Harana (elopement)
Sanskrit term for seizure or elopement in Hindu tradition.
Harana (Sanskrit: हरण, romanized: Haraṇa) translates literally as "seizure" and is commonly used to refer to elopement. In Hindu literature, elopement appears frequently, with characters either choosing to run away together before marriage or being abducted against their will. Historically, harana featured in two types of Hindu marriage: gandharva marriage, where a couple eloped without rituals or parental approval, and rakshasa marriage, where a man abducted a woman after killing her relatives, after which she agreed to marry him.
The Mahabharata and later texts like the Bhagavata Purana recount the Subhadra harana, the elopement of Arjuna and Subhadra. Subhadra was the sister of Balarama and Krishna, and Duryodhana had proposed to her, but no marriage was arranged or fixed by Balarama. Arjuna became infatuated with her, and realizing her feelings were mutual, he took her away on his chariot and married her.
The Rukmini harana, the legend of Rukmini’s elopement with Krishna, is the subject of many plays and texts in various Indian languages. In the Bhagavata Purana, Rukmini sent a letter via a Brahmin messenger, begging Krishna to rescue her from her impending marriage to Shishupala. Krishna abducted her before her svayamvara ceremony could take place and made her his chief consort.
The abduction of Sita, Rama’s consort, by Ravana is a major plot point in the Ramayana. Ravana sent the rakshasa Maricha, who transformed into a golden deer in the forest where Rama and Sita lived in exile. While Rama chased the deer at Sita’s request, Ravana seized Sita and took her to Lanka.
The Draupadi harana, from the Mahabharata, describes the abduction of Draupadi by Jayadratha in the Kamyaka forest. Struck by her beauty outside the Pandavas’ hermitage, Jayadratha asked her to leave her husbands for him. When she refused, he forcibly carried her off on his chariot.
The parijata harana episode, from the Bhagavata Purana, tells how Krishna and his wife Satyabhama captured the parijata tree from Indra and the dikpalas.
- Field
- Hindu literature and marriage customs
- Known for
- Term for elopement in Hindu texts, featured in narratives such as Subhadra harana, Rukmini harana, Sita harana, Draupadi harana, and Parijata harana
Lore & Background
The Mahabharata, and later texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, include the narrative of the Subhadra harana, the elopement of Arjuna and Subhadra. Subhadra was the sister of Balarama and Krishna, and Duryodhana had proposed to her, but no marriage was arranged or fixed by Balarama. Arjuna grows infatuated by Subhadra. After he realises that she returned his feelings, he carries her away on his chariot and weds her. The legend of Rukmini's elopement with Krishna is called the Rukmini harana, the subject of many plays and texts composed in several Indian languages. In this legend from the Bhagavata Purana, Rukmini sends a letter to Krishna with a Brahmin messenger, beseeching the deity to save her from her marriage to Shishupala. Krishna elopes with the princess before her svayamvara ceremony can take place, making her his chief consort.
Reader's Guide
The abduction of Sita, the consort of Rama, by Ravana, is a major plot in the Ramayana. In the epic, Ravana sends a rakshasa called Maricha to take the form of a golden deer to the forest where Rama and Sita stayed in exile. While Rama attempts to capture the deer at his wife's insistence, Ravana abducts Sita and takes her to Lanka. The abduction of Draupadi by Jayadratha in the Mahabharata is called the Draupadi harana, set in the forest of Kamyaka. Besotted with Draupadi after observing her beauty outside the hermitage of the Pandavas, he asks her to abandon her husbands and marry him instead. When she refuses his advances, he forcibly carries her away on his chariot. The episode of parijata harana details the story of Krishna and his wife Satyabhama capturing the parijata tree from Indra and the dikpalas, featured in the Bhagavata Purana.
Did You Know?
- Harana is a Sanskrit term literally meaning seizure, commonly used to denote elopement.
- In historical Hindu marriage, harana was present in gandharva marriage (elopement without rituals or parental consent) and rakshasa marriage (forcible abduction after killing kin).
- The Subhadra harana involves Arjuna carrying Subhadra away on his chariot after realizing she returned his feelings.
- The Rukmini harana features Krishna eloping with Rukmini during her svayamvara ceremony after she sent him a letter via a Brahmin messenger.
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