The Vishnu Purana: Book V: Chapter XXXIII | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XXXIII.

Báńa solicits Śiva for war: finds Aniruddha in the palace, and makes him prisoner. Krishńa, Balaráma, and Pradyumna come to his rescue Śiva and Skanda aid Báńa: the former is disabled; the latter put to flight. Báńa encounters Krishńa, who cuts off all his arms, and is about to put him to death. Śiva intercedes, and Krishńa a spares his life. Vishńu and Śiva are the same.

BEFORE this took place, Báńa had been engaged in the adoration of the three-eyed god, and had thus prayed to him: "I am humiliated, O lord, by the possession of a thousand arms in a state of peace; let some hostilities ensue, in which I may derive some advantage from their possession. Without war, what is the use of these arms? they are but a burden to me." Śankara replied, "When thy peacock banner shall be broken, thou shalt have war, the delight of the evil spirits that feast on the flesh of man." Báńa, pleased by this promise, proffered his thanks to Śambhu, and returned to his palace, where he found his standard broken; at which his joy was increased.

At that time the nymph Chitralekhá returned from Dwáraká, and by the exercise of her magic power brought Aniruddha along with her. The guards of the inner apartments discovering him there with Ushá, reported it to the king who immediately sent a body of his followers to seize the prince; but the valiant youth, taking up an iron club, slew his assailants: on which Báńa mounted his car, advanced against him, and endeavoured to put him to death. Finding, however, that Aniruddha was not to be subdued by prowess, he followed the counsel of his minister, and brought his magical faculties into the conflict, by which he succeeded in capturing the Yadu prince, and binding him in serpent bonds.

When Aniruddha was missed from Dwáravatí, and the Yádavas were inquiring of one another whither he had gone, Nárada came to them, and told them that he was the prisoner of Báńa, having been conveyed by a female, possessed of magic faculties, to Śońitapura 1 When they heard