Ghatotkach was definitely not a minor charachter of that time.
Problem is Abhimanyu Subhadra and Uttara get too much of footage as does Arjun in the epic narrated by Vaishyampayana because the story was told for the first time in a yagya being conducted by Abhimanyuβs grandson . Arjunaβs heroic encounter with Shiva is narrated twice, Uttara practically a nobody gets a speaking part when in the entire epic there is only once when Sahdev speaks So who is more important Uttara of Sahadev
You need to read other Purana to understand more about a character
Ghatothkach had two wives one was a Dasarha Princess Ahilawati and other was Moravi (daughter of Mura - commander of Narakasura) Ghato Moravi Marriage was solemnised by Krishna and Yudhishthira
He had 3 sons Anjana Parva who dies in the war in the hands of Ashwatthama Barbareeka (born to him and Moravi) who is killed prior to the war. While 3 arrows story was a folklore what is canon is that Barbareeks Uncle Bhagadutta and his kingdoms army was fighting for Kouravas
Meghavarna was possibly too young for war. He is mentioned as attacking and taking over Anga and killing all surviving men of Karnaβ s family as revenge several years after the war in SkandaPurana
Balrama had a fondness for Duryodhan Just Like Krishna had for Arjun. A similarity of attitude charachter and temperament a love or power and wealth and arrogance
Friendship is a choice unlike family
There is a Syamantak Mani episode in Harivansh where Satyabhamaβs father is the richest guy of that time on account of Syamantak Mani that he has received as a boon from Suryadev. Initially when it gets lost Satrajit suspects Krishna who brings back and proves that he is not the thief and gets Satyabhama as a bride. Satrajit is eventually killed by Akrura Kritaverma and his brother and they abscond with the Mani. Balrama and Krishna who are attending Pandava funeral at Lakshagriha rush back and Chase them Kritaverma feigns ignorance about the whole thing and escapes his brother gets killed and Akrura runs away with Mani
Balarama wants the Mani for himself he wants to enjoy its wealth. Though it belongs to Satyabhama and through her Krishna and he accuses Krishna of being a thief again and leaves for Mithila which is where Duryodhan joins him as a student and becomes his friend. So Balram was just as greedy of others wealth as was Duryodhan
Balramβs mother Rohini was sister of Somdatta Bahlika and therefore cousin of Dhritarashtra and Pandu both. Samba ofcourse was married to Lakshmana
Shishupal who died in the hands of Krishna his son Dhrishtaketu died for Pandavas in the war.
So marriage of children means alliances in some cases and in others it does not
Pradyumna didnβt fight in the war Kritaverma did with Dwarka army on Kourava side and Satyaki did with his personal army on Pandavas side
Everybody who fought in the war had personal considerations of their own not just their in laws
Ghatothkach is one of the most prominent characters of the story and the war (Arjun would have been dead if not for Ghatothkach as he was the only powerful warrior other than Arjuna in Pandavas side to be able to force Karna to draw out Shakti)
He also protected the Pandavas during the second exile just like his mother did in the first exile
And all that nonsense about him being evil is just that nonsense. There is no single folklore or story in any purana that mentions even single evil act of his
Even his marriage to Moravi is a very romantic story He was no cannibal molester kidnapper greedy usurper and simply because he was a Rakshas and has to be evil therefore nonsense as Prahlad was also an Asura
He was the most prominent Uppandava not Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu gets the fame as the storyβs first public narration was sponsored by Abhimanyuβs grandson
Edited by Chiillii - 3 years ago