Mahābhārata 1.139-143: la historia de Hiḍimbā, la demonesa que se enamoró de un humano

This is the first direct translation from Sanskrit into Spanish of sections 139-143 of the “First Book” (Ādiparvan) of the Mahābhārata. These sections recount the encounter between the Pāṇḍava brothers, protagonists of the epic, and a demon named Hiḍimba and his sister, the demoness Hiḍimbā, as the brothers wander through the forest while fleeing from their cousin Duryodhana, who intends to kill them. The episode is significant for several reasons: its representation of demonic otherness, its portrayal of the feminine, and, on a more philosophical level, its interpretation of love and justice (dharma). Finally, the story is also important for its role in the development of a cult to Hiḍimbā in northern India, which remains active today.