributed to his conception through his mother Kunti’s invocation of Vayu the wind god. Early in the Mahabharata, Bhima marries the rakshasi Hidimbi and has a son, Ghatochka, who also becomes a great warrior. Bhima plays a pivotal role in the epic’s narrative: he effectively ends the Kurukshetra war by killing all hundred Kaurava antagonists. Notably, he fulfils a vow to kill Dushasana, drink his blood, and wash Draupadi’s hair with it, as vengeance for her humiliation at the Kaurava court; this episode in particular has been widely depicted in Indian art. Outside South Asia, legends of Bhima are especially popular in Indonesia.