Chapter 32 - Uṣā dreams of Aniruddha

Parāśara

I’ve mentioned Pradyumna and the other sons of Rukmiṇī and Hari. Satyabhāmā bore Bhānu and Bhaimarika. 1

Rohiṇī’s sons with Hari included Dīptimanta and Prayakṣa. Jāmbavatī had Sāmba and others who relied on their own strong arms. 2

Nāgnajitī’s mighty sons included Bhadravinda. Chief among Śaibyā’s sons was Saṃgrāmajit. 3

Mādrī had Vṛka and other sons. First among the sons of Lakṣmaṇā was Gātravant. Kālindī had Śruta and others. 4

The bearer of the discus had one hundred and eighty thousand sons with his other wives. 5

Rukmiṇī’s son Pradyumna was the eldest of them all. His son was Aniruddha. His son was Vajra. 6

Mighty Aniruddha, victorious in battle, won Uṣā, daughter of Bāṇa and granddaughter of Bali, best of brahmins.^[1] 7

On that occasion, there was a great and terrible contest between Hari and Śiva, in which Hari severed Bāṇa’s thousand arms with his discus. 8

Maitreya

How did this battle over Uṣā come about, brahmin, and how did Hari cut off Bāṇa’s limbs? 9

Please describe all this to me, fortunate sage, as I’m very keen to hear this narrative of Hari. 10

Parāśara:

Bāṇa’s daughter Uṣā saw Pārvatī and Śiva making love one day, brahmin, and conceived a great desire to do the same. 11

Fair Pārvatī, who could read the minds of all, said to that lovely woman, ‘Why torment yourself? Just find a husband.’ 12

Hearing this, Uṣā wondered when this might happen and who might be her husband. Pārvatī continued: 13

‘The man who sweeps you away in a dream on the twelfth night of the bright fortnight in the month of Vaiśākha, princess, will be your husband.’ 14

Parāśara:

Just as the goddess had foretold, a man appeared in a dream that night and Uṣā fell in love with him. 15

But when she woke, she couldn’t see him anymore, Maitreya, and within hearing of her companion anxiously cried out, ‘Where have you gone?’ 16

Now, this companion, Citralekhā, daughter of Bāna’s minister Kumbhāṇḍa, asked Uṣā whom she was addressing. 17

Thrown into confusion, Uṣā at first said nothing, but after Citralekhā reassured her, she explained it all. 18

Now that Citralekhā understood the matter, Uṣā asked her to find a way to fulfil the goddess’s prediction. 19

Parāśara:

Accordingly, Citralekhā painted on a canvas the portraits of the foremost deities, Daityas, gandharvas and men, and showed them to her friend.^[2] 20

Uṣā passed over the gandharvas, nāgas, gods and demons, but her eyes were drawn to the men of the Andhaka and Vṛṣṇi clans. 21

Seeing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, that fair-browed woman was overcome with shyness, brahmin, and, at the sight of Pradyumna, she modestly dropped her gaze. 22

The moment she saw Pradyumna’s lovely son, brahmin, that wanton woman cast off all restraint. 23

‘That’s him!’ she cried, ‘That’s him!’ Citralekhā reassured her friend and, as she possessed the yogic power of flight, she set off for Dvārakā. 24

So ends Chapter Thirty-Two in Book Five of the glorious Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Both forms, Ūṣā and Uṣā, are used interchangeably in the following verses. I have standardised on Uṣā.

[2]:

The apsaras Citralekhā’s name, which itself means ‘portrait’, suggests her artistic talents.