Home | Biographies

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others

Baanaasur was in the lineage of Hiranyakashyap. Brahmaa --> Mareechi --> Kashyap --> Hiranyakshyap --> Prahlaad --> Virochan --> Bali --> Baanaasur. Baanaasur was known as Mahaakaal also. His wife's name was Kandalaa.

Once he pleased Dattaatreya Bhagavaan with his intense Tap and got 1,000 arms from him. He was a great devotee of Shiv Jee. At one time he ruled in Shonitpur (present Assam). One day when Shiv was dancing his Taandav dance, he pleased him by playing instruments with all his 1,000 hands. Bhagavaan Shankar got very pleased and told him to ask for any Var. Baanaasur said - "Prabhu, You live here guarding my city." Pleased with him Shiv Jee bestowed this boon to him that he will always guard his city. With the grace of Shankar Jee Indra etc Devtaa used to serve him. So now became very proud of his might. Several times he used to wander around in search for somebody to whom he could fight.

One day in his pride, Baanaasur touched Shiv's feet with his crown's top edge and said - "I bow you. You can fulfill any desire of anybody. You have given me 1,000 arms but they seem to me like a useless load, because I do not see any brave person, other than you, with whom I can fight. Once I felt an itch for fight, so I went to Diggaj (very very brave people), but they also ran away. At that time I broke several mountains with my arms." Shiv Jee got angry hearing this, he said - "When your flag will fall down after a break, then you will fight with a warrior like yourself and he will destroy your pride." Baanaasur's mind was not in senses, so he got very happy to hear this, went to his home and started to wait for that fight in which he was going to be defeated.

Ushaa and Aniruddh
He had a beautiful daughter Ushaa. Once she saw a young handsome prince in her dream. She fell in love with him so intensely that she got restless after she woke up. She had a friend, Baanaasur's Minister's daughter, Chitralekhaa. She was very good in sketching people's faces, so she tried many sketches and showed to Ushaa whether he was one of them, as Ushaa did not know who was he. She sketched Devtaa, Gandharv, kings, then she came to Krishn. Seeing the sketch of Krishn, she felt shy but He was not him. Then she drew the sketch of Pradyumn, seeing it, she wanted to say yes but still it was not his sketch. Then she drew the sketch of Aniruddh. Now she cried with happiness, it was his.

Now how to meet him. Chitralekhaa knew some Maayaa also. She flew to Dwaarakaa and brought sleeping Aniruddh with his bed and kept him in Ushaa's palace. When Aniruddh woke up, he got surprised to see himself there. They spend sometime there happily. Later some signs of happiness appeared on Chitralekhaa's face. Her guards noticed this and reported to her father. Baanaasur had known that a prince has been staying with his daughter. He got ready to fight with him.

In Dwaarakaa, Krishn and Pradyumn were worried about the disappearance of Aniruddh. Naarad Jee came there and told them about Aniruddh, so both went to Baanaasur's place along with their army. Both started fighting. Since Shiv was guarding Baanaasur's city, he came to fight with Krishn. In the last Shiv got defeated and asked Krishn's grace to his Bhakt. Krishn said - "I could not have killed him otherwise as I have already promised to Prahlaad that I will not kill anybody in your lineage." Still when Baanaasur came to fight with them, He cut his all arms leaving his four arms. On Shankar's request He appointed him as Shankar's chief Paarshad and fearless.

Baanaasur then married Ushaa to Aniruddh and Krishn and Pradyumn went back to Dwaarakaa along with Aniruddh and Ushaa.

Mahaabhaarat, Shalya, 46 says that Baanaasur had a younger brother (name is not given), and he was killed by Skand (Kaarttikeya or Kumaar) after he had killed Taarakaasur.

Home | Biographies

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others