Śoṇitapura, the “city of blood-red” (śoṇita means blood or red), was the capital of Bāṇāsura. Bāṇāsura was the thousand-armed son of Bali Cakravartī (also called Bali Mahārāja) and a devoted follower of Bhagavān Śiva. The city lay in a mountain region of the north, and some traditions place it at Tejpur (Tezpur) in Assam. Bhagavān Śiva himself guarded it. It was the setting of the love of Aniruddha and Ushā, and of the great battle between Bhagavān Kṛshṇa and Bāṇāsura, who was backed by Bhagavān Śiva.

Foundation and holiness

The Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, in the southern recension (dākshiṇātya prati), Chapter 38, says that Śoṇitapura was the city where Kārttikeya was born from the sacred fire. This made it a place of great Śaiva importance. Bāṇāsura took Bhagavān Śiva as his patron and as the one who adopted him as a son, a younger brother of Kārttikeya. He made Śoṇitapura his capital because of this link.

Bhagavān Śiva promised Bāṇāsura: “I myself will be the guardian of your city.”

The city

The Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janana Khaṇḍa, Chapters 114–115, describes Śoṇitapura as a strongly fortified city ruled by Bāṇāsura. Its walls were made of vajra (diamond, or thunderbolt) and were very strong. Bhagavān Śiva guarded the city by his own presence and by his divine armies: the Bhairavas, the Rudras and Vīrabhadra.

Inside the city stood the richly built inner palace (antaḥpura) of Ushā, Bāṇa’s daughter. Citralekhā brought Aniruddha there by the power of yoga.

The battle in the Mahābhārata

The Mahābhārata calls the fight at Śoṇitapura one of its great battles, a direct fight between Bhagavān Kṛshṇa and Bhagavān Śiva. Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, Balarāma and Pradyumna came with the Yādava army to free Aniruddha, who was a prisoner in the city. Bhagavān Śiva came on Nandī with all his gaṇa army to keep his promise to Bāṇāsura.

The two sides used divine weapons one after another. Bhagavān Kṛshṇa used the jṛmbhaṇāstra, a weapon that causes deep drowsiness everywhere, and it put the whole gaṇa army of Bhagavān Śiva out of action. Then the Sudarśana Cakra of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa cut off nine hundred and ninety-six of Bāṇāsura’s thousand arms. Bhagavān Śiva asked for mercy, and Bhagavān Kṛshṇa gave way. He spared Bāṇāsura and left him four arms, as a sign of honour and grace. Aniruddha was freed and went back to Dvārakā with Ushā as his bride. The Mahābhārata tells this in the Sabhā Parva, southern recension, Chapter 38.

The battle in the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa

When Bhagavān Kṛshṇa came with his forces to rescue Aniruddha, Garuḍa broke down the vajra walls of the city. Balarāma then broke the walls further with his plough. The great battle followed.

Defending the city were the eight Bhairavas, the eleven Rudras, Vīrabhadra, Mahākāla, Nandī and Kārttikeya.
On the Yādava side were Sātyaki, Pradyumna, Balarāma, Arjuna, Akrūra, Uddhava, Ugrasena and Bhīma.
The Yādava army had three crore chariots, three crore elephants, three crore wrestlers and one hundred crore horses.

The Sudarśana Cakra cut off Bāṇa’s thousand arms and left only four. Bhagavān Śiva carried Bāṇa to the feet of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. Bali came and recited his great stotra (hymn of praise). Bhagavān Kṛshṇa gave Bāṇa immortality and mṛtyuñjaya-jñāna (knowledge that conquers death). Bāṇa gave himself to the grace of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, and the city that the battle had humbled was set right again. This is told in the Śrī Kṛshṇa Janana Khaṇḍa, Chapters 115–120.

Location

Śoṇitapura is traditionally identified with Tezpur (Tejpur) in Assam, near the foothills of the eastern Himālaya. Some traditions also connect it with the Śoṇa river basin. The name joins śoṇita (blood, red) and pura (city).

Sources

Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, southern recension (dākshiṇātya prati), Chapter 38
Hari Vaṃśa Purāṇa, Vishṇu Parva
Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janana Khaṇḍa, Chapters 114–120