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8 / Lord Krsna Fights with Banasura

When the four months of the rainy season passed and still Aniruddha
had not returned home, all the members of the Yadu family became much
perturbed. They could not understand how the boy was missing. Fortu-
nately, one day the great sage Narada came and informed the family about
Aniruddha’s disappearance from the palace. He explained how Aniruddha
had been carried to the city of Sonitapura, the capital of Banasura’s empire,
and how Banasura had arrested him with the ndgapasa, even though
Aniruddha had defeated his soldiers. This news was given in detail, and the
whole story was disclosed. Then the members of the Yadu dynasty, all of
whom had great affection for Krsna, prepared to attack the city of
Sonitapura. Practically all the leaders of the family, including Pradyumna,
Satyaki, Gada, Samba, Sarana, Nanda, Upananda and Bhadra, combined
together and gathered eighteen aksauhini military divisions into phalanxes.
Then they all went to Sonitapura and surrounded it with soldiers, ele-.
phants, horses and chariots.

Banasura heard that the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty were attacking
the whole city, tearing down various walls, gates and nearby gardens.
Becoming very angry, he immediately ordered his soldiers, who were of
equal caliber, to go and face them. Lord Siva was so kind to Banasura that
he personally came as the commander-in-chief of the military force,
assisted by his heroic sons: Karttikeya and Ganapati. Seated on his favorite
bull, Nandigvara, Lord Siva, led the fighting against Lord Krsna and
Balarama. We can simply imagine how fierce the fighting was—Lord Siva
with his valiant sons on one side and Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, and His elder brother, Sri Balaramaji, on the other. The
fighting was so fierce that those who saw the battle were struck with
wonder, and the hairs on their bodies stood up. Lord Siva was engaged in
fighting directly with Lord Krsna, Pradyumna was engaged with Karttikeya,

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