Anirudh

Anirudh is the grandson of Lord Krishna and the son of Pradyumna, whose romantic entanglement with the princess Usha sets the entire narrative of *Okhaharan* in motion. In Premanand's telling, Anirudh appears to Usha in a dream, and this vision of the handsome young hero so captivates her that she is consumed by longing. When her devoted companion Chitralekha uses her magical powers to identify and then abduct the sleeping Anirudh from Dwarka, he awakens to find himself in the palace of Banasur, Usha's formidable demon king father — a situation that blends wonder, humor, and tenderness in the way Premanand handles so masterfully.

Throughout the poem, Anirudh embodies the ideal of youthful valor and grace. He is brave yet vulnerable, a worthy grandson of Krishna, and his captivity in Shonitpur becomes the catalyst for the epic confrontation between Banasur and the Yadava clan. Premanand portrays him with warmth and humanity, making him not merely a divine figure but a relatable young man caught between love and duty, whose story resonates deeply within the devotional and literary tradition of medieval Gujarati poetry.