Uṣā, Daughter of Bāṇāsura

Uṣā was the daughter of Bāṇāsura, the thousand-armed asura who was a devotee of Bhagavān Śiva. She became the wife of Aniruddha, the grandson of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Two Purāṇas tell her story. The Harivaṃśa tells it with Pārvatī’s vara (boon), her dream, and her courage at Śoṇitapura. The Śiva Purāṇa tells it with Pārvatī’s śāpa (a curse), and with the war between Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa and Bhagavān Śiva over Bāṇāsura’s city.

The Harivaṃśa account

Birth and character

Uṣā was born to Bāṇāsura, the eldest son of Bali Cakravartī. She lived in the royal palace of Śoṇitapura. She was a young woman of rare beauty and noble family, with deep feeling and sincere devotion.

Pārvatī and Mahādeva came to play on the bank of a lovely river, with apsarasas and gandharvas in attendance. Uṣā was among the attendants. She watched the joy of the divine couple and said aloud what she longed for: “How blessed are the women who play like this with their husbands!” Pārvatī read her heart and looked on her with kindness. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 119)

Pārvatī’s vara

Pārvatī gave Uṣā a vara (boon). She told her that she would find her destined husband in a dream: “On the coming night of Vaiśākha-śuddha-dvādaśī, as you sleep on the roof terrace, whoever appears to you in your dream shall be your true husband.”

This vara set the whole story in motion. From that day Uṣā carried in her heart the longing for her unknown beloved. She grew pale and listless as the months passed. Her mother and attendants were alarmed, and physicians were called. The women around her saw that Uṣā was a young woman ready for marriage and longing for a husband. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 119)

The dream

On the night of Vaiśākha-dvādaśī, Uṣā slept on the palace terrace with her companions. In her dream a young man of great beauty came and embraced her. She woke. At that moment she became rajasvalā (she reached womanhood). She was filled with shame and distress. She wept. She feared that she had lost her honour and could no longer face her father.

Her friend Citralekhā, daughter of Kumbhāṇḍa, who was Bāṇāsura’s minister, comforted her. She said: “This is Pārvatī’s promise coming true, and it is no fault. In the world, what is done in a dream carries no pāpa (sin). You remain a pativratā (a faithful wife).” Her friend Ramā, also a daughter of Kumbhāṇḍa, added: “The man who stepped on Bāṇāsura’s head and walked into this city must be someone of great power. You are blessed that such a person is destined as your husband.” (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 120)

The portrait and the recognition

Uṣā asked Citralekhā: “I must know who he is. Find him for me, or I will give up my life.” Citralekhā was skilled in painting and knew all three worlds. For seven days she painted portraits of all the famous beings: devas, gandharvas, kings and nāgas. She brought them all to Uṣā, who looked through them one by one.

When Uṣā’s eyes fell on the portrait of Aniruddha, she cried out: “This is the one. This is the thief who came to me in my dream. Who is he? Tell me everything.”

Citralekhā answered: “He is Aniruddha, the grandson of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the master of the three worlds, and the son of Pradyumna. There is no warrior equal to him in all three lokas. You are blessed that Pārvatī has given you such a husband.” (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 120)

The coming of Aniruddha

Uṣā begged Citralekhā to bring Aniruddha at once. She said she would die if she could not see him again. Citralekhā was moved by her friend’s pain and agreed. She received the Tāmasavidyā from Nārada and went to Dvārakā. There she found Aniruddha in his palace, already thoughtful, as if he expected this meeting. She told him of Uṣā’s love and longing. He said that he too had seen Uṣā in a dream and longed for her. Citralekhā then carried him through the sky to Śoṇitapura.

Uṣā received him with pūjā, her heart full. She embraced Citralekhā with deep thanks. Uṣā and Aniruddha gave each other their hearts in the quiet of the antaḥpura (the women’s quarters), and their gāndharva-vivāha took place there. By day they enjoyed each other’s company like cakravāka birds by a lake. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapters 120 and 121)

The crisis

The palace guards found Aniruddha and told Bāṇāsura. Uṣā was filled with fear, not for herself but for Aniruddha. The soldiers surrounded the building, and she wept. Aniruddha comforted her: “Do not fear. Watch my courage. The sound of Kṛṣṇa’s conch will come, and at that sound the rākṣasas will be destroyed.”

Bāṇāsura’s māyā (power of illusion) bound Aniruddha in nāgapāśas (snake-ropes), and he lay helpless. Uṣā’s heart broke. Even then Aniruddha told her that Kṛṣṇa would come and all would be well. Through all this time Uṣā stayed steadfast beside her husband in his captivity. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 121)

The wedding at Śoṇitapura

Kṛṣṇa defeated Bāṇāsura’s armies in a great battle and cut off Bāṇāsura’s arms. Śiva himself prayed to Kṛṣṇa for peace. Aniruddha was set free. Nārada urged the match with joy, and the formal marriage of Uṣā and Aniruddha was held at Śoṇitapura. Agni was the divine witness, and the time was an auspicious nakṣatra. Gandharvas sang in sweet voices and apsarasas danced. Kumbhāṇḍa supplied all the wedding materials. The great assembly presided, with Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Pradyumna and Nārada. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 132)

Departure and welcome at Dvārakā

Bāṇāsura’s wife sent Uṣā to Dvārakā with great love. She was placed on a peacock-chariot, with many companions and attendants, dressed in fine clothes and ornaments. The Harivaṃśa tells that Pārvatī, who had first given her the vara, herself arranged that Uṣā be sent on the peacock-chariot.

At Dvārakā, Devakī, Rukmiṇī, Revatī and all the Yādava queens welcomed Uṣā with auspicious rites and deep warmth. Rukmiṇī and Revatī took her to the main palace and blessed her: “May you live long, always seeing Aniruddha with happiness.” They set her up in Aniruddha’s mansion. Bells of joy rang and auspicious music played. Citralekhā then took leave of Uṣā and her companions and went back to Svargaloka. Uṣā lived on in Dvārakā in royal splendour. Each of Kṛṣṇa’s queens welcomed her in turn as a daughter, and gave her gifts of clothes and food. (Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapter 134)

The Śiva Purāṇa account

The śāpa and the dreams

In the Śiva Purāṇa, Uṣā came before Pārvatī in the exact form of the Devī: beautiful, adorned and shining just as Pārvatī herself. Pārvatī was displeased at this bold copying. She laid a śāpa (a curse) on her: “You shall meet your destined husband in secret at midnight on Vaiśākha Śukla Dvādaśī.”

From that night Uṣā had vivid dreams of a very handsome young man. He came to her, spent time with her and left at dawn. The dreams were so strong and came so often that Uṣā was lost in longing to know who he was. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapters 51 to 56)

The portrait and the recognition

Her companion Citralekhā, daughter of Kumbhāṇḍa, had the gift of perfect portraits. She sat before Uṣā and began to draw all the great beings of creation in order: devas, gandharvas, dānavas, nāgas, humans and the heroes of the Yādavas. When she drew Aniruddha, Uṣā knew him at once. This showed that Pārvatī’s śāpa had destined her for the grandson of Kṛṣṇa. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapter 51)

The meeting and the war

Citralekhā flew to Dvārakā by night and brought Aniruddha to Śoṇitapura by her tāmasayoga. Uṣā and Aniruddha were joyfully united. Then Bāṇāsura found out about the visitor, and a crisis followed. Aniruddha was imprisoned and was set free by Kālī. Then came the great war between Kṛṣṇa and Śiva over Bāṇāsura’s city. The war ended when Śiva held Kṛṣṇa back from killing Bāṇāsura. Uṣā and Aniruddha went to Dvārakā together as a married couple. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapters 51 to 56)

Sources

• Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Parva, Chapters 119–134
• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapters 51–56