Banasura

Bana (also called Banasura ( _sa. बाणासुर)), in Hindu mythology, was a thousand-armed asura and son of Bali. [ [http://www.krishna.com/node/338 krishna.com - Glossary description] ] Banasura was a powerful and terrible asura. All people, even the king of earth and Devas of heaven, were afraid of him. Bana was a follower of Siva. Banasura ruled in present-day central Assam with his capital at Sonitpur (present-day Tezpur, Assam). Banasura, as he was bevolved devotee of Siva, asked a boon. With irresistible desire for war, he asked he can fight with except him, then Lord Siva says whenever his flag on his chariot falls he will be defeated, since that day he is waiting for his flag to fall. This flag falls during the war between Aniruddha.

Genealogy of Banasura

The genealogy of Banasura is as under: [Bhaleram Beniwal: Jāt Yodhāon ke Balidān, Jaypal Agencies, Agra 2005]

* Brahma's (ब्रह्मा) son was Paricha'
* Paricha's (परीच) son was Kashyapa,
* Kashyapa's (कश्यप) son was Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha,
* Hiranyakashipu's (हिरण्यकश्यप) youngest son was Prahlada,
* Prahlada's (प्रहलाद) son was Virochana,
* Virochana's (विरोचन) son was Bali,
* Bali's (बलि) son was Banasura

Banasura's wife's name was Kandala (कन्दला).

Usha in love with Aniruddha

Banasura had a beautiful daughter named Usha. When Usha became young, a number of proposals came for her marriage, but Banasura accepted none. Wary that Usha might fall in love with men other than his choice, he kept Usha in a formidable fortress called 'Agnigarh' with her friends. Usha one day saw a young man in her dream and fell in love with him. Chitraleka was a friend of Usha and daughter of Kumbhada, minister of Banasura. She was a talented artist who helped Usha to identify the young man seen in the dream of Usha by painting the portrait. He was Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha, through supernatural powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Usha. Usha and Aniruddha secretly married and lived together as husband and wife in the Agnigarh.

War of Banasura with Krishna

When Banasur came to know about it, he arrested Aniruddha and had him tied with snakes. When Krishna knew it, he came with a huge army and attacked Banasura. This was Krishna's second visit to Assam, the first being when he came to abduct Rukmini, his wife. There was a severe battle. Banasura was a follower of Shiva. In this war, Rudra fought with Krishna, Virabhadra with Pradyumna, Kopakarna and Kumbhada with Balarama, Banasur's son with Samba and Nandishwar with Garuda. Shiva helped Banasura by spreading bacteria of fever (Shaivajwaram) in the army of Krishna, which made his army unable to fight. Krishna in turn created bacteria (vaishnavajwaram) in the army of Shiva. The war continued for long without any conclusion. When Krishna's conflict with Shiva ended in stalemate, he spared Bana's life on Shiva's request but cut off all but four of his arms. Krishna, to keep his words to Prahlad, the grandfather of Banasur, that he will never kill anybody in the lineage of Prahlad, spared the life of Banasur. Krishna got Usha married to Aniruddha and brought them to Dwaraka. Banasura moved to the Himalayas and devoted his life in worship of Shiva.

Descendants of Banasura

Bana is a gotra (clan) of Jats found in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India. Banas are descendants of King Banasura. Their capital was at Bayana in Bharatpur. Usha temple, at Bayana, was built during the reign of Raja Laxman Sen, by his wife in memory of Usha. There is mention of Bana Chieftains along with Pallavas and as feudatories of Cholas in Tamil Nadu. Bana Kingdom

References

*"Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend" (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
* Acharya Chandra Shekhar Shastri: Puranon ki Anmol Kahanian, 2006 ISBN 81-902258-6-3