Part 1 - The story of Usha and Aniruddha in the Bhagavata Purana

At the outset, the king Pariksit requests Suka to narrate the story in detail, of the marriage of Usa and Aniruddha, and in which connection, terrible combat ensued between Krsna and Siva. Sage Suka narrates the same as below : Bana was the eldest of the hundred sons of the king Bali. He was taking delight in devotion to Lord Siva. He was worthy of honour, liberalminded, intelligent, true to his word, and of firm resolve. He was ruling over the beautiful city, Sonitapura. By the grace of Siva, he was endowed with thousand arms. He was propitiating Siva by means of playing on musical instruments during Siva's Tandava dance. Being asked by Siva, Banasura sought a boon in the form of His constant presence as a guardian of his city. 1. Note: All the Puranas except the Siva Purana, have been considered to be the Vaisnava Puranas. Of them, the Bhagavata Purana has been very popular and authoritative among Vaisnavites. Therefore, it is here noted that Trivikrama Pandita being a staunch Vaisnavite, should have the Bhagavata Purana as the basis of his Usaharanakavya.

62 Being intoxicated by his prowess, once Bana expressed before Lord Siva, his unfulfilled desire of not finding well-matched rival to himself possessing thousand arms. Being haughty of his power, Bana showed his eagerness to fight against Diggajas. Listening to these words, Siva flew into a rage and said that when his ensign would break, his encounter would appear. Though Siva's words were a crushing blow to Bana's power, he did not realized the same and withdrew to his palace in joy. In the meantime, Bana's daughter, Usa once enjoyed in a dream, sexual delight with the lovely son of Pradyumna i.e. Aniruddha, who had neither been seen nor heard before by her. On opening her eyes, she did not find him there; and hence she got up in a state of excitement. Usa told Citralekha, the daughter of Kumbhanda (the minister of Bana), the cause of her mental depression. Citralekha said to her that she would bring that youth. Also she drew faithful sketches of gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Caranas (celestial bards), Nagas, Daityas, Vidyadharas, Yaksas and human beings. Beholding the sketch of Aniruddha, Usa cast down her face through bashfulness, and traced that youth who captivated her heart. Concluding Aniruddha to be Krsna's grandson, Citralekha possessing yogic power, journeyed through air to Dvaraka protected by Krsna Himself. And, she bore away Aniruddha who had been lying asleep, to Sonitapura, and showed Usa the object of her love. Being lit up with joy, Usa enjoyed life with him in her palace. While she was being thus secretly enjoyed by Aniruddha, the guards noticed her as having been deprived of her virginhood. They reported the same to Bana. Felt much distressed to hear the news of his daughter's pollution, Bana hastened to Antahpura. Perceiving Bana to have entered the room, surrounded by armed soldiers, Aniruddha wielded his weapon on the soldiers. As a result, they issued out of the mansion and ran helter-skelter with their limbs smashed. At this, Bana got enraged and

63 bound Aniruddha with the cords of serpents.² Having heard his bondage, Usa loudly wailed with tear-drops. (Thus ends 62 nd Adhyaya). On the other side, even after long time Aniruddha was found missing in Dvaraka. Hearing from Narada about the imprisonment of Aniruddha by Bana, Krsna accompanied by an army of twelve Aksauhini and together with Balarama, Pradyumna, Satyaki and others, closely besieged the city of Sonitapura from all sides. Beholding his city being shattered, Bana sallied forth to meet them with an equally strong army. Lord Siva too fought with Balarama and Krsna for the sake of Banasura. A most tumultuous and astounding encoutner took place between Krsna and Siva. Brahmastra against Brahmastra, Parvatastra and Vayavyastra, Parjanyastra against Agnyastra, Narayanastra against Pasupatastra were discharged by Krsna. At last stupefying Siva with Jrrmbhanastra,³ Krsna struck down the army of Bana on all sides. Seeing the plight of his army, Bana rushed towards Krsna. Drawing five hundred bows all at once in his thousand arms, Bana applied a pair of arrows to each. However Krsna split all those bows at once, and struck down the charioteer, horses and the chariot of Bana. At this moment, Kotara (Bana's mother) stood naked with dishevelled hair before Krsna with a desire to save her son's life. As such, Krsna turned His face aside. At this juncture, Bana retreated into the city. Meanwhile, Lord Siva who had just recovered his stupefaction, emanated out of himself three-headed and three-legged Mahesvara-Jvara and discharged against Krsna, who in turn sent forth His own 2. The Padma Purana reads that Krsna removes Siva's stupefaction of Siva at the request of Parvati. Supra. p. 906 (of the Padmapurana given further) 3. The Siva Purana adds that when Bana passed the order to kill Aniruddha, he listened to the divine voice, and retires from killing him. (Supra p.43)

64 Vaisnava-jvara. Both the Jvaras began to grapple with each other. Beaten by Vaisnava-jvara, Mahesvara-jvara loudly screamed and surrendered to Krsna. 4 It glorified the omnipotence of Lord Krsna at length. Lord Krsna was pleased with It, which then departed. Again, having mounted his chariot, wielded various weapons in his thousand arms, Bana contended with Krsna and discharged arrows on him. But Krsna with His Sudarsana cut off his arms like the boughs of a tree. Seeing the pitiable condition of Bana, Lord Siva showing compassion to His devotee, approached Krsna and earnestly asked for extending His favour to him (Bana). Lord Krsna said to Siva that he would not kill Bana in asmuch as a boon had been granted by Himself to Prahlada that no one born in his race would be killed by Him. He further said that Bana's arms had been cut off only to curb his pride, and let him henceforward be free from fear from any quarter. Obtaining assurance of security, Banasura saluted Krsna, and duly brought Aniruddha back together with his bride Usa. Being bid farewell by Siva, Lord Krsna together with Aniruddha and Usa who were well adorned, left for His city - Dvaraka.

BHAGAVATA PURANA (Skandha X, Adhyayas 62-63) || rajovaca || banasya tanayamusamupayeme yaduttamah | | tatra yuddhamabhaddhoram harisamkarayormahat|| etatsarve mahayoginsamakhyatum tvamarhasi || 1 || srisuka uvaca || banah putrasatajyestho balerasinmahatmanah|| yena vamanarupaya haraye'dayi medini || 2 || tasyaurasah suto banah sivabhaktiratah sada || manyo vadanyo dhimamsca satyasamdho drdhavratah || 3 || sonitakhye pure ramye sa rajyamakarotpura | | tasya sambhoh prasadena kimkara iva te'marah| | sahastrabahurvadyena tandave'tosayanmrdam||4|| bhagavansarvabhutesah saranyo bhaktavatsalah | | varena chandayamasa sa tam vavre puradhipam ||5|| sa ekadaha girisam parsvastham viryadurmadah | | kiritenarkavarnena samsprsamstatpadambujam ||6|| namasye tvam mahadeva lokanam gurumisvaram || pumsamapurnakamanam kamapuramaranghripam||7|| dohsahastram tvaya dattam param bharaya me'bhavat | | trilokyam pratiyoddharam na labhe tvadrte tvadrte samam ||8|| kandutya nibhrtairdorbhiryuyutsurdiggajanaham|| adya'yam purnayannadrinbhitaste'pi pradudruvuh || 9 || tacchrutva bhagavankruddhah ketuste bhajyate yada || tvaddarpanam bhavenmudha samyugam matsamena te || 10 || ityuktah kumatirhrstah svagrham pravisannrpa | | pratiksangirisadesam svaviryanasanam kudhih||11 || tasyosa nama duhita svapne pradyumnina ratim || kanya'labhata kantena pragadrstasrutena sa || 12 || sa tatra tamapasyanti kvasi kanteti vadini | | sakhinam madhya uttasthau vihvala vridita bhrsam || 13 || banasya mantri kumbhandascitralekha ca tatsuta | | sakhyaprcchatsakhimusam kautuhalasamanvita | | 14 || kam tvam mrgayase subhruh kidrsaste manorathah | | hastagraham na te'dyapi rajaputryupalaksaye || 15 || ||usovaca | drstah kascinnarah svapne syamah kamalalocanah|| pitavasa brhadvahuryositam hrdayamgamah | | 16 || tamaham mrgaye kantam payayitva'dharam madhu || kvapi yatah sprhayatim ksiptva mam vrjinarnave || 17 || citralekhovaca || vyasanam te'pakarsami trilokyam yadi bhavyate | | tamanesye naram yaste manoharta tamadisa || 18 || ityuktva devagandharvasiddhacaranapannagan | | daityavidyadharanyaksanmanujamsca yathalikhat || 19|| manujesu ca sa vrsnin suramanakadundubhim || vyamlikhadramakrsnau ca pradyumnam viksya lajjita ||20 || aniruddham vilikhitam viksyosavanmukhi hiya || so'savasaviti praha smayamana mahipate | | 21 || citralekha tamajnaya pautra krsnasya yogini || yayau vihayasa rajandvarakam krsnapalitam ||22 || tatra suptam * 1. Pub.: Satyabhamabai Pandurang. Nirnaya Sagar Press Bombay, IX Edition, 1950, pp. 663-668. 2. C. L. Goswami (Ed. in Eng), Gita Press Gorakhpur, 1982, pp. 1343-1352

72 suparyanke pradyumnim yogamasthita | | grhitva sonitapuram sakhyai priyamadarsayat || 23 || sa ca tam sundaravaram vilokya muditanana || duspreksye svagrhe pumbhi reme pradyumnina samam ||24 || parardhyavasahstraggandhadhupadipasanadibhih | | panabhojanabhaksyaisca vakyaih susrusayarcitah || 25 || gudhah kanyapure sasvatpravrddhasnehaya taya | | naharganansa bubudhe usayapahatendriyah|| 26|| tam tatha yaduvirena bhujyamanam hatavratam || hetubhirlaksayamcakurapritam duravacchadaih || 27 || bhata avedayamcakru rajamste duhiturvayam | vicestitam laksayamah kanyayah kuladusanam || 28 || anapayibhirasmabhirguptayasca grhe prabho || kanyaya dusanam pumbhirduspreksaya na vidmahe || 29 || tatah pravyathito bano duhituh srutadusanah | | tvaritah kanyakagaram prapto'draksidyadudvaham ||30 || kamatmajam tam bhuvanaikasundaram syamam pisangambaramambujeksanam|| brhadbhujam kundala- kuntalatvisasmitavalokena ca manditananam ||31 || divyantamaksaih priyaya'bhinrmnaya tadangasangastanakunkumasrajam || bahvordadhanam madhumallikasritam tasyagra asinamaveksya vismitah||32|| sa tam pravistam vrtamatatayibhirbhatairanikairavalokya madhavah | | udyamya mauryam parigham vyavasthito yatha'ntako dandadharo jighamsaya ||33 || jighrksaya tanparitah prasarpatah suno yatha sukarayuthapo'hanat|| te hanyamana bhavanadvinirgata nirbhinnamurdhorubhujah pradudruvuh || 34 || tam nagapasairbalinandano bali prantam svasainyam kupito babandha ha || usa bhrsam sokavisada vihvala baddham nisamyasrukalaksyaraudisit ||35 || iti srimadbhagavate mahapurane dasamaskandhe uttarardhe'niruddhabandho nama dvisastitamo'dhyayah || 62 || || srisuka uvaca || apasyatam caniruddham tadbandhunam ca bharata || catvaro varsika masa vyatiyuranusocatam||1|| naradattadupakarnya vartam baddhasya karma ca | prayayuh sonitapuram vrsnayah krsnadevatah || 2 || pradyumno yuyudhanasca gadah sambo'tha saranah | | nandopanandabhadradya ramakrsnanuvartinah ||3|| aksauhinibhirdvadasabhih sametah sarvatodisam || rurudhurbananagaram samantatsatvatarsabhah|| 4 || bhajyamanapurodyanaprakarattalagopuram || preksamano rusavistastulya- sainyo'bhiniryayau||5|| banarthe bhagavanudrah sasutaih pramathairvrtah | | aruhya nandivrsabham yuyudhe ramakrsnayoh || 6 || asitsutumulam yuddhamadbhutam romaharsanam || krsnasamkarayo rajanpradyumna- guhayorapi || 7 || kumbhandakupakarnabhyam balena saha samyugah | | sambasya banaputrena banena saha satyakeh || 8 || suradhisa munayah siddhacaranah | | gandharvapsaraso yaksavimanairdustumagaman||9 || samkaranucaran saurirbhutapramathaguhyakan | | dakiniryatudhanamsca vetalansavinayakan || 10 || pretamatrpisacamsca kusmandanbrahmaraksasan || dravayamasa tiksnagraih saraih sarngadhanuscayutaih || 11 || prthagvidhani prayunkatam pinakyastrani sarngine || pratyastraih samayamasa sarngapaniravismitah || 12 || brahmastrasya ca brahmastram vayavyasya ca parvatam|| agneyasya ca parjanyam naijam pasupatasya ca ||13 || mohayitva tu girisam jrmbhanastrena brahmadayah

73 jrmbhitam|| banasya prtanam saurirjaghanasigadesubhih || 14 || skandah pradyumnabanaughairardyamanah samantatah|| asrgvimuncangatrebhyah sikhinapakramadranat || 15 || kumbhandah kupakarnasca petaturmusalarditau || dudruvustadanikani hatanathani sarvatah| | 16 | | visiryamanam svabalam drstva bano'tyamarsanah|| krsnamabhyadravatsamkhye rathi hitvaiva satyakim || 17 || dhanumsyakrsya yugapadvanah pancasatani vai|| ekaikasminsarau dvau dvau samdadhe ranadurmadah | | 18 || tani ciccheda bhagandhanumsi yugapaddharih|| sarathim rathamasvamsca hatva sankhamapurayat||19|| tanmata kotara nama nagna muktasiroruha || puro'vatasthe || krsnasya patrapranariraksaya ||20 || tatastiryanmukho nagnamaniriksangadagrajah| | banasca tavadvirathaschinnadhanva'visatpuram|| 21 || vidravite bhutagane jvarastu trisirastripat || abhyadhavata dasarham dahannivadiso dasa || 22 || atha narayano devastam drstva vyasrjajjvaram|| mahesvaro vaisnavasca yuyudhate jvaravubhau || 23 || mahesvarah samakrandanvaisnavena balarditah|| alabdhva'bhayamanyatra bhito mahesvaro jvarah | | saranarthi hrsikesam tustava prayatanjalih || 24 || jvara uvaca || namami tva'nantasaktim paresam sarvatmanam kevalam jnaptimatram || visvotpattisthanasamrodhahetum yattadbrahma brahmalingam prasantam || 25 || kalo daivam karma jivah svabhavo dravyam ksetram prana atma vikarah|| tatsamghato bijarohapravahastvanmayaisa tannisedham prapadye||26|| nanabhavairlilayaivopapanannairdevansadhumllokasetunvibharsi|| hamsyunmarganhimsaya vartamanan janmaitatte bharaharaya bhumeh ||27 || tapto'ham te tejasa duhsahena santogrenatyulbanena jvarena || tavattapo dehinam te'nghrimulam no severan yavadasanubaddhah|| 28 || || sribhagavanuvaca || trisiraste prasanno'smi vyetu te majvaradbhayam || yo nau smarati samvadam tasya tvanna bhavedbhayam || 29 || ityukto 'cyutamanamya gato mahesvarojvarah | | banastu rathamarudhah pragadyotsyanjanardanam||30 || tato bahusahastrena nanayudhadharo'surah | | mumoca paramakruddho banamscakrayudhe nrpa ||31 || tasyasyato'stranyasakrccakrena ksuranemina | ciccheda bhagavanbahun sakha iva vanaspateh | | 32 || bahusu cchidyamanesu banasya bhagavanbhavah || bhaktanukampyupavrajya cakrayudhamabhasata||33|| srirudra uvaca || tvam hi brahma param jyotirgudham brahmani vanmaye || yam pasyantyamalatmana akasamiva kevalam ||34 || nabhirnabho'gnirmukhamambu reto dyauh sirsamasa srutiranghrirurvi | | candro mano yasya drgarka atma aham samudro jatharam bhujendrah || 35 || romani yasyausadhayo'mbuvahah kesa virinco dhisana visargah | | prajapatirhrdayam yasya dharmah sa vai bhavanpuruso lokakalpah|| 36|| tavavataro'yamakunthadhamandharmasya guptyai jagato bhavaya || vayam ca sarve bhavamtanubhavita vibhavayamo bhuvanani sapta || 37 || tvameka adyah puruso'dvitiyasturyah svadrggheturahiturisah | | pratiyase'thapi yathavikaram svabhayaya sarvagunaprasidhyai | | 38 || yathaiva suryah pihitaschayaya svaya chayam ca rupani ca samcakasti | | evam gunenapihito gunamstvamatmapradipo guninasca bhuman ||39 || yanmayamohitadhiyah putradaragrhadisu || unmajjanti nimajvanti prasakta vrjinarnave || 40 || devadattamimam labdhva nrlokamajitendriyah | | yo nadriyeta

74 1 tvatpadau sa socyo hyatmavancakah | | 41 || yastvam visrjate martya atmanam priyamisvaram | visaryayendriyarthartham visamattyamrtam tyajan || 42 || aham brahmatha vibudha munayascamalasayah|| sarvatmana prapannastvamatmanam presthamisvaram ||43 || tam tva jagatsthityudayantahetum samam prasantam suhrdatmadaivam|| ananyamekam jagadatmaketam bhavapavargaya bhajama devam ||44|| ayam mamesto dayito'nuvarti maya'bhayam dattamamusya deva || sampadyatam tadbhavatah prasado yatha hi te daityapatau prasadah || 45 || || sribhagavanuvaca | | yadattha bhagavamstvam nah karavama priyam tava | | bhavato yadyavasitam tanme sadhvanumoditam ||46 || avadhyo'yam mamapyesa vairocanisuto'surah | prahladaya varodatto na vadhyo me tavanvayah || 47 || darpodasamanayasya pravrkna bahavo maya || suditam ca balam bhuri yacca bharayitam bhuvah || 48 || catvaro'sya bhujah sista bhavisyantyajaramarah | | parsadamukhyo bhavato na kutascidbhayo'surah | | 49 || iti labdhva'bhayam krsnam pranamya sirasa'surah | | pradyumnim rathamaropya savadhva samupanayat || 50 || aksauhinya parivrtam suvasah samalamkrtam|| sapatnikam puraskrtya yayau rudranumoditah|| 51 || svarajadhanim samalamkrtam dhvajaih satoranairuksita- margacatvaram|| vivesa sankhanakadundubhisvanairabhyudyatah paurasuhrddvijatibhih || 52 || ya evam krsnavijayam samkarena ca samyugam|| samsmaretpratarutthaya na tasya syatparajayah|| 53 || iti srimadbhagavate mahapurane dasamaskandhe uttarardhe'niruddhanayanam nama trisastimo'dhyayah || 63 ||