question_answer

Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow:

A Tiger - Like Husband

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, Yudhishthira 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.

(i) How did the story from Adi Parvan play an important role in shaping the values and ethos of the society?

(ii) How was this story a unique example of exogamy?

(iii) How did Hidimba and Yudhisthira interpret dharma in their context?

Answer:

(i) This Adiparvan story tells about the moral values and social values of that time which is divided into Brahmana, Khastriya, Vaishya and Shudra. They could not make any relationship in between. But Adiparvan story tells that at some situations, this would be happen and humanity was all above anything.

(ii) Exogamy refers to marriage outside me unit. Hidimba was our-of Gotra of the Bheem. So their marriage is an example of Exogamy.

(iii.) Hidimba fell in love with Bhima and transformed herself into a lovely maiden and proposed to him. She left her dharma, kin for Bheem. It was a definition or love tor Hidimba and her dharma. Whereas Yudhishthira agreed for their marriage on a condition because he was keen follower of dharma but in front of a lady who left everything for love, he got relaxed for his dharma and promised for their marriage on a condition.