| Pradyumna | |
|---|---|
 An 18th-centuryPahari painting of Pradyumna (right) battling with demonShambara | |
| Affiliation | Vaishnavism,Kamadeva |
| Abode | Dvaraka |
| Texts | Mahabharata,Srimad Bhagavatam,Harivamsa |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Mayavati Rukmavati Prabhavati[1] |
| Children | Aniruddha |
| Dynasty | Yaduvamsha |
| Vrishni heroes |
|---|
 |
Pradyumna (Sanskrit:प्रद्युम्न,lit. 'the eminently mighty one')[2] is the eldest son of theHindu deitiesKrishna and his wifeRukmini.[3] He is considered to be one of the fourvyuha avatars ofVishnu. According to theBhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was the reincarnation ofKamadeva, the god of love. TheMahabharata states that Pradyumna was a portion ofSanat Kumara.[4]
TheHarivamsa describes thechaturvyuha, consisisting of theVrishni heroesVāsudeva,Samkarsana, Pradyumna, andAniruddha, that would later be the basis for theVaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, oravatara.
Pradyumna is also another name of the Hindu god Vishnu, mentioned to be one of the 24Keshava Namas (names).
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Pradyumna was the son ofKrishna and the sixty-first grandson of Adinarayana. His mother wasRukmini, whom Krishna had eloped with from Vidarbha during herswayamvara on her request. Pradyumna was born inDvaraka and was the reincarnation of the demigodKamadeva, a deity who was burnt to ashes by the fury ofShiva.
According to theBhagavata Purana, within 10 days of Pradyumna's birth, he was abducted by theasuraShambara. Recognising him as his foe, the asura threw him into the ocean. The infant was swallowed by a mighty fish, which was caught by fishermen and presented to Shambara. Shambara's cooks discovered the child upon cutting the fish open. The child was given to Mayavati, who was the earthly incarnation ofRati. Recognising the son of Krishna as her divine consort, Rati fell in love with him once more. Years passed until Pradyumna flowered into adolescence, raised by Mayavati. When chastised by the deity for her amorous notions towards him, she explained to him the circumstances of his new birth. She bestowed Pradyumna with the mystic art ofmahamaya, which dispelled all magic. The youth then summoned the asura to battle, where the latter first attacked him with a club, and followed with hisdaitya magic. Hundreds of weapons belonging toguhyakas,gandharvas,pisacas, and uragas (celestial snakes) were amassed to combat him, but all fell before the son of Krishna. Drawing his sharp-edged sword, he beheaded the asura. Accompanied with his wife, he descended upon the palace in Dvaraka like a cloud with lightning, the crowds of noble women mistaking his handsome countenance and bluish-black curling locks for Krishna himself. Rukmini, however, recognised him as her own son. Krishna manifested himself to the scene along withVasudeva andDevaki, and together with the residents of Dvaraka, embraced the couple and rejoiced.[5]
Pradyumna's first wife was Mayavati, the incarnation of Kamadeva's wifeRati. At first, Pradyumna objected, but upon explanation, he realised that she was, in fact, his eternal consort.[6] He also marriedRukmavati, the daughter of his maternal uncle,Rukmi. It is said that Princess Rukmavati found his valour, comeliness, and charm beyond words, and insisted on marrying him at herswayamvara. With her, he fathered, Krishna's grandson and favourite, and also considered avyuha avatar of Vishnu,Aniruddha. Prabhavati was an asura princess who fell in love with Pradyumna, and so he eloped with her.[7]
Soon, Pradyumna became a constant companion of his father Krishna and was well-liked by the people of Dvaraka. Pradyumna was a mightyMaharathi warrior. He possessed the extremely rareVaishnavastra, which was one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. He was one of the very few people to know the secret of theChakravyuha. According to theMahabharata, Pradyumna trainedAbhimanyu and theDraupadeyas in warfare when thePandavas were in exile. But Pradyumna did not participate in theKurukshetra War as he went on a pilgrimage with his uncleBalarama and the other Yadavas.[8] He was, however, an active participant in theAshvamedha Yagna, which was later conducted by Yudhishthira.
Pradyumna defended Dvaraka against Shalva, the king of theShalva Kingdom, along with his father, uncle and brothers. In theHarivamsa, Pradyumna alone repelled the attack ofJarasandha.
Pradyumna was later killed in an intoxicated brawl, along with all the other members of the Yadava clan. His grandson, Vajra, was the only survivor of Yadu lineage after this incident.[9]
One of the epithets of Pradyumna in literature, such as inHarivamsa 99, is "Makaradhvaja", meaning "he whose banner or standard is the crocodile".[16] A pillar capital with the effigy of aMakara crocodile found atBesnagar near theHeliodorus pillar dedicated toVasudeva, is also attributed to Pradyumna.[16] In theMahabharata, the Makara is associated with Krishna's son andKamadeva, the God of Love, suggesting that they are identical.[16]
As per the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10, Chapter 61,Aniruddha was the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati.[17] He was later abducted by Usha (daughter ofBanaasura and granddaughter ofMahabali), who wished to marry him.[18] Usha's father, Banasura, however, imprisoned Aniruddha, creating a battle between Krishna and Shiva. In the battle, Pradyumna defeated Shiva's sonKartikeya, who fled on his peacock. At the end of the war, Banasura lost, and Aniruddha and Usha were married.[19] Aniruddha is said to have been very much like his grandfatherKrishna, to the extent that some consider him to be ajana avatar, an avatar ofVishnu.Aniruddha's son wasVajra. Vajra was known to be an invincible warrior and was the only survivor of the Yadu Dynasty after the Yadus' battle. According to some sources, 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 aroundMathura so as to feel the presence of Krishna. It is said that Pradyumna and Arjuna were equivalent in their skills.
The Hindu version of the history of Pradyumna is mentioned inBhagavata Purana andHari Vamsa.
The Jain version of the story of Pradyumna is mentioned in thePradyumna-charitra (poem in 18 canons) ofRajchandra, written in 1878 AD.[20]
| Vyūhas | Image | Attributes | Symbol[24][25] | Direction | Face | Concept | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narayana Vishnu | Vāsudeva |  | Chakra Wheel Gadā Mace Shankha Conch | Garuda Eagle |  | East | Saumya (Placid/ benevolent) | .jpg) | Jṅāna Knowledge |
| Samkarsana |  | LāṅgalaPlough MusalaPestle Wine glass | Tala Fan palm |  | South | Simha Lion | .jpg) | Bala Strength | |
| Pradyumna | | Cāpa Bow Bāṇa Arrow | Makara Crocodile | | West | Raudra Kapila | _(cropped).jpg) | Aiśvaryā Sovereignty | |
| Aniruddha |  | Carma Shield Khaḍga Sword | Ṛṣya (ऋष्य) White-footed antelope | North | Varaha Boar | .jpg) | Śakti Power | ||
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