ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
USHA
Usha is dawn and a daughter of the sky. She is the one that wakes up every living creature when the sky starts to lighten up. She is the goddess of light and beauty as she brings light and everything beautiful into the lives of the humans.
Story of Usha, a love story that made Krishna fight Shiva
Usha, daughter of asura king Banasura, was a beautiful princess of the kingdom of Sonitpur in the modern-day state of Assam.
Banasura was a devotee of Lord Shiva. With his penance, he got a boon from Lord Shiva that the Lord himself will guard his kingdom and be his personal protector. This made him invincible, but in his arrogance, he also asked for a favor by giving him an opportunity to fight a battle with an equally able warrior. Banasura is said to have a thousand arms. He was very arrogant and cruel. He locked his daughter Usha in the fortress of Agnigarh to keep her away from suitors.
Usha one night found herself with a handsome young man. They spent time in each other’s company and fell in love. She woke up in the morning to find it was a dream. She was very upset and told about this person to her friend Chitraleka who dismissed it as a fantasy. This made Usha cry in misery. Seeing her friend upset, Chitralekha drew a picture of the person Usha described. Usha had dreamt of Anirudha, the grandson of Krishna of Dwarka. Seeing the picture of the prince of her dreams, Usha’s desire grew, and yet she quickly went into tears knowing the impossibility of their union.
Chitralekha herself was the daughter of asura minister Kumbhanda, in the assembly of Sonitpur. She was a yogini herself and had powers to teleport herself. At nightfall, she flew to the palace of Krishna in Dwaraka and made her way to young Anirudda’s chambers. She lifted the sleeping prince in her arms and returned back to Agnigarh fortress and gently laid him beside the sleeping Usha.
The next morning, Aniruddha was woken up by a beautiful stranger and found himself not in his own chamber. Usha narrated her dream to the prince. She told him how her friend Chitralekha brought him to her. Aniruddha fell in love with this maiden and did not fight.
In Dwarka, it was mayhem. Their prince disappeared from his chamber. The Yadava could not protect their prince, nor knew about his whereabouts. Narada, the celestial bard, told Balarama that Aniruddha is in faraway Sonitpur and in love with a maiden princess named Usha. But, his life was in danger. Krishna knew everything happens for a reason. The Yadava army was assembled to march eastward.
In Agnigarh, the prince could not be kept hidden for long. The guards saw him and informed Banasura. The asura king walked into his daughter’s chambers, found Aniruddha, and took him prisoner. He was locked in a dungeon filled with snakes.
The Yadava army with great warriors like Balarama, Pradyumna, Satyaki, and led by Krishna himself, marched towards Sonitpur. They attacked the city. But there was Lord Shiva himself at the gates, for Shiva was entrusted to protect the city. The battle between the great gods, Shiva and Krishna began. Shiva’s son, Kartikeya joined his father and engaged in a battle with Pradyumna. Satyaki was engaged with Banasura. Baldev was engaged with Kumbhanda
Divyastras or divine arsenals flew. If the war continued, all creations will end. To save the creation, Shiva advised Krishna to attack him with Jurumnastra. This puts Shiva in a deep slumber. In this opportunity window, Yadava army caused great losses to the asura army. Banasura summoned his mother Kotari Aai, a presiding deity, to engage with Krishna. Two of Shivas gana, Trisirabhoot (three-headed ghost) and Jvarabhoot (fever-causing ghost) took charge on behalf of Shiva. They were defeated by Krishna. Banasura tried to flee the battlefield. Krishna threw Sudarshan Chakra, the divine discus, at Banasura and cut away his thousand arms. It was like cutting the large banyan tree, one branch after another. Banasura cried out to Shiva. At that point, Lord Shiva woke up and intervened on his devotee’s behalf.
“Do not kill him, Krishna, he’s a devotee of mine who has sought my protection.”
“I promised Prahlada that I would not kill any of his kin. With his thousand arms cut off, he will no longer be arrogant. Let him remain an attendant of yours.”
Hearing Krishna’s words, Banasura fell at the feet of the gods humbled. He was Prahlad’s great-grandson.
Banasura released the couple, Aniruddha and Usha. He placed them on a chariot, performed kanyadaan, and let them return to Dwaraka. The Yadava army returned with the bride and groom with merriment.
After the death of Krishna, a fratricidal war killed most of the Yadava clan. The surviving Yadavas took refuge in Indraprastha. Vajra, the great-grandson of Krishna and son of Usha-Aniruddha, was coronated as the Yadava king.
This is a love story, where Krishna and Shiva fought amongst themselves and could have destroyed all creations. This is also a love story that crossed across the Bharatvarsha or Indian-subcontinent. Sonitpur is from the north-eastern part of India and Dwarka is on the western shoreline.
Story Of Goddess Usha Devi In Himachal Pradesh
Goddess Usha Devi is the consort of Surya Bhagavan, the Sun God in Hinduism. There is an interesting story of Usha Devi in Himachal Pradesh. Here she is the daughter of Banasur and sister of Sungra Maheshwar.
Legend has it that Usha Devi was once a gloriously beautiful apsara (heavenly damsel) in the court of Indra in heaven. Once, when the penance and tapas of a human being threatened to empower Indra beyond control, the king of Devas sent Usha to distract the human being.
However the human being was a powerful ascetic. He was powerful enough to cast a spell that would make Usha Devi disappear at the rays of sun. And yet, her beauty was so powerful that just the merest glimpse of her, dawn after dawn, was enough to break the concentration of the ascetic. His tapasya failed and Indra was able to hold on to his position as king of Devas.
After this incident Usha Devi became the goddess of dawn in Hindu religion.
Goddess Ushas – The Vedic Goddess of Dawn
Vedas are universally accepted as the oldest books of humankind. For the Hindus, they are not just ordinary books but are also the fountainhead of all knowledge, whether of the material world or the spiritual world. They are 4 in number; Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda.
Various Vedic gods and goddesses are mentioned in these four Vedas. The Vedic people worshipped numerous gods. Based on the invocation available within Vedas, the subsequent Vedic gods and goddesses are vital: Varuna, Indra, Vayu, Agni, Mitra, Adityas, Vashista, Bhaga, Rta, Heaven, Earth, Manyu, Soma, Ushas, Pusan, Surya, Vishnu and so on.
Ushas is the Vedic Goddess of the sunrise in Hindu dharma. In Rigveda, the Goddess Ushas is continually associated with and often recognized with the dawn. She offers the existence of all of the living creatures of the universe and makes us breathe properly. She additionally gives a sound mind and a sound body.
Ushas is the most prominent Goddess in Vedic literature. However, she has her own identity, and most people consider her as important as the three important male deities named Agni, Soma, and Indra.
Ushas is stated in numerous hymns of the Rigveda. Forty of its hymns are devoted to her, while her name appears in different extra hymns. In the Rig Veda, she is described as a young woman drawn riding in a golden chariot in her direction throughout the sky. Due to her color, she is often recognized among the reddish cows. Both are released through Indra from Vala cave at the beginning of time. It is stated that one hundred horses draw her.
Goddess Usha is generally associated with light and wealth. She reveals herself with the daily coming of the light to the world. She passes forth light and is accompanied by the Sun. She alone leads the Sun and discloses her excellence and fire to her world.
She is honored by the worshippers for driving away oppressive darkness and chasing away evil spirits. She sets everything in motion and sends people off from their duties after completing the day. She carries not just light to the sleeping humankind but hope, happiness, riches, and all the good things. She has the magic of looking at everybody at the same time.
The ancient Vedic tradition has viewed Ushas as the harbinger of light, awareness, and activity. People separated time into the form of day and night. All creation rests at night, and the whole of creation is active in the day. The transformation which takes place from night today is known to be the attribute of Ushas. She is also highly popular as the pioneer of the day as she leads the Sun into throwing his glance on the earth. Thus, revealing his immense power and warmth to the world’s beings. So, she has been regarded as the light or the dawn of human consciousness.
Daughter of Dyaus Pita
Ushas is regarded as the daughter of Dyaus Pita, Father of the sky. She is the elder sister of Ratri, the Night. When Ushas rises, the night is dark and deep, and the sky begins to adorn her. Ushas’s’ sister Ratri is the cosmic energy of the night, whose darkness engulfs our consciousness. And enforces a repose that heals and revives by a temporary hibernation of mind and senses.
Ushas follows Ratri as surely as spring follows winter, in an unfailing rhythm called ”Rta” in Sanskrit. Ushas is the cosmic energy that immediately precedes the start of each earthly day. Ushas gently steals into the earth’s atmosphere just before her consort Surya, Sun, suffusing the skies with golden-orange luminosity.
Celestial Yogini
Ushas is ranked as a divinity in her own right. She is considered a celestial Yogini, a form of Goddess, who is held as spiritual. Ushas is also a feminine divinity who stimulates the nobility from the innermost depths of the human soul. She is the force that propels even the Gods into action. As the mother of the Ashwins, she is also worshipped as the Shakti. She has the power that can heal and bless people with immense knowledge and grace.
We can worship the Goddess Ushas in the following manner.
You are the activator of all living beings. Your great supreme power controls everyone.
During the dawn time, various pujas are conducted in the temples. Only through your grace are people worshipping the god in the dawn and getting benefits.
You are interlinked with various Vedic gods. By worshipping you, we can attain their blessings also.
You are given the benefits of doing various types of rituals.
By worshipping you, all the Tridevi will get satisfied.
You are curing the various ailments of the people.
You are controlling the mind and body of every living being. We will get good thoughts in our minds by worshipping you, and bad thoughts will be permanently erased from our minds.
After we depart from this world, kindly make us enter heaven’s path.
Sri Aurobindo praised her, and she is worshiped during the Chhath Puja festival in India and Nepal. She can be worshiped in the dawn by chanting her names and praying to her in the form of Adi Shakti. If you catch the light just before the Sun appears, greet her early in the morning. Her name is Ushas, The Goddess of Dawn.
The Goddess of Dawn is an important and favourite Vedic Deity. It is the goddess who stirs all creatures and makes them move in this world. The goddess is borne on a chariot. She not only dispels darkness and brings light to mankind but at the same time she brings happiness, hope and all other good things to mankind. She is the goddess of light and beauty and was invoked by the Risis of early age for their protection.
Usha has been described in the Rig Veda as the first self-effulgent white-complexioned though sprung from darkness; as the Mother of the Gods and of the Sun, “Immortal” and “Undecaying” ; as possessing perpetual youth “whiterobed”; Doer of good, bright-coloured, “the daughter of Night” and “the leader of the gods, advancing like a warrior armed with bright weapons” ; as “the wife of the Sun” and “the daughter of Agni” or Prajapati, as explained by Yaska ; as ”dark-complexioned at first, and white-complexioned afterwards,” “the leader of all living creatures” and “the sister of Night”; as “the daughter of heaven”; as “the ancient”; as “deserving the homage of all and as “the ancient youthful damsel”; as “the destroyer of darkness”; as “golden-coloured”; as “the lord of all”; and as “the one who issued forth after breaking the strong gates or barriers of the Mountain”.
In Usha of Rig Veda all the attributes of the Pauranic Durga or Uma are found. She is represented as Navayauvanasampanna (possessing perpetual youth): Sarvabharanabhushita (decked in gold); Puratani (ancient); Hiraumayi (golden-complexioned); Shiva (doer of good); Kali (dark-complexioned); Asuranasini (destroyer of the powers of darkness); Vividhayudhadharini (like a warrior armed with bright weapons): Davamata (mother of the Gods); Dakshakanya (the daughter of Prajapati) Giribala (issuing forth after breaking the strong barriers of the mountain) and so forth.
Goddess Usha is among the few goddesses which have been mentioned in the Rig Veda. The goddess symbolises giving up of all negative energies and taking all positive vibes into the life.
The Sad Story Of Pushan
Pushan is one of the twelve Adityas that reside in the heavens above with his parents, Sage Kashyap and Aditi. He wears his hair in braids, has a beard, and carries a golden sceptre. According to the Vishnu Purana, one of the Adityas would take the role of the sun every month and rule over the planets for that entire month. As per hymns in the Rig Veda, Pushan has a chariot pulled by rams, which can be interpreted as a symbolic way of representing the Mesh Rashi or Ram constellation preceding the Revati constellation that is ruled by Pushan. During the New Year, the two mentioned constellations appear just before sunrise, in the dim-lit winter sky in the northern hemisphere, and this astronomical event is creatively narrated through the symbolic story of Pushan’s chariot clearing the path for the sun god, Surya and his chariot pulled by the seven-headed horse, Uchchaihshravas.
Ancient Indians were pioneers in the realm of astronomy, and the abovementioned role of Pushan is a symbolic representation of the stars and constellations. This depiction of Pushan in the story can be further used to interpret the deity’s other duties. Pushan is considered the god of journeys and roads, and a protector of travellers. His golden sceptre is a symbol of his constant movement as the god of journeys. The same logic can be used to explain the deity’s role as a psychopomp, guiding departed souls on their journey to their afterlife. Pushan is also the god of meetings, a natural culmination of his status as god of journeys, because in order to have a successful meeting with someone, one must make a successful journey. He also plays the role of the god of nourishment, which is an aspect of the sun, as all living beings on earth rely on the sun for their survival, making Pushan the deity responsible for healthy crops, pasture and cattle.
However, even after playing so many essential roles as a deity, the prominence of Pushan is replaced by more important gods with similar roles. Even among his siblings, the Adityas, there are those that are considered more important such as Surya and Indra. Surya is the sun god and the king of all planets, overshadowing Pushan’s role as the deity of nourishment, whereas Indra is the god of rain and lightning, and the king of gods, overshadowing Pushan’s role as the god of crops and pastures. Pushan also shares his role as a psychopomp with another major deity, Agni, the god of fire, who is crucial in all major Hindu rituals. The prominence of Pushan’s role as the god of journeys is also diminished as this duty is in some way similar to Ganesha’s. The elephant-headed god is known as Vighnaharta, which literally means ‘the one who removes obstacles’. Ganesha’s father, Shiva, the God of destruction and one of the Trimurti, is also called Pashupati where he is seen as the king of all animals, overshadowing Pushan’s duty as the god of cattle.
Shiva and his family have been a source of trouble for Pushan previously as well. After Shiva’s wife, Sati immolated herself, Shiva was wreaking havoc at Prajapati Daksha’s yagna in the form of Veerabhadra, when he ended up knocking out all of Pushan’s teeth. The poor god’s teeth were smashed with such brute force that the broken teeth flew to outer space and are said to have become the stars in the milky way! This is the reason why the god of meeting can only consume liquid food, and is given curd or mashed food as an offering.
Pusan God in Hindu Religion
Pusan is one of the names of Surya, the sun god in Hinduism. It is considered to be the sixth name of the sun god. The name pusan is recited during surya namaskara and while offering prayers. He is praised in the Rig Veda in numerous hymns.
Pusan means one who nourishes.
He is the protector of all beings. He nourishes and protect all living begins including cattle.
Pusan is also referred as the brother of Indra.
He is offered prayers in the Vedas to bring back horses, cows, sheep and other livestocks.
He is also offered prayers to keep livestocks away from diseases and injuries.
Pusan also drives away enemies and brings their wealth.
Apart from Rig Veda, chants dedicated to Pusan are found in Asvalayana Grihyasutra and Samkhayana Grihyasutra.
Love story behind Usha (Daughter of Banasur) and Aniruddha (Grandson of Krishna).
Usha and Aniruddha’s love story was epic as it involved the famous but catastrophic Hari-Hara war.Banasura was a powerful demon king who ruled the current center of Asaam with its capital Tezpur (then called Sonitpur). He was the great-grandson of the fervent devotee of Vishnu, Prahlada, and the son of the legendary asura Mahabali, who was surprised by the Vamana incarnation of Lord Vishnu.Banasura had a beautiful daughter named Usha. Concerned about her charming appearance, he kept his daughter in a fortress in Agnigarh that was surrounded by fire at all times so that no one could enter or leave the perimeter without permission.
She fell in love with Aniruddha in her dreams, not knowing who he really was. His companion Chitralekha, who was an excellent painter, identified him by painting his portrait from Usha’s description.
Chitralekha was not only an artist, but possessed mystical powers. Anirudddha was the grandson of Lord Krishna, who was believed to be Lord Vishnu (enemy of the asuras) and Usha was the daughter of a king Asura, therefore there was no way that either side (?) Would accept his love. . As such, Chitralekha at the will of her friend Usha flew one night and brought Aniruddha to Usha’s place while she was still sleeping, using her powers.
When Aniruddha opened her eyes and saw Usha, she fell in love with her immediately. However, Banasura was furious to discover Aniruddha in the fort. He tied him up with snakes and imprisoned him. Lord Krishna agreed to their marriage and wanted Banasura to accept the same. But Banasura furiously denied the proposal. Banasura was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, and as a blessing he had asked him to help him when he needed it. Lord Shiva granted it. He, therefore, was not afraid of anyone.
Lord Krishna along with other Yadavas came for the rescue of Aniruddha. A war broke out between the Asuras and the Yadavas. Banasura’s army was unable to resist the Yadavas’ war and power tactics and eventually had to take refuge under Lord Shiva. Then a war ensued between the Haris (Lord Krishna and his followers) and the Haras (Lord Shiva and his followers) due to the blessing. Rivers of blood flowed and the city was named Tezpur (City of Blood in Assamese). Both sides were almost annihilated, except for the key warriors of both sides like Lord Krishna, Sri Balrama, Pradyumna (father of Aniruddha), Kritvarma, etc., among the Haris / Yadavas and Lord Shiva, Nandi, Lord Kartikeya, etc. ., among the Haras.
Finally, there was a final battle between Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva, where Lord Krishna invoked his Sudarsana Chakra and Lord Shiva invoked his Trishula. To avoid the collision of the two destructive weapons, Lord Brahma appeared and intervened, asking them to stop the war.
A discussion ensued in which the two Lords made Banasura realize his wrong act that he could not recognize before the war due to his arrogance.Finally, Usha and Aniruddha were united. And justice was established.
About Goddess Usha
Usha is regarded as the Goddess of the dawn. The Vedas holds her as the personification of the light and charm of sunrise. She is also the divine mother, who precedes light, marking the end of the dark night and the beginning of the bright day.
Importance of Usha
Usha
‘Usha’ is a Sanskrit word which literally means ‘Sunrise’ or ‘Dawn’. The ancient Rig Veda paints a beautiful picture of the breaking of the dawn and the emerging of Usha. It hails Usha as a new born, who remains as the harbinger of light and hope to the mankind, unfailingly, day after day. Goddess Usha is regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness, is associated with light and wealth, and is treated as an object of worship somewhat similar to a sacred cow.
The Portrayal of Usha and references about her
Usha is regarded as the daughter of the heavens, sister of the night, consort of the Sun and the mother of the Ashwins, the Vedic Gods and she arrives everyday riding a chariot drawn by her sons. She is simply glowing and is well adorned. Though considered shy and delicate, she is believed to be a graceful dancer. She is also highly popular as the precursor to the day, as it is Usha who leads the Sun into throwing his glance on the earth and thus, reveal his immense power and warmth to the beings of the world. The sacred Vedas refer to her more than 300 times and celebrate her greatness in as many as 20 hymns. As per them, she drives away darkness and banishes the evil spirits represented by it. She thus removes inertia, galvanizes people into action and sets things in motion towards positive outcomes.
Usha as Goddess
Usha is ranked as a divinity in her own right. She is regarded as a celestial Yogini, a form of Goddess , who is held as spiritual as a Devi or even more. Being a sort of a Yogini, Usha is also a feminine divinity who awakens the nobility from the inner most depths of the human soul. She is the force that propels even the Gods into action. As the mother of the Ashwins, she is also worshipped as the Shakthi, the power that can heal, give boons, bestow Siddhis, the accomplishments and bless people with immense knowledge and grace.
Usha is also the embodiment of the descending, early morning sunrays, referred to as dawn. She also represents the Usha Kaal, the time just before and around the daybreak, that is considered very auspicious. As the one who brings in a fresh day on to the earth, her rays of the early morning light emit on us great energy and warmth, and introduce us to our own true reality, as transcendental consciousness. Goddess Usha is regarded as one, who can satisfy the longings of the worldly beings, add strength and enliven their spirits. She is worshipped by sages, ascetics and commoners alike, for bringing in light and removing darkness, and also for bestowing a long and purposeful life.