Ūṣā-Haraṇa, Bāṇāsura’s Pride, and Aniruddha’s Capture
Prelude to Hari–Śaṅkara Conflict
श्रीराजोवाच बाणस्य तनयामूषामुपयेमे यदूत्तम: । तत्र युद्धमभूद् घोरं हरिशङ्करयोर्महत् । एतत् सर्वं महायोगिन् समाख्यातुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १ ॥
śrī-rājovāca bāṇasya tanayām ūṣām upayeme yadūttamaḥ tatra yuddham abhūd ghoraṁ hari-śaṅkarayor mahat etat sarvaṁ mahā-yogin samākhyātuṁ tvam arhasi
Raja Parikshit berkata: Yang terbaik dari kaum Yadu mengahwini puteri Banasura, Usha, dan akibatnya pertempuran yang hebat dan menakutkan berlaku antara Dewa Hari dan Dewa Shankara. Sila jelaskan segala-galanya tentang kejadian ini, wahai ahli mistik yang paling berkuasa.
This verse states that the best of the Yadus, Aniruddha, married Ūṣā, the daughter of Bāṇa, setting the stage for the ensuing events.
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.
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.