97 - Uşā and Aniruddha were brought back

Vyāsa said: 

1-2. Bāna bowed down in front of the three-eyed lord and said, lord, without any battle (to fight) I am disgusted with my thousand arms. Will there be any battle at all, making my arms fruitful? Without a battle they are conducive to be burdensome. Of what avail are they to me? 

Shankara said: 

3. O Båņa, when there is an unprecedented breakage in your flagstaff you will have a war that will delight the flesh eating asuras. Vyāsa said: 

4. Joyously he bowed down to Sambhu and returned to his mansion. On seeing breakage in his flagstaff he was very much delighted. 

5-6. In the meantime, by virtue of her yogic power. Chitralekha the excellent friend (of Uşa) brought Aniruddha to the harem of virgins. The guards came to know that he was indulging in sexual intercourse with Uşă. They went to their king and intimated everything to him. 

7. Aniruddha the destroyer of heroic enemies seized a great iron beam and killed the army of servants sent against him by that noble king. 

8-10. When they were killed, Bana himself came there seated in his chariot. He endeavoured to slay him. Fighting to his ability (Bāna) was defeated by the heroic (Aniruddha). Thereupon Båņa fought with him by means of his Mayā. Discharging a serpent missile by means of mantras he bound the scion of the family of Yadu. At Dvaravati the members of the family of Yadu began to cry aloud-"Where has Aniruddha gone?" Närada told them that he had been imprisoned by Bāna. 

11-12. The Yadavas had already heard that Aniruddha was carried off by a woman who was an expert in Yogic lore, to Soñitapura¹ the capital city of the asura monarch Bäņa. Hence, they believed in what Närada said. Accordingly lord Krishna mounted Garuda who came to him immediately on being remembered and went to Båna's city accompanied by Balarama and Pradyumna. 

1. Sonitapura: This capital city of Bana was protected by Siva, Kärttikeya, Bhadrakāli, Agni and other divinities. In the battle between SriKrishna and Båņa, the former defeated all the sentries and entered the city through the northern gate. Within the fort Bana was defcated. Sriktņņa, then released Aniruddha and Uşå from their prison. 

13. At the entrance to the city he had a fight with the very powerful Pramathas. After destroying them, he went near Bäņa's city. 

14. Then the great Jvara (Fever) pertaining to Maheśvara who had three feet and three heads, fought severely with the Śäranga-bow-bearing lord for the sake of protecting Båņa. 

15-18. Due to contact with Krishna's body Balarama too experienced the heat originating from a touch of its Bhasman. Hence, he kept his eyes closed together with him. He began to fight with the Sāranga-bearing lord. But (the Jvara of Maheśvara) was dispelled from the body of Krishna by the Jvara pertaining to Vişhnu. On seeing him (i. e. Maheśvara Jvara) agitated due to the painful blow of Nārāyana's arms, lord Pitāmaha said “kindly excuse him." Thercupon saying, "O I have already forgiven", lord Krişhņa dissolved the Vaisnava Jvara within him self, 

19. Lord Krishņa said thus to Maheśvara Jvara-"Those who remember our fight between us shall be free from fever. After saying this lord Krishna went away. 

20. Then the lord defeated and destroyed the five fires. Vişhņu playfully smashed the army of Asuras. 

21. Then the son of Bali, Shankara and Karttikeya assisted by the entire army of asuras fought with Krişhņa. 

22. The fight between Krişhņa and Shankara was very terrible. The worlds were agitated when they were harassed by weapons and missiles. 

23. The battle raged furiously. Then Devas thought:- “Certainly the dissolution of the universe has arrived". 

24. Krişhņa made Shankara burst open Jrumbhaņa missile. Thereby the Pramathas and Daityas perished all round. 

25. Shankara who was attacked by Jrumbhā (Yawning) sat within his chariot. He could not fight with Krishna of unimpaired activities. 

26. Guha's vehicle was destroyed by Garuda. He himself was affected by Pradyumna's missile. His trident was blown off by a hissing angry sound of Krishna. So Guha fled away from the field. 

27-28. When Shankara burst open, (?) when the army of the asuras perished, when the army of the Pramathas was destroyed by the lord with the bow named Saranga and when Guha was defeated, Bana came there to fight with the soldiers of Krishna's son. He was seated in a great chariot where the horses were managed by Nandiśa. 

29. Balarama of great prowess hit the army of Bana by means of many arrows. Pradyumna did not go astray from virtue. He abided by the rules of war as laid down in the sastras. 

30. Bana saw his army crushed and suppressed by Bala by means of his iron club after being dragged by the tip of his ploughshare, as well as by the arrows of the discus-bearing lord. 

31-32. Then there was a brief encounter of Krishna with Bäņa. They hurled blazing arrows at each other piercing through their armour. Krishna cut off those arrows discharged by Bàņa by means of his own arrows. Bāņa hit and pierced Krishna and the discus-bcaring lord pierced Bāņa. 

33. Then, O brahmins, Bana and Krişhņa were eager to conquer each other. They hurled missiles and iron clubs at each other. 

34-35. When all the weapons were being cut off, when the miraculous missiles became ineffective, Krişhņa decided to kill Bāņa with a massive use of force. Thereupon, lord Krishna whose splendour was like that of a hundred suns and who was the enemy of Asuras took up Sudarśana, his discus. 

36. Even as Krishna, the enemy of Madhu, was going to hurl discus for the destruction of Båņa, the naked goddess Koțarī, the demoniac lorc, appeared before him. 

37. On sceing her in front Krishna closed his eyes and discharged Sudarsana against Båņa in order to cut off the thousand arms of his enemy. 

38-40. Hurled by Achyuta, the discus gradually cut off the arms of Bāņa. When the arms were cut off the discus immediately returned to the hands of the lord. Because of the hurling of many weapons and missiles by the Asura, Krishna decided to hurl the discus at Bảna for slaying him. When this was known by the enemy of Tripuras, the husband of Umā, he rushed at Krishna. On seeing the blood gushing out from the body of Bāna because his arms had been cut off, Rudra spoke with gentle words of overtures. 

Rudra said: 

41. O Krishņa, O Krişhna, O lord of the universe, I know that you are Purusottama the great lord, the great Atman the greatest being without beginning or without end. 

42. Your sport inasmuch as you take up physical forms among Devas, animals and human beings, is characterised by the slaying of Daityas. 

43. Be pleased, O lord, fearlessness (freedom from fear) has been offered to Bāņa by me. The words uttered by me should not be falsified by you. 

44. He has grown old in serving me and having my support. O unchanging one, it is not your fault. (?) Boons have been granted to this Daitya by me. Hence, I request for your forbearance. 

Vyāsa said: 

45. Thus requested, Krishna became delighted as evidenced by his bright face. His anger towards the Asura disappeared. He spoke to the Trident-bearing lord of Uma. 

The lord said: 

46. O Shankara, may Bana live (since) he has been granted boons by you. The discus has been withdrawn by me out of deference for your words. 

47. The freedom from fear granted by you is the freedom from fear granted by me. O Shankara, it behoves you to see yourself not different from me. 

48-49.' It is those men who had been deluded by ignorance that see all these differences. What I am, so you are. (We are identical with) this universe including Devas, Asuras and human beings. 

Vyāsa said: 

50. After saying this Krishna went to that place where the son of Pradyumna had been imprisoned. When dried up by the winds of Garuda the serpents that fettered him perished. 

He made Aniruddha sit on Garuda alongwith his wife. Thus Balarama, Krishna and Pradyumna came to Dvăraka.