Pradyumna

Pradyumna (Sanskrit: प्रद्युम्न) was name of the elder son of Lord Krishna and Rukmini. Pradyumna is considered as one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Chapter 55), Pradyumna was an incarnation of Kamadeva, the god of love, previously burnt by Lord Shiva's anger. Pradyumna is also a name of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas (names), praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint (referred as जोडाक्षर). धृष्टद्युम्न, dhṛṣṭadyumna also is of all joint letters.

Pradyumna
AffiliationAvatar of Kamadeva
Personal information
ParentsKrishna (father), Rukmini (mother)
SpouseMayavati, Rukhmavati and Prabhavati
ChildrenAniruddha
Vrishni heroes
The Makara, as the one found on a pillar capital at the site of the Heliodorus pillar, is associated with Pradyumna.[1][2][3][4] 2nd century BCE.[5] Gwalior Museum.[6][2]

The Harivamsa describes intricate relationships between the Vrishni heroes Krishna Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, that would later form a Vaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, or avatar.

Birth, Childhood & Youth
Pradyumna Kills Sambara.

Pradyumna was son of Lord Krishna and 61st grandson of Adinarayan. His mother was Rukmini, whom Lord Krishna got from her father Bhishmaka and brother Rukmi. Pradyumna was born in Dvaraka. He was the incarnate of god Kamdev. In the Satya Yuga, Kamdev was burnt by Shiva when he became a barrier to Shiva's meditation. Shiva blessed Kamdev's distraught wife, Rati and promised her that in his next birth Kamdev will be a part of Krishna and Rati will be the daughter of Rukmi and that she will marry him.

According to the Bhagavata Purana, within a span of 10 days of Pradyumna's birth, he was abducted by the demon Sambara. He was then cast into the sea and swallowed by a fish, but it was caught and carried to the house of Sambara. The fish was opened and the child was found inside by Rati, who was now Sambara's cook. Pradyumna was raised by Rati. When Pradyumna grew up in a short while, Rati told him the truth about their identities. He battled the demon Sambara and killed him by severing Sambara's head.[7] Soon after Pradyumna became a constant companion of his father Krishna and was well liked by the people of Dvaraka. Pradyumna was a mighty Maharathi warrior. He possessed the extremely rare Vaishnavastra which is the most powerful weapon in the universe. Also he was one of the very few people to know the secret of the Chakravyuha. According to Mahabharata, Pradyumna trained Abhimanyu and Upapandavas in warfare. But Pradyumna did not participate in the Kurukshetra War as he went on a pilgrimage with his uncle Balarama and other yadavas.

Balarama is embraced Yudhisthira with Akrura and Pradyumna and went to Pilgrimage.

But he was an active participant In ashwameda yagna which was later conducted by Yudishtira. In accordance to Lord Shiva's boon to Rati, he married her incarnation, Princess Rukmavati, the Princess of Vidarbha and daughter of his maternal uncle, Rukmi. It is said that Rukmavati found his valor, handsomeness and charm beyond words and insisted on marrying him at her swayamvara. With her, he fathered, Krishna's grandson and favourite, also considered a vyuha avatar of Vishnu, Aniruddha. Pradyumna was later killed in an intoxicated brawl, along with all the other members of the Yadava dynasty. His grandson Vajra was the only survivor of his dynasty after this incident.[8]

Makaradhvaja

One of the epithets of Pradyuma in literature, such as in Harivamsa 99, is "Makaradhvaja", meaning "he whose banner or standard is the crocodile".[9] A pillar capital with the effigy of a Makara crocodile found at Besnagar near the Heliodorus pillar dedicated to Vasudeva, is also attributed to Pradyumna.[9] In the Mahabarata too, the Makara is associated with Krishna's son and Kamadeva, the God of Love, suggesting they are identical.[9]

Descendants

As per the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10, Chapter 61, Aniruddha was the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati.[10] He was later abducted by Usha (daughter of Bana Daitya and granddaughter of Mahabali), who wished to marry him.[11] Usha's father, Banasura, however imprisoned Aniruddha, creating a battle between Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. At the end of it, Banasura lost and Aniruddha and Usha were married.[12] (See Canto 10, Chapter 62-63 of the Bhagavata Purana)

Aniruddha is said to have been very much like his grandfather Krishna, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar, avatar of Vishnu. Aniruddha had a son named Vajra (or Vajranabh). Vajra was known as an invincible warrior and was the only survivor of the Yadu Dynasty after the Yadus' battle. King Vajra then had 16 idols of Krishna and other gods carved from a rare, imperishable stone called Braja and built temples to house these idols in and around Mathura so as to feel the presence of Lord Krishna. It is said that Pradyumna and Arjuna were equivalent in their skills.

Texts

The Hindu version of the history of Pradyumna is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Chapters 55; Canto 11, Chapter 30).

The Jain version of the story of Pradyumna is mentioned in the Pradyumna-charitra (poem in 18 canons) of Rajchandra, written in 1878 AD.[13]

References
  1. Indian History. Allied Publishers. 1988. p. A-222. ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4.
  2. Ayyar, Sulochana (1987). Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum. Mittal Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-81-7099-002-4.
  3. Gupta, Vinay K. "Vrishnis in Ancient Literature and Art". Indology's Pulse Arts in Context, Doris Meth Srinivasan Festschrift Volume, Eds. Corinna Wessels Mevissen and Gerd Mevissen with Assistance of Vinay Kumar Gupta: 81.
  4. Austin, Christopher R. (2019). Pradyumna: Lover, Magician, and Scion of the Avatara. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-19-005412-0.
  5. VIENNOT, Odette (1958). "Le Makara dans la Décoration des Monuments de l'Inde Ancienne : Positions et Fonctions". Arts Asiatiques. 5 (3): 184. JSTOR 43484068.
  6. Visible in the back of the image entitled "Lion capital – Udayagiri – 5th century": "Gujari Mahal State Archaeological Museum – Gwalior". Kevin Standage. 15 April 2019.
  7. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 55".
  8. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 30".
  9. Austin, Christopher R. (2019). Pradyumna: Lover, Magician, and Son of the Avatara. Oxford University Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-19-005411-3.
  10. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 61".
  11. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 62".
  12. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 63".
  13. Krishnamachariar 1989, p. 294.

Sources
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