Slicing of Bana's Hands

Vyasa said

Sanatkumara, omniscient son of Brahma, I bow to you. You have made me hear a wonderful account. In the battle Hari used the jrimbhana weapon to make Hara yawn. After he destroyed Bana's forces, what did Bana do? Please tell me.

Suta said

Hearing the infinitely energetic Vyasa, Brahma's son, lord among sages, pleased in mind, answered.

Sanatkumara replied

Vyasa, hear this wonderful account of Krishna and Shankara, and how they followed the world's ordinary customs. In his play Rudra lay down on the ground with his son and ganas. Bana, king of daityas, came out to fight Krishna, and Kumbhanda gathered the horses and held many shastras and astras. Seeing his forces destroyed, the daitya lord was intolerant and fought an unmatched battle. Krishna, strong and given great strength by Girisha, roared loudly, thinking Bana no more than a blade of grass, and twanged his wonderful Sharnga bow, terrifying Bana's remaining soldiers, the sound filling the whole space between heaven and earth. Enraged, Hari drew the bow back to his ear and shot many kinds of sharp, venomous arrows at Bana. Bana saw them coming and cut them down with his own arrows before they arrived, and roared again. All the Vrishnis thought of Krishna and were afraid. Proud, Bali's son remembered Shiva's lotus feet and shot arrows at brave Krishna, but before they reached him Krishna, strong slayer of the immortals' enemies, remembered Shiva's lotus feet and quickly cut them down with his own arrows. Rama and the other Vrishnis, filled with rage, killed their own opponents. So the tumultuous battle of those two strong sides went on a long time, and those who hear of it are amazed. Meanwhile the great king of birds, Garuda, filled with wrath, beat all the asuras in Bana's army with his wings and crushed them. Seeing his forces crushed and being crushed, Bali's powerful son, daitya lord and Shiva's great devotee, grew enraged. He remembered Shiva's lotus feet and with his thousand hands did great deeds of valour the enemy could not withstand. The slayer of enemy heroes struck Krishna, the others and Garuda all at once, each separately: Garuda with one arrow, Krishna with another and Bala with a third, and others too.

Krishna, in Vishnu's form, destroys asuras. The great lord grew very angry and roared in battle, remembered Shankara, and with strong arrows from the Sharnga bow struck Bana and his terrible forces together. With arrows he swiftly cut Bana's bow and umbrella and killed and felled his horses. Enraged, Bana roared and struck Krishna with a club, felling him to the ground. Following the world's ways, Krishna got up and fought the enemy who was Shiva's devotee, and so the two fought a long duel. On one side was Hari Krishna, Shiva's form, and on the other the strong one who was Shiva's excellent devotee. After a long fight, by Shiva's command Krishna received strength and grew angry. Following Shambhu's instructions, Bhagavan Krishna, slayer of enemy heroes, used the Sudarshana discus to quickly cut off many of Bana's arms, leaving only four handsome hands. But by Shankara's favour Bana's pain at once went away. Krishna, full of brave feeling, forgot himself and prepared to cut off Bana's head.

But Rudra got up. He said Krishna always followed his instructions and had done what he had asked earlier, so he should not cut off Bana's head, and should withdraw the Sudarshana. By his command this discus would always be ineffective against his people. He himself had given Krishna the discus and ensured his victory in battle, and Krishna should withdraw it now. Without Shiva's command Krishna had not, on earlier occasions, used it against Dadhichi, brave Ravana, Taraka, Tripura and others. Krishna was lord of yoga and directly the supreme self, engaged in the welfare of all beings, and should think about this. Shiva had given Bana a boon that he need not fear death, and his words should always hold true. He was pleased with Krishna. Earlier Bana, proud and intoxicated, had told him to give him a battle and said his hands itched, and so he had cursed him that in a short time his arms would be severed and his insolence lost. It was by Shiva's command that Hari had cut his arms, so he should withdraw from the battle and return to his own residence with the bride and groom. Having said this, Maheshvara made peace between them, and with his son and ganas returned home. Hearing Shambhu, victorious Krishna withdrew the Sudarshana. Unharmed, he went to the inner quarters, comforted Aniruddha and his wife and accepted the many jewels Bana gave him. He took with him Chitralekha, the supreme yogini and friend. By Shiva's command Krishna had achieved his aim and was pleased. In his heart he bowed to Girisha and took leave of Bali's son. With all his companions Hari went back to his own city, and on the way defeated Varuna, who had opposed him in various ways. When he reached Dvaraka there were festivities. He released Garuda and, on seeing his friends in Dvaraka, smiled, and was seen to roam as he pleased.