42. Tilottama

Sunda and Upasaunda were the sons of the mighty Daitya (a clan of the Asuras or demons) Nikumbha, a descendant of Hiranyakasipu. Both of them were endowed with a lot of energy and strength. They were wicked and were obsessed with the same things.

They were always together and each said and did only things that were agreeable to the other. They were like one person living in two bodies.

They had a desire to bring the three worlds under their control. They went to the Vindhya mountains and took up an austere penance. Attired in tree barks, they became exhausted with hunger and thirst. They acquired some ascetic merit after a while. They then intensified their penance by throwing pieces of their flesh into the fire as offerings to the gods.

The Vindhya mountains, heated by the power of their austere penance for a long time, began to emit vapour from different parts of their bodies. The celestials were alarmed by the severity of their penance. They tried to disrupt their penance by tempting the brothers with precious possessions and beautiful girls. However, the brothers were firm in persisting with their penance.

The celestials then used their power of creating illusions by making it appear that the  mothers, sisters, wives and other relatives of Sunda and Upasunda were running towards them in panic, after being pursued by a Rakshasa, carrying a sword in his hand. The women cried and appealed to the brothers to save them. But the brothers were unperturbed by these illusions too.

Pleased by their penance, Brahma appeared before the brothers and offered to grant them any boon they would seek. Sunda and Upasaunda, paid obeisance to Brahma and asked him, “Oh, lord, grant us great physical strength, knowledge of all weapons, powers of illusion, and the power to assume any form at will. Also grant us immortality.”

Brahma said, “I will grant you everything you sought except immortality. Since you have taken up this penance with a selfish intent of conquering the three worlds, I cannot confer immortality on you. But you can choose how you want to die.”

Sunda and Upasunda said, “Oh, lord, we should be incapable of being killed by anyone or anything in this universe except by each other!”

Brahma granted them what they asked for and vanished, after advising them to give up their penance and return to their normal life.

The brothers then returned to their kingdom. Their friends and relatives were gladdened by the boons obtained by the duo. Using their powers, the brother made the moon rise over their city every night, even during the waning phase of the moon. The citizens of the kingdom lived in joy. The brothers, using their power to assume any form, engaged themselves in every kind of amusement.

After enjoying themselves for a while, the brothers decided to pursue their desire to conquer the three worlds.

They first went to the celestial world and conquered the Devas, the Yakshas and other celestial tribes. The celestials left their abodes and sought refuge in the region of Brahma.

After conquering the Devaloka (the celestial world), Sunda and Upasaunda, invaded the netherlands, the land of the Nagas and conquered it also.

Seized by a desire to conquer the rest of the world also, the brothers summoned the soldiers and told them, “Brahmins and royal sages increase the strength and prosperity of the celestials through their offerings in rites and sacrifices. Therefore, they are the enemies of the Asuras. So, we should slaughter them and obliterate them from the face of the earth.”

Accordingly, the brothers and their army set out in different directions and began to kill people performing sacrifices and the Brahmins assisting them. They also quelled the sacrificial fires by pouring water on them.

The Brahmins, angered by the atrocities committed by the brothers cursed them. But when they found that the curses uttered by them  had no effect because of the boons obtained by the brothers, the Brahmins began to flee. Even sages with great ascetic powers fled like snakes pursued by the Garuda.

The brothers assumed the form of mad elephants and began to pursue the sages who had hidden themselves in caves and other places. The brothers pulled them out and sent them to the region of Yama. Assuming the forms of lions and tigers one moment and then disappearing the next moment, they scared the sages, sought them out and killed them.

Sacrifices, religious rites, festivities and studies ceased. Buying and selling activities also stopped. Agriculture was neglected and cattle were no longer tended. Towns and asylums became desolate.

Bones and skeletons were scattered all over earth. 

The earth presented a frightful appearance. The Sun, the Moon, the Planets, the stars, the Constellations, and the other dwellers in the firmament, witnessing these acts of Sunda and Upasunda, grieved deeply. After subjugating all the points of heaven through such cruel acts, the Asura brothers took up their abode in Kurukshetra.

The celestial sages, the Siddhas and other ascetics possessing the attributes of tranquility and self-restraint, moved by the plight of the universe, went to Brahma. The found that Brahma was sitting with the Devas, the Siddhas, Lord Siva, Agni, Vayu, Soma, Surya, Sakra, the Vaikhanasas, the Valakhilyas, the Vanaprasthas, the Marichipas, the Ajas, the Avimudas, and other ascetics of great energy.

The celestial sages and others represented to Brahma about the misdeeds of the Asura brothers. After listening to them, Brahma contemplated for a moment. He then summoned the celestial architect Viswakarma.

When Viswakarma appeared before him, Brahma asked him to create a woman with captivating beauty. Viswakarma created a celestial woman of extraordinary beauty. She was a mass of gems, with a beauty unrivaled by the women of the three worlds. Since she was created with minute quantities of every gem, Brahma gave her the name Tilottama (meaning, minute particles of the best.)

Brahma told her “Oh, Tilottama, go to the Asuras, Sunda and Upasunda, tempt them with your captivating beauty and conduct yourself in such a way that they will quarrel between themselves about who should possess you.”

When Tilottama walked around the conclave, all those assembled there, facing different directions, turned their faces to have a glimpse of her beauty, Indra and Siva, being the only exceptions.

When Tlottama came by the side of Siva, a face appeared on the southern side of his Siva’s body, because of his desire to look at her. When she was behind him, a face appeared on the southern side of his body. When she was to his north, a face appeared on the northern side of his body. A face appeared on his west when she was to his west. This is how Siva came to have four faces.

A thousand large, reddish eyes appeared on Indra’s body on all his sides because he wanted to look at Tilottama continuously. The glances of all of those assembled there except Brahma’s fell on Tilottama’s body. 

When Tilottama left in pursuit of her task, all of them were convinced that the task was accomplished already.

The Asura brothers, having conquered the three worlds, had nothing more to do. They were living in happiness, enjoying themselves in all possible ways.

One day, the brothers were in the Vindhyas, sitting at a place and witnessing the dances of some handsome women. At that time, Tilottama, attired in a single piece of red silk that exposed all her charm came along, plucking wild flowers on her way. The brothers were stunned by her extraordinary beauty. They left their seats and went to her. Each of the two sought the girl for himself.

Sunda seized the girl by her right hand. He told his brother “She is my wife and you have to respect her.”

Upasunda responded saying, ”She is my wife and therefore your sister-in-law.”

Each of them repeatedly said, “She is mine, not yours.” Each claimed that he was the first to sight her.

Soon, they started attacking each other with their maces. Eventually, both of them fell on the ground, their bodies bathed in blood, like two suns dislodged from the firmament.

Shocked by this, the women who had come there to dance and the other Asuras, fled the site. Trembling in grief and fear, they took refuge in the nether regions. 

Brahma came there along with the celestials. He applauded Tilottama for her feat and granted her a boon that nobody would be able to look at her for a long time. He restored the three worlds to Indra and then returned to his abode.

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