Shloka 1

Ūṣā-Haraṇa, Bāṇāsura’s Pride, and Aniruddha’s Capture

Prelude to Hari–Śaṅkara Conflict

Devanagari script

श्रीराजोवाच बाणस्य तनयामूषामुपयेमे यदूत्तम: । तत्र युद्धमभूद् घोरं हरिशङ्करयोर्महत् । एतत् सर्वं महायोगिन् समाख्यातुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-rājovāca bāṇasya tanayām ūṣām upayeme yadūttamaḥ tatra yuddham abhūd ghoraṁ hari-śaṅkarayor mahat etat sarvaṁ mahā-yogin samākhyātuṁ tvam arhasi

Translation

King Parīkṣit said: The best of the Yadus married Bāṇāsura’s daughter, Ūṣā, and as a result a great, fearsome battle occurred between Lord Hari and Lord Śaṅkara. Please explain everything about this incident, O most powerful of mystics.

Synonyms

• śrī-rājā: the revered king
• śrī-rājā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्रीमान् राजा’ (honored king)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bāṇasya: of Bāṇa
• bāṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• tanayām: daughter
• tanayām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• ūṣām: Ūṣā
• ūṣām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; apposition to ‘tanayām’

• upayeme: married
• upayeme: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√yam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विवाहार्थे ‘to marry’

• yadu-uttamaḥ: the best of the Yadus
• yadu-uttamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadu (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘यदूनाम् उत्तमः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• yuddham: battle
• yuddham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhūt: arose, happened
• abhūt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘yuddham’

• hari-śaṅkarayoḥ: of Hari and Śaṅkara
• hari-śaṅkarayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; षष्ठी (Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘yuddham’

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘etat’

• mahā-yogin: O great yogin
• mahā-yogin: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• samākhyātum: to tell, to narrate
• samākhyātum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√khyā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘to narrate’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• arhasi: are able/ought
• arhasi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit
• Bāṇa
• Ūṣā
• Aniruddha
• Hari (Kṛṣṇa)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Śukadeva Gosvāmī

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the marriage of Aniruddha and Usha?

This verse states that the best of the Yadus, Aniruddha, married Ūṣā, the daughter of Bāṇa, setting the stage for the ensuing events.

Why did King Parikshit ask Shukadeva Goswami to narrate the battle between Krishna and Shiva?

Parīkṣit highlights that a great and terrible battle occurred between Hari (Kṛṣṇa) and Śaṅkara (Śiva) and requests the expert narrator, Śukadeva, to explain the full account.

What is the practical lesson from Parikshit’s question in this shloka?

A sincere seeker asks qualified saints to explain divine pastimes carefully and completely, cultivating humble inquiry and attentive hearing (śravaṇam) as a path of bhakti.