Krishna and Shiva Clash in Battle over Asura King Bana

Bana was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, passionately serving him as he danced the Tandava with his thousand arms playing various musical instruments. Impressed by Bana’s devotion, Shiva promised to protect him in any battle. However, Bana’s heart became consumed with vanity and arrogance after gaining Shiva’s favor. One day, he audaciously complained to Shiva, asserting that there was no warrior equal to him except the Lord himself, even without his thousand arms.

This arrogance enraged Shiva, who, to humble Bana and put an end to his pride, cursed him. The curse stated that a warrior equal to Shiva would one day humiliate Bana. Surprisingly, Bana accepted the curse without fear or dismay, eagerly awaiting the destined battle with his peer.

A few days later, Usha, Bana’s daughter, confided in her close companion, Chitralekha, about a dark-blue-skinned prince dressed in yellow garments who frequently appeared in her dreams only to vanish quickly. Intrigued, Usha desired to discover the identity of this prince and expressed her wish to meet him. Chitralekha, gifted with yogic powers and artistic skills, began painting portraits of various gods, gandharvas, and yakshas to assist the princess. When Usha saw the portraits of Krishna and his son, Pradyumna, she remarked that the man from her dreams bore a striking resemblance to them.

Chitralekha then painted a portrait of Aniruddha, Pradyumna’s sun and Krishna’s grandsun. To Usha’s delight, she immediately recognized Aniruddha as the prince from her dreams. Chitralekha vowed to bring Aniruddha to Usha as soon as possible and, using her yogic powers, transported the sleeping prince from his chambers in Dwaraka to Usha’s palace in Bana’s kingdom.

Upon seeing Aniruddha, Usha was overjoyed and expressed her gratitude to Chitralekha for her assistance. Once Chitralekha departed, Aniruddha woke up to find a beautiful maiden standing before him, leaving him astonished. Usha greeted Aniruddha with a warm smile and explained her dream, informing him that he had been brought to her chambers as an honored guest due to her love for him. Usha also assured Aniruddha that he was free to leave and return to Dwaraka since his arrival had been kept secret. 

However, captivated by Usha’s beauty and grace, Aniruddha reciprocated her love and decided to marry her. They held a clandestine wedding, filled with happiness and joy.

In the following days, Usha and Aniruddha cherished their time together in the princess’s chambers. The guards stationed outside grew suspicious as they noticed Usha rarely leaving her chamber. Upon investigation, they discovered Aniruddha and his secret marriage to Usha, immediately reporting the matter to Bana. 

Fuming with anger upon learning about his daughter’s covert union, Bana stormed toward her chambers accompanied by his guards. He ordered his men to capture Aniruddha, leading to a fierce fight. Although the asura guards were no match for the valiant prince, Aniruddha was seized by Bana, who used his thousand arms to bind him tightly with serpents from head to toe.

Meanwhile, back in Dwaraka, Aniruddha’s family had grown deeply concerned over his prolonged absence. To alleviate their worries, Sage Narad visited Krishna’s palace and revealed Aniruddha’s whereabouts. Krishna promptly embarked on a journey to Bana’s kingdom, accompanied by Pradyumna, Satyaki, and numerous warriors, with the sole purpose of rescuing Aniruddha. Upon discovering Krishna’s intent, Bana began his own preparations for war.

As Krishna arrived, Bana welcomed him with a vast army, igniting a fierce battle between the two forces. True to Shiva’s promise of protection, the deity himself joined the battlefield alongside his sun, Kartikeya, to aid the asura. Celestials, sages, gandharvas, yakshas, and apsaras gathered in their chariots to witness the epic clash between Shiva and Krishna.

The battle raged on, with Krishna engaging Shiva in combat, while Pradyumna and Satyaki confronted Kartikeya and Bana, respectively. Krishna effortlessly decimated Shiva’s hordes, and Pradyumna emerged victorious after a grueling battle with Kartikeya. Sensing his impending defeat, Bana left Satyaki to face Krishna directly. Bana unleashed a barrage of thousands of arrows, but Krishna swiftly destroyed them with his sudarshana chakra.

Krishna then humbled Bana by severing all but four of his arms. Just as Krishna was about to slay the asura, Shiva intervened, requesting mercy for Bana. Honoring Shiva’s plea, Krishna not only spared Bana but also bestowed upon him immortality and eternal youth. Acknowledging his defeat, Bana released Aniruddha and accepted his marriage to Usha. In the end, Krishna, Pradyumna, and Satyaki returned to Dwaraka, accompanied by the blissful newlywed couple.