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- The Story of Sunda and Upasunda
- ===============================
- (Extract from 'The Mahabharata' of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1 "Adi-parva"
- Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text
- by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [1883-1896]
- ========================
- "The illustrious Narada, pronouncing various
- benedictions on her, commanded the princess to retire. After Krishna had
- retired, the illustrious Rishi, addressing in private all the Pandavas
- with Yudhishthira at their head, said, 'The renowned princess of Panchala
- is the wedded wife of you all. Establish a rule amongst yourselves so
- that disunion may not arise amongst you. There were, in former days,
- celebrated throughout the three worlds, two brothers named Sunda and
- Upasunda living together and incapable of being slain by anybody unless
- each slew the other. They ruled the same kingdom, lived in the same
- house, slept on the same bed, sat on the same seat, and ate from the same
- dish. And yet they killed each for the sake of Tilottama. Therefore, O
- Yudhishthira, preserve your friendship for one another and do that which
- may not produce disunion amongst you.'
- "On hearing this, Yudhishthira asked, 'O great Muni, whose sons were
- Asuras called Sunda and Upasunda? Whence arose that dissension amongst
- them, and why did they slay each other? Whose daughter also was this
- Tilottama for whose love the maddened brothers killed each other? Was she
- an Apsara (water nymph) or the daughter of any celestial? O thou whose
- wealth is asceticism, we desire, O Brahmana, to hear in detail everything
- as it happened. Indeed, our curiosity hath become great.'"
- "Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, Narada replied,
- 'O son of Pritha, listen with thy brothers to me as I recite this old
- story, O Yudhishthira, exactly as everything happened. In olden days, a
- mighty Daitya named Nikumbha, endued with great energy and strength was
- born in the race of the great Asura, Hiranyakasipu. Unto this Nikumbha,
- were born two sons called Sunda and Upasunda. Both of them were mighty
- Asuras endued with great energy and terrible prowess. The brothers were
- both fierce and possessed of wicked hearts. And those Daityas were both
- of the same resolution, and ever engaged in achieving the same tasks and
- ends. They were ever sharers with each other in happiness as well as in
- woe. Each speaking and doing what was agreeable to the other, the
- brothers never were unless they were together, and never went anywhere
- unless together. Of exactly the same disposition and habits, they seemed
- to be one individual divided into two parts. Endued with great energy and
- ever of the same resolution in everything they undertook, the brothers
- gradually grew up. Always entertaining the same purpose, desirous of
- subjugating the three worlds, the brothers, after due initiation, went to
- the mountains of Vindhya. And severe were the ascetic penances they
- performed there. Exhausted with hunger and thirst, with matted locks on
- their heads and attired in barks of trees, they acquired sufficient
- ascetic merit at length. Besmearing themselves with dirt from head to
- foot, living upon air alone, standing on their toes, they threw pieces of
- the flesh of their bodies into the fire. Their arms upraised, and eye
- fixed, long was the period for which they observed their vows. And during
- the course of their ascetic penances, a wonderful incident occurred
- there. For the mountains of Vindhya, heated for a long course of years by
- the power of their ascetic austerities, began to emit vapour from every
- part of their bodies. And beholding the severity of their austerities,
- the celestials became alarmed. The gods began to cause numerous
- obstructions to impede the progress of their asceticism. The celestials
- repeatedly tempted the brothers by means of every precious possession and
- the most beautiful girls. The brothers broke not their vows. Then the
- celestials once more manifested, before the illustrious brothers, their
- powers of illusion. For it seemed their sisters, mothers, wives, and
- other relatives, with disordered hair and ornaments and robes, were
- running towards them in terror, pursued and struck by a Rakshasa with a
- lance in hand. And it seemed that the women implored the help of the
- brothers crying, 'O save us!' But all this went for nothing, for firmly
- wedded thereto, the brothers did not still break their vows. And when it
- was found that all this produced not the slightest impression on any of
- the two, both the women and the Rakshasa vanished from sight. At last the
- Grandsire himself, the Supreme Lord ever seeking the welfare of all, came
- unto those great Asuras and asked them to solicit the boon they desired.
- Then the brothers Sunda and Upasunda, both of great prowess, beholding
- the Grandsire, rose from their seats and waited with joined palms. And
- the brothers both said unto the God, 'O Grandsire, if thou hast been
- pleased with these our ascetic austerities, and art, O lord, propitious
- unto us, then let us have knowledge of all weapons and of all powers of
- illusion. Let us be endued with great strength, and let us be able to
- assume any form at will. And last of all, let us also be immortal.'
- Hearing these words of theirs, Brahman said, 'Except the immortality you
- ask for, you shall be given all that you desire. Solicit you some form of
- death by which you may still be equal unto the immortals. And since you
- have undergone these severe ascetic austerities from desire of
- sovereignty alone I cannot confer on you the boon of immortality. You
- have performed your ascetic penances even for the subjugation of the
- three worlds. It is for this, O mighty Daityas, that I cannot grant you
- what you desire.'
- "Narada continued, 'Hearing these words of Brahman, Sunda and Upasunda
- said, 'O Grandsire, let us have no fear then from any created thing,
- mobile or immobile, in the three worlds, except only from each other!'
- The Grandsire then said, 'I grant you what you have asked for, even this
- your desire'. And granting them this boon, the Grandsire made them desist
- from their asceticism, and returned to his own region. Then the brothers,
- those mighty Daityas, having received those several boons became
- incapable of being slain by anybody in the universe. They then returned
- to their own abode. All their friends and relatives, beholding those
- Daityas of great intelligence, crowned with success in the matter of the
- boons they had obtained, became exceedingly glad. And Sunda and Upasunda
- then cut off their matted locks and wore coronets on their heads. Attired
- in costly robes and ornaments, they looked exceedingly handsome. They
- caused the moon to rise over their city every night even out of his
- season. And friends and relatives gave themselves up to joy and merriment
- with happy hearts. Eat, feed, give, make merry, sing, drink--these were
- the sounds heard everyday in every house. And here and there arose loud
- uproars of hilarity mixed with clappings of hands which filled the whole
- city of the Daityas, who being capable of assuming any form at will, were
- engaged in every kind of amusement and sport and scarcely noticed the
- flight of time, even regarding a whole year as a single day.'"
- 'Narada continued, 'As soon as those festivities came to an end, the
- brothers Sunda and Upasunda, desirous of the Sovereignty of the three
- worlds, took counsel and commanded their forces to be arranged. Obtaining
- the assent of their friends and relatives, of the elders of the Daitya
- race and of their ministers of state, and performing the preliminary
- rites of departure, they set out in the night when the constellation
- Magha was in the ascendant. The brothers set out with a large Daitya
- force clad in mail and armed with maces and axes and lances and clubs.
- The Daitya heroes set out on their expedition with joyous hearts, the
- charanas (bards) chanting auspicious panegyrics indicative of their
- future triumphs. Furious in war, the Daitya brothers, capable of going
- everywhere at will, ascended the skies and went to the region of the
- celestials. The celestials knowing they were coming and acquainted also
- with the boons granted unto them by the Supreme Deity left heaven and
- sought refuge in the region of Brahman. Endued with fierce prowess, the
- Daitya heroes soon subjugated the region of Indra, and vanquishing the
- diverse tribes of Yakshas and Rakshasas and every creature ranging the
- skies, came away. Those mighty car-warriors next subjugated the Nagas of
- the nether region, and then the inmates of the ocean and then all the
- tribes of the Mlechchhas. Desirous next of subjugating the whole earth,
- those heroes of irresistible sway, summoning their soldiers, issued these
- cruel commands, 'Brahmanas and royal sages (on earth) with their
- libations and other food offered at grand sacrifices, increase the energy
- and strength of the gods, as also their prosperity. Engaged in such acts,
- they are the enemies of the Asuras. All of us, therefore, mustering
- together should completely slaughter them off the face of the earth!'
- Ordering their soldiers thus on the eastern shore of the great ocean, and
- entertaining such a cruel resolution, the Asura brothers set out in all
- directions. And those that were performing sacrifices and the Brahmanas
- that were assisting at those sacrifices, the mighty brothers instantly
- slew. And slaughtering them with violence they departed for some other
- place. Whilst their soldiers threw into the water the sacrificial fires
- that were in the asylums of Munis with souls under complete control, the
- curses uttered by the illustrious Rishis in wrath, rendered abortive by
- the boons granted (by Brahman), affected not the Asura brothers. When the
- Brahmanas saw that their curses produced not the slightest effect like
- shafts shot at stones they fled in all directions, forsaking their rites
- and vows. Even those Rishis on earth that were crowned with ascetic
- success, and had their passions under complete control and were wholly
- engrossed in meditation of the Deity, from fear of the Asura brothers,
- fled like snakes at the approach of Vinata's son (Garuda the
- snake-eater). The sacred asylums were all trodden down and broken. The
- sacrificial jars and vessels being broken, their (sacred) contents were
- scattered over the ground. The whole universe became empty, as if its
- creatures had all been stricken down during the season of general
- dissolution. And, O king, after the Rishis had all disappeared and made
- themselves invisible both the great Asuras, resolved upon their
- destruction, began to assume various forms. Assuming the forms of
- maddened elephants with temples rent from excess of juice, the Asura
- pair, searching out the Rishis who had sheltered themselves in caves,
- sent them to the region of Yama. Sometimes becoming as lions and again as
- tigers and disappearing the next moment, by these and other methods the
- cruel couple, seeing the Rishis, slew them instantly. Sacrifice and study
- ceased, and kings and Brahmanas were exterminated. The earth became
- utterly destitute of sacrifices and festivals. And the terrified people
- uttered cries of Oh and Alas and all buying and selling were stopped. All
- religious rites ceased, and the earth became destitute of sacred
- ceremonies and marriages. Agriculture was neglected and cattle were no
- longer tended. Towns and asylums became desolate. And scattered over with
- bones and skeletons, the earth assumed a frightful aspect. All ceremonies
- in honour of the Pitris were suspended, and the sacred sound of Vashat
- and the whole circle of auspicious rites ceased. The earth became
- frightful to behold. The Sun and the Moon, the Planets and Stars, and
- Constellations, and the other dwellers in the firmament, witnessing these
- acts of Sunda and Upasunda, grieved deeply. Subjugating all the points of
- heaven by means of such cruel acts, the Asura brothers took up their
- abode in Kurukshetra, without a single rival.'"
- "Narada continued, 'Then the celestial Rishis, the Siddhas, and the
- high-souled Rishis possessing the attributes of tranquillity and
- self-restraint, beholding that act of universal slaughter, were afflicted
- with great grief. With passions and senses and souls under complete
- control, they then went to the abode of the Grandsire, moved by
- compassion for the universe. Arrived there, they beheld the Grandsire
- seated with gods, Siddhas, and Brahmarshis around him. There were present
- that God of gods, viz., Mahadeva, and Agni, accompanied by Vayu, and Soma
- and Surya and Sakra, and Rishis devoted to the contemplation of Brahma,
- and the Vaikhanasas, the Valakhilyas, the Vanaprasthas, the Marichipas,
- the Ajas, the Avimudas, and other ascetics of great energy. All those
- Rishis were sitting with the Grandsire, when the celestial and other
- Rishis, approaching Brahman with sorrowful hearts, represented unto him
- all the acts of Sunda and Upasunda. And they told the Grandsire in detail
- everything that the Asura brothers had done, and how they had done it,
- and in what order. Then all the celestials and the great Rishis pressed
- the matter before the Grandsire. The Grandsire, hearing everything they
- said, reflected for a moment and settled in his mind what he should do.
- Resolving to compass the destruction of the Asura brothers, he summoned
- Viswakarman (the celestial architect). Seeing Viswakarman before him, the
- Grandsire possessed of supreme ascetic merit commanded him, saying,
- 'Create thou a damsel capable of captivating all hearts.' Bowing down
- unto the Grandsire and receiving his command with reverence, the great
- artificer of the universe created a celestial maiden with careful
- attention. Viswakrit first collected all handsome features upon the body
- of the damsel he created. Indeed, the celestial maiden that he created
- was almost a mass of gems. And created with great care by Viswakarman,
- the damsel, in beauty, became unrivalled among the women of the three
- worlds. There was not even a minute part of her body which by its wealth
- of beauty could not attract the gaze of beholders. And like unto the
- embodied Sri herself, that damsel of extraordinary beauty captivated the
- eyes and hearts of every creature. And because she had been created with
- portions of every gem taken in minute measures, the Grandsire bestowed
- upon her the name of Tilottama. And as soon as he started it into life,
- the damsel bowed to Brahman and with joined palms said, 'Lord of every
- created thing, what task am I to accomplish and what have I been created
- for?' The Grandsire answered, 'Go, O Tilottama, unto the Asuras, Sunda
- and Upasunda. O amiable one, tempt them with thy captivating beauty. And,
- O damsel, conduct thyself there in such a way that the Asura brothers
- may, in consequence of the wealth of thy beauty, quarrel with each other
- as soon as they cast their eyes upon thee.'
- "Narada continued, 'Bowing unto the Grandsire and saying, 'So be
- it,'--the damsel walked round the celestial conclave. The illustrious
- Brahman was then sitting with face turned eastwards, and Mahadeva with
- face also towards the east, and all the celestials with faces northwards,
- and the Rishis with faces towards all directions. While Tilottama walked
- round the conclave of the celestials, Indra and the illustrious Sthanu
- (Mahadeva) were the only ones that succeeded in preserving their
- tranquillity of mind. But exceedingly desirous as Mahadeva was (of
- beholding Tilottama) when the damsel (in her progress round the celestial
- conclave) was at his side, another face like a full-blown lotus appeared
- on the southern side of his body. And when she was behind him, another
- face appeared on the west. And when the damsel was on the northern side
- of the great god, a fourth face appeared on the northern side of his
- body. Mahadeva (who was eager to behold the damsel) came also to have a
- thousand eyes, each large and slightly reddish, before, behind and on his
- flanks. And it was thus that Sthanu the great god came to have four
- faces, and the slayer of Vala, a thousand eyes. And as regards the mass
- of the celestials and the Rishis, they turned their faces towards all
- directions as Tilottama walked round them. Except the divine Grandsire
- himself, the glances of those illustrious personages, even of all of them
- fell upon Tilottama's body. And when Tilottama set out (for the city of
- the Asuras) with the wealth of her beauty, all regarded the task as
- already accomplished. After Tilottama had gone away, the great god who
- was the First Cause of the Universe, dismissed all the celestials and the
- Rishis.'"
- "Narada continued, 'Meanwhile the Asura brothers having subjugated the
- earth were without a rival. The fatigue of exertion gone, they, having
- brought the three worlds under equal sway, regarded themselves as persons
- that had nothing more to do. Having brought all the treasures of the
- gods, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Nagas, the Rakshasas, and the
- kings of the earth, the brothers began to pass their days in great
- happiness. When they saw they had no rivals (in the three worlds), they
- gave up all exertion and devoted their time to pleasure and merriment,
- like the celestials. They experienced great happiness by giving
- themselves up to every kind of enjoyment, such as women, and perfumes and
- floral wreaths and viands, and drinks and many other agreeable objects
- all in profusion. In houses and woods and gardens, on hills and in
- forests, wherever they liked they passed their time in pleasure and
- amusement, like the immortals. And it so happened that one day they went
- for purposes of pleasure to a tableland of the Vindhya range, perfectly
- level and stony, and overgrown with blossoming trees. After every object
- of desire, all of the most agreeable kind, had been brought, the brothers
- sat on an excellent seat, with happy hearts and accompanied by handsome
- women. And those damsels, desirous of pleasing the brothers, commenced a
- dance in accompaniment to music, and sweetly chanted many a song in
- praise of the mighty pair.'
- "Meanwhile Tilottama attired in a single piece of red silk that exposed
- all her charms, came along, plucking wild flowers on her way. She
- advanced slowly to where those mighty Asuras were. The Asura brothers,
- intoxicated with the large portions they had imbibed, were smitten upon
- beholding that maiden of transcendent beauty. Leaving their seats they
- went quickly to where the damsel was. Both of them being under the
- influence of lust, each sought the maiden for himself. And Sunda seized
- that maid of fair brows by her right hand. Intoxicated with the boons
- they had obtained, with physical might, with the wealth and gems they had
- gathered from every quarter, and with the wine they had drunk, maddened
- with all these, and influenced by wishful desire, they addressed each
- other, each contracting his bow in anger, 'She is my wife, and therefore
- your superior,' said Sunda. 'She is my wife, and therefore your
- sister-in-law', replied Upasunda. And they said unto each other, 'She is
- mine not yours.' And soon they were under the influence of rage. Maddened
- by the beauty of the damsel, they soon forgot their love and affection
- for each other. Both of them, deprived of reason by passion, then took up
- their fierce maces. Each repeating, I was the first, I was the first,'
- (in taking her hand) struck the other. And the fierce Asuras, struck by
- each other with the mace, fell down upon the ground, their bodies bathed
- in blood, like two suns dislodged from the firmament. And beholding this,
- the women that had come there, and the other Asuras there present, all
- fled away trembling in grief and fear, and took refuge in the nether
- regions. The Grandsire himself of pure soul, then came there, accompanied
- by the celestials, and the great Rishis. And the illustrious Grandsire
- applauded Tilottama and expressed his wish of granting her a boon. The
- Supreme Deity, before Tilottama spoke, desirous of granting her a boon,
- cheerfully said, 'O beautiful damsel, thou shalt roam in the region of
- the Adityas. Thy splendour shall be so great that nobody will ever be
- able to look at thee for any length of time!' The Grandsire of all
- creatures, granting this boon unto her, establishing the three worlds in
- Indra as before, returned to his own region.'
- "Narada continued, 'It was thus that Asuras, ever united and inspired by
- the same purpose slew each other in wrath for the sake of Tilottama.
- Therefore, from affection I tell you, ye foremost ones of Bharata's line,
- that if you desire to do anything agreeable to me, make some such
- arrangements that you may not quarrel with one another for the sake of
- Draupadi.'
- ==========================
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