Aniruddha ( sa, अनिरुद्ध ') is a character in
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
, the son of
Pradyumna
Pradyumna ( sa, प्रद्युम्न) is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his chief consort, Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was ...
and
Rukmavati
Rukmavati () is the daughter of King Rukmi of Vidarbha and the second wife of Pradyumna in Hindu mythology. Pradyumna is the son of the deity Krishna and his chief wife Rukmini, the sister of Rukmi. Rukmavati has a son named Aniruddha, who is a ...
, and the grandson of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
and
Rukmini
Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an inc ...
. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he is considered by some to be a ''Jana avatar'', an avatar of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. He is a member of the
chatur-vyuha, the four
Vrishni
The Vrishnis (Brahmi: ''vri-shņi'') were an ancient Vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni. It is believed that Vrishni was the son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari an ...
heroes.
Early life
![Anirudha,_holding_a_sword_and_a_shield,_in_the_Kondamotu_Vrishni_heroes_relief,_4th_century_CE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Anirudha%2C_holding_a_sword_and_a_shield%2C_in_the_Kondamotu_Vrishni_heroes_relief%2C_4th_century_CE.jpg)
Anirudha was born to Pradyumna and
Rukmavati
Rukmavati () is the daughter of King Rukmi of Vidarbha and the second wife of Pradyumna in Hindu mythology. Pradyumna is the son of the deity Krishna and his chief wife Rukmini, the sister of Rukmi. Rukmavati has a son named Aniruddha, who is a ...
. He was the grandson of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
and
Rukmini
Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an inc ...
. His mother
Rukmavati
Rukmavati () is the daughter of King Rukmi of Vidarbha and the second wife of Pradyumna in Hindu mythology. Pradyumna is the son of the deity Krishna and his chief wife Rukmini, the sister of Rukmi. Rukmavati has a son named Aniruddha, who is a ...
was the daughter of
Rukmi
Rukmi ( sa, रुक्मी) is the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahabharata. He was the son of King Bhishmaka and the elder brother of Rukmini. The Harivamsa mentions that Rukmi was trained in the arts of warfare by the Kimpurush ...
, the king of Vidarbha. He was also one of the few Maharathis (incredibly strong warriors) of his dynasty. His early life and marriage to his first wife, Rochana, are described in the
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
, Canto 10, Chapter 61.
Marriages
Marriage to Rochana
Aniruddha's marriage to Rochana is described in the 61st Chapter of the 10th Canto of the
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
.
At the behest of his sister
Rukmini
Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an inc ...
,
Rukmi
Rukmi ( sa, रुक्मी) is the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahabharata. He was the son of King Bhishmaka and the elder brother of Rukmini. The Harivamsa mentions that Rukmi was trained in the arts of warfare by the Kimpurush ...
requested Krishna to have Aniruddha marry Rochana, after the wedding ceremony, Rukmi was killed by
Balarama
Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Balad ...
after the former cheated the latter in a game of dice and insulted his Yadava heritage.
The Great War and Marriage to Usha
According to the
Srimad Bhagavatam
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
, a
daitya
According to ancient scriptures, the daityas (Sanskrit: दैत्य) are a race of asuras, descending from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the ...
princess named
Usha, a daughter of
Banasura
Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana.
Legend
A mighty ...
(also referred to as Bana), fell in love with Aniruddha after seeing him in her dream and making love to him.
Banasura, ruling his kingdom from the city of Sonitapura, was the son of
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
and the grandson of
Prahlada
Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...
. Banasura was a great devotee of
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and as a result of a boon granted to him from the deity, had gained 1000 arms. Intoxicated by his prowess, he observed to Shiva that he was the latter's equal, and that he had attempted to fight elephants, but the creatures had grown terrified of him. Shiva, enraged by his words, spoke thus: 'Your flag will be broken, oh fool, when your pride is vanquished in a battle you have with someone like me.'
![Raja Ravi Varma, Usha's Dream (oleographic print)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Raja_Ravi_Varma%2C_Usha%27s_Dream_%28oleographic_print%29.jpg)
As per the artistic description of Usha's dream,
Chitralekha (In Sanskrit, ''artist''), her friend, drew pictures of many
Vrishnis
The Vrishnis (Brahmi: ''vri-shņi'') were an ancient Vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni. It is believed that Vrishni was the son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari and ...
using her special abilities. Usha recognised Aniruddha's picture among all of them. Chitralekha, with her yogic powers and Anima Siddhi, shrunk the son of Pradyumna to the size of a doll and brought him to Usha's palace. She worshipped him and furnished him with priceless garments, garlands, fragrances, lamps, and with beverages, dishes, and words. Breaking her vow of chastity with him, she kept him hidden in her maiden quarters, and the lovers lost track of the days. Catching wind of his daughter's activities, Banasura rushed to her chambers to find her playing dice with doll sized Aniruddha. Even as the prince fended off the guards, Banasura subdued him with the mystical ropes of
Varuna
Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...
due to Aniruddha's shrunken state. Usha was overwhelmed with sorrow due to this incident. Aniruddha was held captive by Banasura for a month, until Narada informed the Yadus in Dvaraka, who were searching for Aniruddha.
The Yadus' army attacked Banasura in a great battle. When the Yadu princes and their army besieged his kingdom with 12
akshauhinis, surrounding it completely,
Banasura
Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana.
Legend
A mighty ...
staged a fierce counterattack. During the war,
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
appeared on the battlefield, riding on Nandi, to protect his devotee, Banasura. Balarama fought against Banasura's commander, while Samba fought against Banasura's son. To bear witness, the leaders of the godly souls headed by Brahma came in their celestial vehicles, as also the sages, the perfected souls, and the venerable personalities, the singers and
apsaras
An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, litera ...
of heaven, and the
yakshinis. Krishna and Shiva faced each other. Krishna used a ''brahmastra'' against Shiva's ''brahmastra'', a mountain weapon against a wind weapon, a rain weapon against a fire weapon, and His ''narayanastra'' against Shiva's ''pasupatiastra''. After duelling with
Satyaki
Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was ...
, Bana took up arms against
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. However, Krishna blew his conch and instantly, Banasura's charioteer was killed and his chariot broken and shattered.
In a desperate attempt to save Banasura, Kothara, his mother, stood naked before Krishna with her hair dishevelled. When the deity looked away, the asura fled to the city. When Shiva's forces had been defeated, Jvara, the embodiment of Shiva's fever, bearing three heads and three feet, attacked Krishna with scorching heat. Krishna produced his own Jvara of frigid coldness, and the two fought each other. Overwhelmed by Vishnu's fever, Shiva's Jvara offered its surrender and obeisance to Krishna and departed.
Meanwhile, Balarama defeated Banasura's commander. Bana rode forth upon his chariot to fight with Krishna, and the fought back with his
Sudarshana Chakra
Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sud ...
. When Krishna started chopping Banasura's arms,
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
returned to his senses and extolled the glories of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
, and urged him not to kill Banasura, whom he had bestowed with fearlessness. Obliging, Krishna replied that he had never intended to kill Banasura, since he was the son of Bali and the grandson of the devout
Prahlada
Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...
. Vishnu had promised Bali not to kill any member of his family, and therefore would not slay him. However, Krishna severed Banasura's extra arms to destroy the latter's pride, leaving Banasura with only four arms.
Banasura realised his mistake and bowed his head before Krishna, arranging for a chariot to seat Aniruddha and Usha for their wedding in Dvaraka.
Children
Vajra
The Vajra () is a legendary and ritual weapon, symbolising the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).
The vajra is a type of club with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shape ...
was the son of Aniruddha and his first wife, Rochana. He was the only survivor of the Yadu dynasty after a violent disaster due to the curse of
Gandhari. Vajra was crowned as the King of
Indraprastha
Indraprastha (lit. "Plain of Indra" or "City of Indra") is mentioned in ancient Indian literature as a city of the Kuru Kingdom. It was the capital of the kingdom led by the Pandavas mentioned in ''Mahabharata'' . Under the Pali form of its name ...
on the request of Krishna by the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
s after the
Yadava fratricide just before the
Pandavas' exile. Aniruddha had one more son named Mrigaketana from his wife.
Boar Aspect
In
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
, Aniruddha is associated with the boar, which is his
theriomorphic
The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from the Greek ζωον (''zōon''), meaning "animal", and μορφη (''morphē''), meaning "shape" or "form". In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It c ...
aspect, also known as
Varaha
Varaha ( sa, वराह, , "boar") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
Varaha is most commonly associated with the lege ...
.
Aniruddha appears as a boar in some of the
Caturvyūha
''Caturvyūha'' or ''Chatur-vyūha'' (), is an ancient Indian religious concept initially focusing on the four earthly emanations ( Vyūhas) of the Supreme deity Nārāyaṇa, and later Vishnu. The first of these emanations is the hero-god Vās ...
statues, where he is an assistant to
Vāsudeva
Vāsudeva ( sa, वासुदेव, ), later incorporated as Vāsudeva-Krishna (, "Krishna, son of Vasudeva"),"While the earliest piece of evidence do not yet use the name Krsna...." in Krishna-Vāsudeva or simply Krishna, was the son of ...
, and in the
Vaikuntha Chaturmurti
Vaikuntha Chaturmurti or Vaikuntha Vishnu is a four-headed aspect of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly found in Kashmir (northern part of the Indian subcontinent). The icon represents Vishnu as the Supreme Being. He has a human head, a lion head, a b ...
when his boar's head protrudes from the side of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
's head.
Aniruddha is also associated with the qualities of ferociousness and sovereignty.
["Gentleness and strength are associated with Vasudeva, "knowledge with Samkarsana, (Narasimha) female power with Pradyumna (Varaha) and ferociousness and sovereignty with Aniruddha (Kapila)." ]
Death
Pradyumna and Aniruddha died in the intoxicated brawl between the Yadavas, which claimed the life of every Yadava prince, except Vajra, who was the only survivor.
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
moved the survivors to the kingdom of
Indraprastha
Indraprastha (lit. "Plain of Indra" or "City of Indra") is mentioned in ancient Indian literature as a city of the Kuru Kingdom. It was the capital of the kingdom led by the Pandavas mentioned in ''Mahabharata'' . Under the Pali form of its name ...
and crowned Vajra the king.
Literature
The story of Aniruddha and Usha (as ''Okha'' in Gujarati, also "Ukha" in Assamese) is depicted in the 18th century
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
Akhyana Akhyana was a traditional musical theatre as well as medieval genre of Gujarati poetry and Rajasthani poetry. It was primarily practiced in Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India.
Etymology and definition
''Akhyana'' literally means ''to tell'' or ' ...
entitled ''Okhaharan'' by
Premanand Bhatt
Premanand Krushanram Bhatt (Gujarati: પ્રેમાનંદ કૃષ્ણંરામ ભટ્ટ)
(1636–1714), also known as Premanand, was a medieval Gujarati poet and ''Maanbhatt'' (professional story teller) known for his Akhyana ...
.
A 1901 Telugu language play titled ''
Usha Parinayam
''Usha Parinayam'' ( te, ఉషా పరిణయము; English: Marriage of Usha) is one of the famous Indian drama. It is also a popular Yakshagana. The play was written in 1901 by Vedam Venkataraya Sastry.
Plot
Banasura, the king of dem ...
'' written by
Vedam Venkataraya Sastry
Vedam Venkataraya Sastry (21 December 1853 – 18 June 1929) was a Sanskrit and Telugu language poet, critic, Telugu theatre star and dramatist. He is known for providing authoritative editions of Sanskrit and Telugu classics.Vedam Venkataraya S ...
was based on his love story with Usha.
Aniruddha, which means "unstoppable," is also another name of Vishnu.
References
*
Dowson Dowson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anne Lagacé Dowson, Canadian broadcaster and politician
* David Dowson (born 1988), English footballer
* Duncan Dowson (1928–2020), British engineer and professor emeritus at Univ ...
: ''Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology''.
External links
The story of Aniruddha in the Bhagavata Purana
{{Authority control
People related to Krishna
Hindu gods
Characters in the Bhagavata Purana