Source
Texts:
The
Meeting of Ûshâ and Aniruddha
Text
1
The honorable
king said: 'Bâna's daughter named Ûshâ
['dawn'] married the best of the Yadus
[Aniruddha] to which a great and terrible battle took
place between the Lord and S'ankara [S'iva as 'the
auspicious']; o great yogî, I give it to you to
explain all this.'
King
Parîkchit said: The best of the Yadus married
Bânâsura's daughter, Ûshâ, and as a
result a great, fearsome battle occurred between Lord Hari
and Lord S'ankara. Please explain everything about this
incident, O most powerful of mystics.
Text
2
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Bâna
['arrow'],
the eldest son of the one hundred sons born from the semen of
Bali - the great soul who donated the earth to the Lord in the
form of Vâmana [see 8.19-22]
-, was, respectable and magnanimous, intelligent and truthful
in his vows, always fixed in devotion to Lord S'iva. In the
charming city known as S'onita
['resin']
made he his kingdom, where the immortals served him as if they
were his servants for in the past S'ambhu ['the beneficent'
or S'iva] had been pleased by him as he, having a thousands
arms, had played musical instruments while Mrida [S'iva as
'the gracious'] was dancing.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Bâna was the oldest of the
hundred sons fathered by the great saint Bali
Mahârâja, who gave the whole earth in charity to
Lord Hari when He appeared as Vâmanadeva.
Bânâsura, born from Bali's semen, became a great
devotee of Lord S'iva. His behavior was always respectable,
and he was generous, intelligent, truthful and firm in his
vows. The beautiful city of S'onitapura was under his
dominion. Because Lord S'iva had favored him, the very
demigods waited on Bânâsura like menial
servants. Once, when S'iva was dancing his
tândava-nritya, Bâna especially satisfied the
lord by playing a musical accompaniment with his one
thousand arms.
Text
3
He,
the great lord and master of all created beings, the
compassionate giver of shelter to his devotees, rewarded him
with a benediction to his choice and he chose for him
[S'iva] as the guardian of his city.
The
lord and master of all created beings, the compassionate
refuge of his devotees, gladdened Bânâsura by
offering him the benediction of his choice. Bâna chose
to have him, Lord S'iva, as the guardian of his city.
Text
4
He,
intoxicated by his strength, with a helmet bright as the sun
once present at his side said to Giris'a [S'iva as the lord
of the mountain] touching his lotus feet:
Bânâsura
was intoxicated with his strength. One day, when Lord S'iva
was standing beside him, Bânâsura touched the
lord's lotus feet with his helmet, which shone like the sun,
and spoke to him as follows.
Text
5
'I
bow down to you Mahâdeva [great god], o
controller and spiritual master of the worlds who like a tree
from heaven fulfills all wishes of the people
unfulfilled.
[Bânâsura
said:] O Lord Mahâdeva, I bow down to you, the
spiritual master and controller of the worlds. You are like
the heavenly tree that fulfills the desires of those whose
desires are unfulfilled.
Text
6
The one
thousand arms you gave me have become but a burden to me and
except for you do I in the three worlds not find an equal
opponent.
These
one thousand arms you bestowed upon me have become merely a
heavy burden. Besides you, I find no one in the three worlds
worthy to fight.
Text
7
With my arms
itching to fight the elephants of all all directions I went, o
primeval one, to pulverize mountains, but even they ran away
terrified.'
Eager
to fight with the elephants who rule the directions, O
primeval lord, I went forth, pulverizing mountains with my
arms, which were itching for battle. But even those great
elephants fled in fear.
Text
8
Hearing
that said the great lord incensed: 'Your flag will be broken
when, o fool, your pride is vanquished in battle with someone
equal to me.
Hearing
this, Lord S'iva became angry and replied, "Your flag will
be broken, fool, when you have done battle with one who is
my equal. That fight will vanquish your conceit."
Text
9
Thus
addressed did the poorminded one delighted enter his home, o
king, not so intelligent awaiting his heroism to be crushed as
Giris'a
had predicted [compare 2.1:
4].
Thus
advised, unintelligent Bânâsura was delighted.
The fool then went home, O King, to wait for that which Lord
Giris'a had predicted: the destruction of his
prowess.
Text
10
His
virgin daughter named Ûshâ in a dream had an
amorous encounter with the son of Pradyumna while never before
having seen or heard of the lover she had found [see
*].
In
a dream Bâna's daughter, the maiden Ûshâ,
had an amorous encounter with the son of Pradyumna, though
she had never before seen or heard of her lover.
Text
11
She,
not seeing him [anymore] in her dream, disturbed arose
while in the midst of her girlfriends and was saying 'Where are
you my lover?', greatly embarrassed.
Losing
sight of Him in her dream, Ûshâ suddenly sat up
in the midst of her girlfriends, crying out "Where are You,
my lover?" She was greatly disturbed and embarrassed.
Text
12
A
minister of Bâna, Kumbhânda, his daughter
Citralekhâ ['the fine sketch-artist'] then as a
companion most curiously questioned Ûshâ her
girlfriend.
Bânâsura
had a minister named Kumbhânda, whose daughter was
Citralekhâ. A companion of Ûshâ's, she was
filled with curiosity, and thus she inquired from her
friend.
Text
13
'Who
is it you're looking for o beautiful eyebrows, what is the
nature of your hankering as we as yet haven't seen anyone
taking your hand, o princess.'
[Citralekhâ
said:] Who are you searching for, O fine-browed one?
What is this hankering you're feeling? Until now, O
princess, I haven't seen any man take your hand in
marriage.
Text
14
'In
my dream I saw a certain man with a dark complexion, lotuslike
eyes, yellow garments and mighty arms - one of the kind
touching a woman's heart.
[Ûshâ
said:] In my dream I saw a certain man who had a
darkblue complexion, lotus eyes, yellow garments and mighty
arms. He was the kind who touches women's hearts.
Text
15
Him I am
seeking, that lover who made me drink the honey of His lips and
who, gone to somewhere, has thrown me, hankering for Him, in an
ocean of distress.'
It
is that lover I search for. After making me drink the honey
of His lips, He has gone elsewhere, and thus He has thrown
me, hankering fervently for Him, into the ocean of
distress.
Text
16
Citralekhâ
said: 'I'll take away your distress; if He's to be found
anywhere in the three worlds, I'll bring Him to you, that
husband-to-be, that thief who stole your heart - please point
Him out to me.
Citralekhâ
said: I will remove your distress. If He is to be found
anywhere in the three worlds, I will bring this future
husband of yours who has stolen your heart. Please show me
who He is.
Text
17
Speaking
thus she accurately drew demigod and heavenly singer, the one
perfected, the venerable one and the lowlife serpent, the
demon, the magician, the supernatural and the
human.
Saying
this, Citralekhâ proceeded to draw accurate pictures
of various demigods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Câranas,
Pannagas, Daityas, Vidyâdharas, Yakshas and
humans.
Text
18-19
Of the humans
she drew Vrishnis like S'ûrasena, Vasudeva,
Balarâma and Krishna but seeing Pradyumna
Ûshâ became bashful and with Aniruddha being drawn
she bent down her head in embarrassment, o great lord, and said
smiling: 'That's Him, that one here!'.
O
King, among the humans, Citralekhâ drew pictures of
the Vrishnis, including S'ûrasena,
Ânakadundubhi, Balarâma and Krishna. When
Ûshâ saw the picture of Pradyumna she became
bashful, and when she saw Aniruddha's picture she bent her
head down in embarrassment. Smiling, she exclaimed, "He's
the one! It's Him!"
Text
20
Citralekhâ,
the yoginî, recognizing Him as Krishna's grandson
[Aniruddha] then went, o King, through the skies
[the mystical way] to Dvârakâ, the city
under the protection of Krishna.
Citralekhâ,
endowed with mystic powers, recognized Him as Krishna's
grandson [Aniruddha]. My dear King, she then
traveled by the mystic skyway to Dvârakâ, the
city under Lord Krishna's protection.
Text
21
Pradyumna's
son asleep on a fine bed did she, using her yogic power, take
from there to S'onitapura to show her girlfriend her
Beloved.
There
she found Pradyumna's son Aniruddha sleeping upon a fine
bed. With her yogic power she took Him away to S'onitapura,
where she presented her girlfriend Ûshâ with her
beloved.
Text
22
On
seeing Him, that most beautiful man, lit her face up and
enjoyed she in her private quarters, a place forbidden to the
sight of men, together with
the son of Pradyumna.
When
Ûshâ beheld Him, the most beautiful of men, her
face lit up with joy. She took the son of Pradyumna to her
private quarters, which men were forbidden even to see, and
there enjoyed with Him.
Text
23-24
With
priceless garments, garlands, fragrances, lamps, sitting places
and such; with beverages, liquid and solid food and with words
she worshiped him in faithful service so that continuously
keeping him hidden in the maiden quarters He, by her greatly
increasing affection, did not notice the days, in His senses
being diverted by Ûshâ.
Ûshâ
worshiped Aniruddha with faithful service, offering Him
priceless garments, along with garlands, fragrances,
incense, lamps, sitting places and so on. She also offered
Him beverages, all types of food, and sweet words. As He
thus remained hidden in the young ladies' quarters,
Aniruddha did not notice the passing of the days, for His
senses were captivated by Ûshâ, whose affection
for Him ever increased.
Text
25-26
She
thus, in breaking her vow [of chastity] enjoyed by the
Yadu-hero, could not conceal the symptoms of her extreme
happiness that were noticed by her governesses who reported
[to Bâna, her father]: 'O King, we've noted of
your daughter the for an unmarried girl faulty conduct that
besmirches the family.
The
female guards eventually noticed unmistakable symptoms of
romantic involvement in Ûshâ, who, having broken
her maiden vow, was being enjoyed by the Yadu hero and
showing signs of conjugal happiness. The guards went to
Bânâsura and told him, "O King, we have detected
in your daughter the kind of improper behavior that spoils
the reputation of a young girl's family.
Text
27
Well guarded by
us within the palace and never having left, o master, have we
no idea how she, hidden from the looks of men, could
foul.'
"We
have been carefully watching over her, never leaving our
posts, O master, so we cannot understand how this maiden,
whom no man can even see, has been corrupted within the
palace."
Text
28
Bâna upon
hearing of the defilement of his daughter most disturbed
quickly headed for the maiden quarters where he upon his
arrival saw the most eminent of the Yadus.
Very
agitated to hear of his daughter's corruption,
Bânâsura rushed at once to the maidens'
quarters. There he saw the pride of the Yadus,
Aniruddha.
Text
29-30
Amazed he
beheld sitting in front of her that son of Cupid, the exclusive
beauty of all the worlds, dark-skinned in yellow clothes, with
His lotuseyes, mighty arms, earrings and locks, smiling with
the glow and glances from His adorned face, playing dice with
His all-auspicious sweetheart, wearing between His arms a
garland made of springtime jasmines smeared with the kunkuma of
touching her breasts.
Bânâsura
saw before him Cupid's own son, possessed of unrivaled
beauty, with dark-blue complexion, yellow garments, lotus
eyes and formidable arms. His face was adorned with
effulgent earrings and hair, and also with smiling glances.
As He sat opposite His most auspicious lover, playing with
her at dice, there hung between His arms a garland of spring
jasmines that had been smeared with kunkuma powder from her
breasts when He had embraced her. Bânâsura was
astonished to see all this.
Text
31
Seeing
him entering surrounded by many an armed guard raised the Sweet
Lord His club made of muru [a type of iron] standing
firm, ready to strike like death personified with the rod of
punishment.
Seeing
Bânâsura enter with many armed guards, Aniruddha
raised His iron club and stood resolute, ready to strike
anyone who attacked Him. He resembled death personified
holding his rod of punishment.
Text
32
They,
closing in from all sides to apprehend Him, He struck like a
dominant boar faced with a pack of dogs so that they all being
hit ran to escape from the palace with their heads, arms and
legs crushed.
As
the guards converged on Him from all sides, trying to
capture Him, Aniruddha struck them just as the leader of a
pack of boars strikes back at dogs. Hit by His blows, the
guards fled the palace, running for their lives with
shattered heads, thighs and arms.
Text
33
But as He was
striking down the guards, did the son of Bali, furiously,
himself capture Him with the [mystical] snake-ropes
[of Varuna, see also 8.21:
28], upon
which Ûshâ utterly defeated and discouraged,
overwhelmed by sorrow cried bitter tears hearing of the
arrest.
But
even as Aniruddha was striking down the army of Bâna,
that powerful son of Bali angrily caught Him with the mystic
nâga-pâs'a ropes. When Ûshâ heard of
Aniruddha's capture, she was overwhelmed with grief and
depression; her eyes filled with tears, and she wept.
*
Here S'rîla Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî
Thâkura quotes the following verses from the Vishnu
Purâna, which explain Ûshâ's
dream:
'O
brâhmana, when Ûshâ, the daughter of
Bâna, happened to see Pârvatî playing with
her husband, Lord S'ambhu, Ûshâ intensely desired
to experience the same feelings. At that time Goddess
Gaurî [Pârvatî], who knows everyone's
heart, told the sensitive young girl, 'don't be so disturbed!
You will have a chance to enjoy with your own husband.' Hearing
this, Ûshâ thought to herself, 'But when? And who
will my husband be?' In response, Pârvatî addressed
her once more: 'The man who approaches you in your dream on the
twelfth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month
Vais'âkha will become your husband, O
princess.'
