Story of Bāṇa

A mighty and powerful Asura.

Genealogy and birth.

Descended from Mahāviṣṇu in the following order: Brahmā-Marīci-Kaśyapa-Hiraṇyakaśipu-Pṛahlāda-Virocana-Mahābali-Bāṇa.

Getting a boon.

Bāṇa began his reign with the city of Śoṇitapura as his capital. Then he went to the vicinity of the Himālayas and began to do penance thinking of Śiva. Śiva made his appearance and asked him what he wanted. He requested that he should be considered as the son of Pārvatī and that he should be given thousand hands so as to destroy all his enemies. Śiva granted him the boon. From that day onwards Pārvatī considered him as the younger brother of Subrahmaṇya. He returned to his Kingdom and began to reign.

Battle with Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his fall.

(See the word Aniruddha).

Other information.

(1) In the Purāṇas Bāṇāsura is often called by the name Mahākāla, which is the name of an attendant of Śiva. (Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 65, Stanza 20).

(2) Śukrācārya (the teacher of the Asuras) always worked for the uplift of Bāṇa. (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 38, Stanza 29).

(3) In the Battle with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bāṇa was helped by Śiva, Subrahmaṇya, and the Gods like Agni (fire) and others. (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 38).

(4) Śrī Kṛṣṇa cut down the thousand hands of Bāṇa with his Cakrāyudha (the wheel weapon). (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 38).

(5) Bāṇa often stood under the cover of the mountain of Krauñca and attacked the devas (gods). So once Subrahmaṇya had to cut the mountain Krauñca with his arrows. (Mahābhārata, Śalya Parva, Chapter 46, Stanza 82).