The Epic Battle of Banasura: Lord Krishna, Shiva, and the Triumph of Love

Daityaraaj Bali had 100 sons and Banasura was one of them. When he grew up, he penanced for Lord Shiva and Shiva granted him the boon of 1000 arms. Banasura also asked him for a boon that he should be his gatekeeper. Lord Shiva got angry at this at first but later granted him the boon. Everybody was sacred of Bansura’s strength and nobody wanted to fight him. Banasura got so much arrogant of his powers that he challenged Lord Shiva to fight him. Lord Shiva got terribly angry and said that the one to fight him has already been born. He also said that when the flag of your palace falls down then you should be aware that the one to fight you has arrived. Saying this, Shiva left from there. Banasura’ daughter was very beautiful. She dreamed of a boy who was extremely handsome. When she woke up, she called her artist and they made a sketch of that boy. When the sketch was completed, the sketch was of Lord Krishna’s grandson Aniruddh. In midnight, that artist brought the sleeping Anirudh from Dwaraka to the city of Sonitpur. When Aniruddh woke up, he saw himself in a totally new place and he was lying on a bed. When Banasura’s daughter saw him, she also came on the bed beside him. Even Aniruddh got attracted to her. Banasura was just walking and then he saw the flag of his palace fallen. He got to know that somebody is in this place. Banasura went with his men and wanted to kill Aniruddh. Aniruddh, however killed all his men. When the news of Anirudhh being in Sonitpur reached Lord Krishna, he came with his brother Balarama, Satyaki and his Narayani Sena. There a long battle happened between Krishna and Banasura. When Banasura realized that Krishna was extremely powerful, he called out to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva first sent his Ganas to defend him but they lost. At last Shiva himself came down. There, Shiva and Krishna fought for a long time and Krishna was breaking all the arrows of Shiva. Shiva realized that this fight would never come to an end and would just bring destruction. Shiva told Krishna a solution that Krishna should fire the Jambavastra which Shiva wouldn’t oppose. The Jambavastar would eventually faint him and then he can leave Banasura.

Krishna did exactly that and Shiva fainted. Krishna started cutting off all the arms of Banasura and when he was left with 4 arms, Shiva woke up. He told Banasura to stop fighting Krishna otherwise he would face the wrath of Krishna and Shiva together. Banasura stopped fighting him and his daughter was happily married to Aniruddh.

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