Editing Rakshasa (section)

====In the ''Mahabharata''====
The ''[[Mahabharata]]'' describes several encounters between the [[Pandava]], [[Bhima]] and Rakshasas.
* Bhima killed [[Hidimba]], a Rakshasa described as strong and cannibalistic.<ref>Mahabharata, Book I: Adi Parva, Section 154</ref> When Hidimba saw the Pandavas sleeping in his forest, he decided to eat them. He sent his sister [[Hidimbi]] to assess the situation. She fell in love with Bhima and warned him of the danger. Hidimba confronted Bhima and was subsequently killed.
* [[Ghatotkacha]], a Rakshasa who fought on the side of the Pandavas, was the son of Bhima and the Rakshasi Hidimbi, who had fallen in love with the hero and warned him of danger from her brother. Bhima killed the evil Rakshasa Hidimba. Their son's name refers to his round bald head; ''ghata'' means 'pot' and ''utkacha'' means 'head' in [[Sanskrit]]. Ghatotkacha is considered a loyal and humble figure. He and his followers were available to his father Bhima at any time; all Bhima had to do was to think of him, and he would appear. Like his father, Ghatotkacha primarily fought with the [[Gada (mace)|mace]]. His wife was [[Ahilawati]] and his sons were [[Anjanaparvana]], [[Barbarika]], and Meghavarna.

In the ''Mahabharata,'' Ghatotkacha was summoned by Bhima to fight on the Pandava side in the [[Kurukshetra War]]. Invoking his magical powers, he wrought great havoc on the Kaurava army. In particular, after the death of [[Jayadratha]], when the battle continued past sunset, his powers were at their most effective (at night). After performing many heroic deeds on the battlefield and fighting numerous duels with other great warriors (including the Rakshasa Alamvusha, the elephant-riding King [[Bhagadatta]], and [[Ashwatthama|Aswatthaman]], the son of [[Drona]]), Ghatotkacha encountered the human hero [[Karna]]. At this point in the battle, the Kaurava leader [[Duryodhana]] had appealed to his best fighter, [[Karna]], to kill Ghatotkacha, as the entire Kaurava army was near annihilation due to his ceaseless strikes from the air. Karna possessed a divine weapon, [[Shakti]], granted by the god Indra. It could be used only once and Karna had been saving it to use on his arch-enemy [[Arjuna]], the best Pandava fighter. Unable to refuse Duryodhana, Karna used the Shakti against Ghatotkacha, killing him. This is considered to be the turning point of the war. After his death, the Pandava counselor [[Krishna]] smiled, as he considered the Pandava prince Arjuna to be saved from certain death, as Karna had used the ''Shakta'' divine weapon. A temple in [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], honors Ghatotkacha; it is located near the [[Hidimba Devi Temple]].
*[[Bakasura]] was a cannibalistic forest-dwelling Rakshasa who terrorized the nearby human population by forcing them to take turns making him regular deliveries of food, including human victims. The Pandavas travelled into the area and took up residence with a local [[Brahmin]] family. Their turn came when they had to make a delivery to Bakasura, and they debated who among them should be sacrificed. The rugged Bhima volunteered to take care of the matter. Bhima went into the forest with the food delivery (consuming it on the way to annoy Bakasura). He engaged Bakasura in a ferocious wrestling match and broke his back. The human townspeople were amazed and grateful. The local Rakshasas begged for mercy, which Bhima granted them on the condition that they give up cannibalism. The Rakshasas agreed and soon acquired a reputation for being peaceful towards humans.<ref>Mahabharata, Book I: Adi Parva, Sections 159-166.)</ref>
*[[Kirmira]], the brother of Bakasura, was a cannibal and master illusionist. He haunted the wood of Kamyaka, dining on human travellers. Like his brother before him, Kirmira also made the mistake of fighting the Pandav hero Bhima, who killed him with his bare hands.<ref>Mahabharata, Book III: Varna Parva, Section 11</ref>
*[[Jatasura]] was a cunning Rakshasa who, disguised as a [[Brahmin]], attempted to steal the Pandavas' weapons and to ravish [[Draupadi]], wife of the five Pandavas. Bhima arrived in time to intervene and killed Jatasur in a duel.<ref>Mahabharata, Book III: Varna Parva, Section 156</ref>  Jatasur's son was Alamvush, who fought on the side of the [[Kaurava]]s at [[Kurukshetra]].

Rakshasa heroes fought on both sides in the Kurukshetra war.
* Alamvusha was a Rakshasa skilled at fighting with both conventional weapons and the powers of illusion. According to the ''Mahabharata'', he fought on the side of the Kauravas. [[Arjuna]] defeated him in a duel,<ref>Mahabharata, Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 167</ref> as did Arjuna's son [[Abhimanyu]].<ref>Mahabharata, Book VI: Bhishma Parva, Section 101–102</ref> But Alamvusha in turn killed [[Iravan]], Arjuna's son by a [[Nāga]] princess [[Ulupi]], when the Rakshasa used his powers of illusion to take on the form of [[Garuda]].<ref name="xci">{{cite book|last =Ganguli| title=The Mahabharata Book 6: Bhishma Parva | chapter=Section XCI |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m06091.htm#fr_438|year =1883–1896|access-date=7 May 2010}}</ref> Alamvusha was also defeated by Bhima.<ref>Mahabharata, Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 107</ref> He was slain by Bhima's son, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha.<ref>Mahabharata, Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 108</ref>