Shloka 17
हरेः पुत्रविस्तारः तथा ऊषानिरुद्धकथा-प्रारम्भः
Kṛṣṇa’s Progeny and the Beginning of the Uṣā–Aniruddha Episode
बाणस्य मन्त्री कुम्भाण्डः चित्रलेखा च तत्सुता तस्याः सख्य् अभवत् सा च प्राह को ऽयं त्वयोच्यते
bāṇasya mantrī kumbhāṇḍaḥ citralekhā ca tatsutā tasyāḥ sakhy abhavat sā ca prāha ko 'yaṃ tvayocyate
Bāṇa had a minister named Kumbhāṇḍa, and his daughter was Citralekhā. She became Uṣā’s close companion and asked, “Who is this person of whom you speak to me?”
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
Vyuha Form: Aniruddha
FAQs
This verse introduces Citralekhā as the daughter of Bāṇa’s minister Kumbhāṇḍa and as Uṣā’s confidante—setting up her key role in identifying the person Uṣā describes and moving the Aniruddha–Uṣā narrative forward.
Parāśara advances the plot through courtly relationships: he names Bāṇa’s minister and his daughter, shows Citralekhā becoming Uṣā’s friend, and uses her question as the narrative pivot for the next revelation.
Though Vishnu is not named in this verse, the episode belongs to the Krishna line (Vishnu’s avatāra context), reinforcing the Purana’s theme that divine sovereignty operates through historical persons and dynastic events.