Sunda and Upasunda Kill Each Other Over Tilottama
Sunda and Upasunda, invincible asura brothers, conquer the three worlds and indulge in every pleasure. Their perfect unity shatters in an instant when they both desire the apsara Tilottama, leading to a fatal clash that returns the universe to order.
Sunda and Upasunda were asura (demon) brothers, united and invincible. Together, they conquered the earth and subjugated the three worlds. They robbed the gods, gandharvas, yakshas, nagas, kings, and rakshasas of all their gems. Seeing not a single rival left, they were supremely content. Like the immortals, they gave up all endeavors and spent their time in pleasures — women, garlands, fragrances, food, delicacies, and drink in copious quantities. They sported in their inner quarters, gardens, mountains, and groves, wherever their fancy took them.
One day, they went to a rocky plain on the Vindhya Mountains, dense with shala trees crested with blossoms. Every divine object of desire was brought. The two contentedly sat on supreme seats, beautiful women around them. To please the brothers, the women danced to music and delighted them with songs sung in their praise.
Then Tilottama appeared.
The apsara (celestial dancer) was plucking flowers in the forest. She was dressed in a single, very seductive red garment. Gathering karnikara flowers along the riverbank, she slowly approached the place where the two great asuras sat.
They had drunk the best wine. Their eyes were red. On seeing the one with the beautiful hips, they were struck by desire. They instantly left their seats and went to her. Filled with desire, they both asked for her favors. Sunda grasped her right hand. Upasunda grasped her left.
They were intoxicated — by the boon they had received, by their physical strength, by their riches and gems, and by the wine. Intoxicated with this madness and with the madness of desire, they contracted their brows and spoke to each other.
"She is my wife and your superior," said Sunda.
"She is my wife and your sister-in-law," replied Upasunda.
In their anger, they shouted at each other, "She is mine, not yours!" Overcome by desire for her, they grasped their terrible clubs. Uttering the words, "I was the first!" they attacked each other.
Struck by those terrible clubs, both fell down on the ground. With blood streaming from their bodies, they looked like two suns dislodged from the sky.
The women and the masses of daitya followers fled. Miserable and shuddering with fright, all of them took refuge in the nether regions.
Then the pure-souled grandfather, Brahma, arrived with the gods and the great sages. He praised Tilottama. Pleased, Brahma granted her a boon: "O fortunate one! You will roam in the world of the adityas (solar deities). Your energy will be so great that no one will be able to look at you for a long time."
Having granted this boon to her, the grandfather of all the worlds reinstated Indra as ruler of the three worlds. The illustrious one then departed for Brahma's world. The brothers who had been inseparable, united in every objective, lay dead by each other's hand, their conquest undone by a single moment of shared desire.