Vrishabhanu
{{Short description|Father of Hindu goddess Radha}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| spouse = Kirtida
| children = Radha
| father = Surabhānu{{sfn|Entwistle|1987|p=50}}
| texts = Padma Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Garga Samhita
| gender = Male
| region = Vraja
| dynasty = Yaduvamsha-Chandravamsha
}}
Vrishabhanu ({{langx|sa|वृषभानु}}; IAST: {{IAST|Vṛṣbhānu}}), also spelled as Brushabhanu, is a Yadava chieftain featured in Hindu scriptures.{{cite book|author=Trilochan Dash|title=Krishna Leeela in Brajamandal a Retrospect|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7YjhTtkcwE0C&dq=Brushabhanu%20yadava%20chieftain&pg=PA192|publisher=Soudamini Dash|pages=192–|id=GGKEY:N5C1YTUK5T3}}{{cite book|author=R. K. Das|title=Temples of Vrindaban|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXXXAAAAMAAJ&q=vrishabhanu+yadava|year=1990|publisher=Sandeep Prakashan|isbn=978-81-85067-47-6}}{{cite book|title=The Vedanta Kesari|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NbDWAAAAMAAJ&q=vrishabhanu+yadava|year=1970|publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math.}} He is described as the father of the goddess Radha, who is the chief consort of god Krishna and also regarded as the incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi in Dvapara Yuga.{{cite book|author=Prakashanand Saraswati|title=The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IhLN2I9yTTkC&dq=vrishbhanu%20barsana&pg=PA666|year=2001|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-1789-0|pages=666–}}{{cite book|author=Pavan K. Varma|title=The Book of Krishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_anlsbp56aoC&pg=PA46|date=July 2009|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-306763-4|pages=46–}}
According to the Padma Purana, Vrishbhanu was the chief of Barsana, and the owner of 10 lakh cows. In his previous birth as King Suchandra, Vrishabhanu is stated to have received a divine boon from Brahma to become the father of goddess Lakshmi in the Dvapara Yuga.{{cite book |author=Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJ3JDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1472 |title=Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: The Song of Love |date=12 January 2017 |publisher=Bhakti Marga Publications |isbn=978-3-940381-70-5 |pages=1472–}}{{cite book|author=Anu Julka|title=SHRINATH JI|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K5LMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|date=8 October 2014|publisher=PartridgeIndia|isbn=978-1-4828-2286-1|pages=23–}}
Legend
= Boon =
In his previous birth, Vrishbhanu was named as Suchandra and was married to Kalavati, the grand-daughter of Daksha Prajapati. After enjoying conjugal relations with Kalavati for a long time, Suchandra retired from his family life and went to the ashrama of sage Agastya. When Kalavati started crying because of being abandoned by her husband, Brahma granted a boon to her that she would reborn with her husband in her next life, and that both of them would be blessed with goddess Lakshmi (Radha) as their daughter.{{cite book |author=Surya N. Maruvada |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nrvTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT528 |title=Who is Who in Hindu Mythology - VOL 1: A Comprehensive Collection of Stories from the Puranas |date=2 March 2020 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64805-684-0 |pages=528–}}{{Cite book |last=Gita Press Gorakhpur |url=http://archive.org/details/garga-samhita-gita-press-gorakhpur |title=Garga Samhita Gita Press Gorakhpur |pages=35-37}}
= Father of Radha =
As per the boon of Brahma, King Suchandra was reborn in the Dvapara Yuga as King Vrishbhanu in the land of Vraja. He married Kirtida (The rebirth of Kalavati), and goddess Lakshmi (Radha) was born as their daughter.{{cite book|author1=June McDaniel|author2=Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies June McDaniel|title=Making Virtuous Daughters and Wives: An Introduction to Women's Brata Rituals in Bengali Folk Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tGNUbHRGpMUC&dq=brishabhanu&pg=PA89|date=1 January 2003|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-5565-4|pages=89–}}{{cite book|author1=Namita Gokhale|author2=Malashri Lal|title=Finding Radha: The Quest for Love|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KWJ7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT14|date=10 December 2018|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5305-361-1|pages=14–}}
According to a different legend, the birth story of Radha is similar to Sita, who was also an avatar of Lakshmi.{{cite book|author=Swami Mukundananda|title=Festivals of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RYUaBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA76|date=4 January 2015|publisher=Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog|pages=76–|id=GGKEY:NQPDB6TQQBK}} When King Vrishbhanu went to take a bath in a pond, he saw a baby girl on a lotus flower in the pond, and took her to his home. The baby girl was named as Radha, and was accepted as the daughter of Vrishbhanu and Kirtida.{{cite book|author=Steven Rosen|title=The Agni and the Ecstasy: Collected Essays of Steven J. Rosen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fYjX7W6SCLMC&dq=kirtida&pg=PA160|year=2012|publisher=Arktos|isbn=978-1-907166-79-2|pages=160–}}{{cite book|author=Dev Prasad|title=Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0_5caqiUH0C&dq=lotus%20vrishabhanu&pg=PT61|date=27 January 2015|publisher=Jaico Publishing House|isbn=978-81-8495-170-7|pages=61–}}