Mahabharata - Story of Tilottama

Sunda and Upasunda - Story of Tilottama

Once there existed two demon (dvaitya/asura) brothers who were sons of Asura king Nikumbha, in the dynasty of Hiranyakashipu. The two brothers had much affection for each other. Both of them were very powerful Asuras and had almost the same propensities. They performed all tasks together and could not live without each other. They shared all joys and sorrows. After they had grown up, they had the same desire of subjugating the three worlds and become very powerful and immortal. They therefore started severe ascetic penances on the Vindhya mountain. The heat resulting from their penances created vapours to come out of the mountains. They remained with matted locks and ever engaged in the cruelest forms of ascetic practices like living on air alone, standing on the toes, putting their fleshes on fire and thereby mortifying their bodies etc. The celestials became alarmed by the intensity of the practice and tried to put up many obstacles and temptations on their path, but the brothers were unmoved. Beautiful damsels were sent to break their vows but they failed. The gods created illusions like that of destruction of their sisters, wives and other family members who were crying for help. But even such illusions did not deter the brothers who rigidly continued with their practices.

Atlast, the grandfather Brahma, being satisfied with the penances, came to the brothers to grant them their cherished boons. The brothers reverentially bowed before Brahma and the latter asked them for their desires, so as to grant them boons. The wicked Daityas asked for all the power in the three worlds and also for immortality. However Brahma told them that they could not get immotrality as they had performed the penances out of desire for material prosperity. Therefore the brothers would have to devise a way by which they could be killed. The brothers, knowing their love for each other, then solicited the boon that only one brother would be able to kill the other brother and no other person in the three worlds would be able to kill or conquer them. Brahma agreed and the brothers came back joyfully to their kingdom. They then assumed their original features and began enjoying their newfound powers. All the asuras made merry and they drank and feasted. They ate to their heart's content, sang, danced, drank to their fill, gave away wealth in charity and kept themselves busy in various amusements and entertainments. After some times, the two brothers decided to test their newly obtained powers by conquering the three worlds. They held a council of wise ministers, took permission from the elders and prepared a huge army for their conquests. The daityas were armed with maces and lances and spears and clubs and set out on their expedition with joyous hearts. After subjugating the earth, they set their eyes for the heaven. The celestials, who were aware of the boon of Brahma, had vacated Amravati, the grand palace of Indra, and had fled, being terrified of the power of the Asuras. The Asuras then conquered the guhyaks, i.e. yakhsas and rakhsas, who tried to hinder them and triumphantly subjugated the netherlands of the Nagas. Thus they became the Lord of the three worlds. With that they got plenty of jewels and other riches. The two brothers enjoyed the supreme power and the Asuras started making merry. Their next target of attack were the rishis or the Brahmins, the sages who followed Vedic instructions and performed rituals and oblations. The Asuras massacred the rishis in order to stop them offering oblations to the gods. All the Brahmins were terrorized and nobody could save them. Their curses were of no avail owing to the boon from Brahma. Earth became devoid of all religious sacrifices and became forlorn and desolate. Kshatriyas too were exterminated and no sacred ceremonies could take place in absence of the Brahmins. Agriculture, cattle rearing, buying and selling were affected and towns and cities were deserted. Pitrs no longer got their dues and suffered. The celestial beings in the firmament saw the condition of the earth under the Asuras and grieved deeply. The Asura brothers had taken up their place of dewelling at Kurukshetra and from there they governed the entire universe.

At last, the celestial sages, who had become extremely sad, could no longer bear the affairs, and went to grandsire Brahma urging him to do something to stop the Asuras from destroying the world order. Brahma was surrounded by other celestials who had escaped the reign of the Asuras, Gods like Mahadeva, Vayu, Agni, Soma, Surya, Sakra or Indra himself, and also ascetics and sages like Valkhilyas, Siddhas and other Brahmarshis.  All of them made a representation to Brahma of the terrible acts of the Asuras.

Brahma was thoughtful. He conceived an idea for the destruction of the Asura brothers, without breaking his own promise. He called Viswakarma, the celestial architect and asked him to prepare such a beautiful damsel as has never been seen anywhere, nor heard, nor conceived before. Viswakarma therefore gathered all the best things of the nature - the fragrance of the flowers, the serene beauty of the twilight, the dazzling effect of the best of the gems, the wonderful tranquility of the rays of the moon, the softness of the wings of the butterflies, the freshness of the dawn, the passion of the river, the youth of the spring,  and so on. The result was a beauty which was simply beyond comparison, which nobody had seen before and nobody would seen ever again. Because she was the best creation formed from the minutest measures of the best aspects of the Nature, Brahma named her Tilottama (Til- minutest measure and Uttama - grandest, best). The best of the beauties then reverentially saluted the Lord creator and asked the grandsire as to whay she could do for the august assembly. Brahma asked her to go to the Asura brothers and captivate their imagination in such fashion so that they begin to quarrel with each other over her. Tilottama agreed and took her leave. As she was leaving the Brahmaloka, the entire assembly was awestruck by her beauty. Only Indra and Mahadeva could retain their composure among the all present. Even then, Mahadeva of restrained senses developed a head in every direction, four heads in four direction and a fifth, his original, to see her from all directions simultaneously. Henceforth he came to be known as Panchanana, the five headed. Indra developed thousand eyes as one pair of eyes were not sufficient to behold that beauty.

The Asura brothers, who had conquered the world were without a rival. They devoted their time to seeking pleasure and enjoyments as they had no other activities left, having vanquished all their enemies and becoming the master of all treasures. They spent their time in pursuing dance, songs, and other entertainments in the company of the beauties of the three worlds. One day they had come to the Vindhya mountains and were enjoying as usual when Tilottama came there, as if while wandering. By seeing her incomparable beauty both the brothers were maddened with desire. They ran after her and each of them caught hold of one of her hands and cried out, "this is mine, my wife." Sunda told Upasunda that it did not fit him to claim one who was superior to him on account of being elder brother's wife. Upasunda strongly rebuked his brother saying that he should not set his eyes upon his sister in law. The two brothers became enraged and started fighting with each other. Out of the lust, they forgot everything, even their love for each other, and charged at each other with tremendous roar. Both of them then hit each other on the head with their maces with an intention to kill and died as a result of Brahma's boon. The Asuras, who saw the two brothers getting killed, fled for their lives and the celestials soon overpowered them now that they were no longer under the protection of the powerful brothers. Thus the three worlds were restored and order was reestablished.

Brahma with the celestials and rishis came to the place where the brothers had met Tilottama. Brahma was greatly pleased with Tilottama on account of her great courage and her accomplishment of the given task. He therefore gave her a boon confering her the position in the realm of the Adityas where she will be so bright that noody would be able to gaze her for a long period of time.