Part 3 - The story of Usha and Aniruddha in the Padma Purana

The story of Usa and Aniruddha has been dealt with in 250 th Adhyaya in the latter half of the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana. Although the story is narrated in brief, all requisite points regarding the story, are read in the text.

III. PADMA PURANA (Uttarakhanda - Uttararadha, 250 th Adhyaya) || sri rudra uvaca || rukminyam krsnasya pradyumno madanamsena jajne | | 1 | | asau madanasambhuto mahabalah sammbaram jaghnivan | tasya rukminah sutayamaniruddho jajne | so'pi banaputrimusam nama kanyamupayeme | satusvale nilotpaladalasyamam pundarikanibheksanam mahabahum vicitrabharanopetam sodasasamavayaskam raktaravindavaktram yathavadupabhujya prabudhya tam purato na drstva madanena pidita bhrantacitta mam tu tyaktva kvasi kvayasiti bahudha vilalapa | tatastasyah sakhi citralekheti nama kanya tadrsimavastham gatam vilokya kim nimittam vibhrantacittasiti papraccha | sa'pi svapnalabdham patim yathavadacasta | sa'pi sakaladevamanusadisresthanpate vilakhya tasyai darsayamasa | * Padma Puranam, Part V, Mansukharay Mor, Calcutta, 1959, pp. 603-608

78 yaduvamsasambhutan krsnasamkarsana pradyumnaniruddhadinapi samyanivedayamasa | sa tesam krsnamanumanyapradyumnanantaramaniruddham drstva saityesa ityalilinga| atha citralekha bahvibhirmayavatibhirdaityastribhirdvaravatim gatva ratravantahpure suptamaniruddham drstva grhitva mohayitva mahismatyam banasyantahpure caityaprasadadiyukte tasya banaputryah sayyayam ciksepa | so'pi prabuddho'tiramye slaksne paryanke samsthitamusam sarvalaksanalaksitam vicitrabharana- vasanagandhamalyalankrtam kancanavarnam sukesom sujatastanim drstva gadhamalingya karinyagandhahastiva taya'tipritisamyuktaya yathasukham ramayamasa | evam masamatram nirantarataya'niruddham ramamanam kadacidantahpuranivasinyo vrddha daityastriyo jnatva rajne nivedayamasuh| sa raja krodhatabhraksah param vismayam gatva tamihanayateti purahkinkaranpresayamasa | te'pi turnam nrpaprasadamaruhya rajaputryah sayane samsthitamaniruddhamgrahitumajagmuh| satansamakhyandrstvaprasadastambhamekam helayotpatya niyutasankhyakankinkaranmuhurtamatrenaiva stambhena curnitagatramscakara | atha daityapatirnihitankinkarandrstva kautuhalam gatva asau srikrsnapautra iti devarsina prokto dhanuradaya svayameva'niruddham grahitum tatsamipamajagama | aniruddho'pi yoddhumayantam sahasrabahum rajanam drstva tatparigham bhramayitva banasyopari ciksepa | satu svacapanirmuktena banena tam parigham ciccheda | anantaramuragastrenaaniruddham nibidam baddhva svantahpure nivesayamasa | atha krsno'pyemvidhameva devarsina jnatva baladevapradyumnasahitah svasenaya vihangamendramaruhya tasya banasya bhujavanam chettumajagama | baliputrena pura sankaro'rcitah prasanno varam vrnisvetyuvaca | tamisvaram bano mama puradvari raksartham sarvadopavisya samagatam parasainyam jahityevam varamayacata | tam tathetyuktva sankaro'pi tasya puradvari sayudhah saputrah saganah samasinastasminneva kale rusa svasenaya samagatam vasudevam drstva vrsamaruhya sarvayudhopetah svaputraganasamvrto yoddhum niscakrama | krsno'pi tam bhutapatim gajacarmakapalabhasmadharam jvalitoragakalpam pingalam trilocanam trisuladharam sarvabhutaganasamhrtikarttaram sarvabhutabhayavaham samvarttagniprabham putradvayasamanvitam samastaganavrtam tripurantakam drstva senam sudure prsthato nivesya balabhadrapradyumnasahitastena rudrena saha prahasanniva yoddhumarebhe || prathamam tadabhrddhoram krsnasankarayostayoh | pinakasarnganirmuktairbanaih samvarttakopamaih|| 1 || ramo'pi gajavaktrena pradyumnah sanmukhena ca | yuyudhate mahaviryau simhaviva balotkata vinayakah svadantabhyam jaghanorasi yadavam | ramo musalamadaya tasya dantamatadayat nirbhinnadantah sahasa pradudrava''khu-vahanah| tadaprabhrti loke'sminhatadanto ganesvarah devadanavagandharvairekadanta itiritah | pradyumnena samam yuddham cakara sikhivahanah||5|| gananvidravayamasa musalena halayudhah | krsnena suciram kalam yududhva'sau nilalohitah || 6 ||

79 tapajvaram mahadiptamasminsamyojya sayake | kopanmumoca tadasau bhrsam samraktalocanah || tadastramvarayamasa krsnah sitajvarena tu| tabhyam hariharabhyam tu visrstautavimaujvarau visaturmanuseloketayoreva''jnaya bhrsam| harisankarayoryuddham yetusrnvanti manavah | te sarve jvaranirmuktah prapnuvanti niramayam | tatah satu hrsikesomohanastram durasadam niyujya banam bhutese mumoca madhusudanah | muhurmuhurvyajambhadvai tenastrena vimohitah | | 11 || papata murcchito bhumau sankarastridasesvarah| pitaram mohitam drstva saktimudyamya viryavan || yoddhumabhyayayau krsnam sanmukhah sikhivahanah | hunkarenaiva tam krsnascakara'tra paranmukham ||13 || evamjitva yadusresthah sulapanitrilocanam | mahasvanampancajanyam sankhadadhmaupratapavan krsnenanirjitam srutva satmajam sankaram tada| banah syandanamasthaya yayau yuddhayakesavam sadrstva sahasakrsnam garudopari samsthitam| chadayamasa govindam bahusastrastravrstibhih gadabhih parighaih sulaih saktibhistomarairapi | bhindipalaisca khadnesca cakrairbanairnirantaram tani sarvani ciccheda cakrenaiva janardanah | sasarja tasya bahunam chedanartham sudarsanam || muktam danujarajasya sahastraram sudarsanam| tadbahukananamturnam chinnam cakre sahastradha | | 19 || etasminnantare devi parvati samsitavrata | hareh samipamagatya krtanjalirabhasata || 20|| || parvatyuvaca || krsnakrsnajagannatha narayana dayanidhe | dasyasmi tava devesa purvabhave yaduttama || tvaya dattam varam mahyam tada kausalaparvate | saubhagyam sasvatam saumya prasannena mahatmana || tava mukhyam sahastrasya namnamanyatamam vibho | gaurisaubhagyadateti munibhih parikirtitam ||23 || tatsatyam kuru govinda garudarudha sasvata | tasmanmama patim deva tvam jivayitumarhasi | || rudra uvaca|| evamuktastato devya krsnah kamalalocanah| astramsamharayamasa yena'sau mohitahpatih krsnastrena vinirmuktah sarvabhutapatih sivah | utthayapranjalirbhutva tustava jagatapatim | || sankara uvaca || krsnakrsnajagannatha jane tvam purusottamam| paresam paramatmanamanadinidhanam param | avatirnam manusyesu sariragrahanatmika | lileyam sarvalokasya tava cestopalaksana ||28 || prasida me namastubhyam prasida mama sasvata || prasidame jagatsvaminprasida'cyuta kesava tvameva jagatam srasta dhata hartta jagadguruh| tvameva cidacidvastu rupam brahma suresvarah | | tvamadistvama- nadistvamisvarah sesa eva ca| tvam mahattvam param brahma pratyagatma tvamevahi samastamaravaryastvamamartyastvam suresvara | tvam matrtsnyena samanasca sausilyena tava prabho ||

80 tau sasvatau visucinau parajivau sanatanau | tatha panca'pi bhutani tava vatsalyagauravat ||33 || ksaraksare paredhamniruconityam surasraye | adhivisvenidhesi tvam dasyakarmani nanyatha yastvam na vedaloke'sminsamudhah sarvabhavanah | paravaresvaram dhama vidurdasye manisinah te vai samasate yuktastatpade tridasaih samam | samanyo bhajane duregandum nityam padam tava || tasthaturjagaruke'minsvasarau yuvati iva | mithunani tava'dhyaksa bruvate yadusasvata || tava namani karmani gunani sasvatani ca | aisvaryani gunatita bruvate cottameime karmajnanamaye rupe ime purvottare srute | svasarau yuvati prokte stotarau tava kesava | | 39 || tvam prajnanam parambrahma tvaya prajnena sasvata | jivayaitena prajnena parenaivatmana tvaya || tasmacchariradutkramya krpaya tava kevalam | amusmike pare svarge tvaya dattatmabodhavan ||41 || prajnanam caiva vijnanam medham drstim tatha dhrtim | sarvankamanavapnopti amrtam sa bhavettada etatsamjnanamatmanam yadetaddhadi yanmanah| manisa caiva yuktisca smrtih samkalpaeva ca || tapasca kratavah kamo vasaityadi te prabho| bhavanti namadheyani prajnanasyaghrnanidheh|| esa tvam paramam brahma esa tvam vai prajapatih | esa tvamindro rudrasca esa tvam sarvadevatah | | etani sarvabhutani tvameva paramesvara | sutamitranijivayustatha'nyani sanatana || jarayujandajatani svedajanyudbhijani ca | asva gavasca purusa hastinascetarani ca ||47 || yatkincitpranijatam ca jangamascaiva jantavah | sthavarayecavainathasarvetvattobhavanti ca tvam hi sarvagatam cettham vadantisrutayo harim | tvayaivapreritalokascestante sadhvasadhusu tvam tasmanmaya krtam yacca aparadhamidam prabho | ksamasva karunasindho gunaih subhatamaistava namaste pundarikaksa govinda'cyutamadhava| vasudeva jagadvandya narayana namo'stu te namasyami jagatsvaminnrsimha karunakara| srisasarvagatasrimanparamatmannamo'stu te || nijavasathavaikunthanityamuktarcitaprabho | trayinatha namastubhyam rama rajivalocana || bhubharakavinasaya krsnanandasvarupine | visnave jisnave tubhyam namaste yadunandana | evam stutva'tha govindam pranipatyaumapatih | pranjalih praha bhuteso vakyam gambhiraya gira || 55 || || rudra uvaca || maya dattavaro hyesa bano balisutah prabho| aham ca dattavamstasmai - pura'nena'rthitovaram amaratvam yadusrestha sarvam kartam tvamarhasi| tasmadenam balisutam tratumarhasi me priyam || tathetyuktva ca bhagavanbanam balisutam tada | pranasamsayamapannamcchinnabahumasrkcitam

81 samhrtya cakram govindo mumoca karunanidhih| mocayitvabalisutamsamkarah samsitavratah vrsabhendram samaruhya parvatya sahitah prabhuh| yayau ca vasatisthanam kailasam dharanidharam | sa tu bano namaskrtya ramakrsnau mahabalau | tabhyam vai nagarim gatva mumoca madanatmajam ||61|| vastrairabharanairdivyaih pujayitva yatharhatah | usam sampradadau tasmai krsnapautraya sauraye || udvahya ramakrsnau tamaniruddham yathavidhi | banena pujitau tatra pradyumnasahitau tada || usaya sahitam tatra'niruddham vai janardanah | aropya syandane divye yayau dvaravatim tada ramapradyumnasahitassenaya sahito harih| pravivesa purim ramyam tridasairmaghavaniva || 65 || aniruddho banaputrya nanaratnamaye grhe | anisam ramayamasa nanabhogairmudanvitah|| iti sripadme mahapurane pancapancasatsahasyam samhitayam uttare khande umamahesvara samvade banasurasangramakathanam pancasadadhikadvisatatamo'dhyayah || 250|