Bhagavatam - Tenth Skandha , Chapter 62

Usha and Aniruddha !

Daughter of Bana, named Usha, married the best of Yadus. In that connection there was terrific battle between Hari and Sankara . O Mahayogi! Only you can explain all that that happened

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Usha and Aniruddha.

 King Parikshit asked Suka Deva.” Oh Mahayogi daughter of Bana, named Usha married the best of Yadus. In that connection there was terrific battle between Hari and Sankara. O Brahman! Only you can explain all that has happened”.

Suka Deva continued

O King Bana was eldest of the one hundred sons of Maharaja Bali, who gave the whole earth as a gift to Lord Vishnu when he appeared in the form of Vamana. Bana, the son of Bali was very devoted to Lord Siva. Bana was truthful, generous and intelligent. He made his Kingdom in the city of Sonitapura. Being favored by Lord Siva, even demigods waited on him. Once when Lord Siva was doing Tandava, Bana pleased him by playing the musical accompaniment with his thousand hands. The pleased Lord asked Bana to name his benediction. Bana chose to have Lord Siva as the guardian of his city. One day Bana in his arrogance told Lord Siva that his thousand arms have no work as there are no equals to him anywhere in the three worlds. Lord Siva noticing his devotees conceit told Bana,” O fool when your flagstaff is broken, then you have to battle someone equal to me, that fight will vanquish your pride. “.

Thus spoken to, the foolish Banasura was delighted and went back to wait for that moment.

Banasura has a daughter by name Usha. In her dreams Usha had an amorous dalliance with the son of Pradyumna, whom she never saw or heard off. Losing sight of him in her dream she woke up asking “where are you my lover?” He friends around too were shocked to hear her saying so. Then a friend Chitralekha, the daughter of a minister Kumbhanda, enquired from Usha about her dream. Usha said she saw a person in her dreams that had a dark blue complexion, lotus eyes, wearing yellow garments with strong arms. The person of her dreams had enticed her and left her in the ocean of distress. Chitralekha promised to bring the friend she met in her dreams if he can be found anywhere in the three worlds. Chitralekha then proceeded to produce the pictures of various Gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Charanas, Pannagas, Daityas, Vidhyadharas, Yakshas and Humans to allow Usha to recognize the likeness.

O King! Among humans Chitralekha drew the pictures of the Vrishnis Surasena, Vasudeva, Balaram and Pradyumna. Seeing Pradyumna, she became coy. Then Chitralekha drew the picture of Aniruddha. Becoming shy she said “that is the one”, “that is the one “. Chitralekha with mystic power recognized him as the grandson of Krishna, Aniruddha. She traveled to Dwaraka using her mystic power and brought Aniruddha to Sonitapura and presented him to Usha in her palace”.

“Looking at him and completely bowled over, she took him to her private chambers which are not open to men, and there she pleased him with her faithful services and enjoyed with him. The time passed and Aniruddha too was captivated by Usha, whose affection for him kept on increasing. Both of them also did not notice the passage of time. The female guards eventually noticed the unmistakable signs of romantic involvement and of her having broken her maiden vows. The guards reported the matter to the King that though they have been guarding the palace, Usha must have been corrupted within the palace.

Banasura at once rushed to the palace of his daughter Usha. There he saw the pride of Yadus, Aniruddha. Aniruddha was playing a game of dice with Usha his daughter. As soon as he saw the guards, Aniruddha took his club and thrashed them.

Even as Aniruddha was striking down the army of Bana, that powerful son of Bali captured Aniruddha with Naga missile. When Usha heard the capture she was overwhelmed with grief, she cried with tears in her eyes.

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Even as Aniruddha was striking down the army of Bana, that powerful son of Bali captured him with Naga missile. When Usha heard the capture she was overwhelmed with grief, she cried with tears in her eyes.