Shloka 11
बाणयुद्धम्, हरिहरसंवादः, ज्वरप्रकरणम्, अनिरुद्धमोचनम्
Bāṇa’s War, the Jvara Episode, Hari–Hara Dialogue, and Aniruddha’s Release
तं शोणितपुरे श्रुत्वा नीतं विद्याविदग्धया योषिता प्रत्ययं जग्मुर् यादवा नामरैर् इति
taṃ śoṇitapure śrutvā nītaṃ vidyāvidagdhayā yoṣitā pratyayaṃ jagmur yādavā nāmarair iti
Hearing that a maiden skilled in mystic arts had taken him to Śoṇitapura, the Yādavas—so the report ran—came to a settled certainty about the matter.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Extraordinary powers (vidyā) can be weaponized for adharma; discernment is needed to distinguish marvel from righteousness.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not let fascination with ‘powers’ override ethical boundaries; evaluate actions by dharma, not by glamour or capability.
Vishishtadvaita: All śaktis are ultimately subordinate to Bhagavān; when misused, they invite divine correction to re-align the moral order.
FAQs
In this episode it is the destination where Aniruddha is taken, making Śoṇitapura the political and narrative stage for the Yādavas’ confrontation and the assertion of rightful sovereignty.
He presents the abduction/leading-away as enabled by a maiden ‘skilled in vidyā,’ highlighting how extraordinary powers can move events, yet still remain within the larger moral and cosmic order the narrative upholds.
Though not named in the verse, the Yādavas’ cause belongs to Kṛṣṇa’s divine order; the narrative implies that even magical interventions unfold under the governance of the Supreme Reality manifest as Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa.