Tilottama The Apsara Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

(Bonze age, source The Mahabharata)

Tilottama is a celestial nymph,
Carved by divine architect Vishwakarma
At the behest of creator Brahma.
She was created using various gems
Step by step, bit by bit, in such a way
That none could surpass her in beauty.
To defeat Asuras Sunda and Upasunda
Was the duty assigned to Tiottama. 1

Sunda and Upasunda were sons
Of the demon Nikumba on the earth.
Both were brothers more than the twines in bond
That they share everything in their hand,
Be it food, bed, house, treasure or the throne.
They did severe austerities on Mount Vindhya
And at last obtained a boon from Brahma
That they themselves could hurt but from nun.2

Armed with the unassailable power,
The brothers started harassing sages,
And created havoc in the universe.
The gods and seers sought refuge with Brahma,
Who in turn had Vishvakarma create,
By collecting all that was beautiful
From the three worlds, a universal beauty,
Alluring, arresting and unrivalled.3

The celestial maiden created
Was a mass of gems with every part
Of her body by its wealth of beauty
Attracting the gaze of the beholders.
The damsel of extraordinary beauty
Captivated the hearts of everyone.
Her beauty was the talk of heaven and earth.
Both gods and demons yearned to have her. 4

'O Lord of every created thing,
What task am I to accomplish here and
What have I been created for? ' she asked.
'Go, O Tilottama, unto the Asuras-
Sunda and Upasunda. O amiable one,
Tempt them with thy captivating beauty
And see that they quarrel with each other
And die in consequence of thy beauty.' 5

The damsel walked round the celestial conclave.
Indra and Sthanu (Mahadeva)were the only ones
That preserved their tranquillity of mind.
Mahadev, who was eager to see her beauty,
During her progress around the conclave,
Developed to himself three more faces
On three direction and saw her beauty.
The glances of all fell upon her body.6

When Tilottama set out for duty
With the wealth of her enormous beauty,
All regarded the task as done already.
Meanwhile Sunda and Upasunda did
Subjugate the earth without a rival.
The three worlds brought under equal sway,
And all the treasures of gods in their hold,
They entered into the world of pleasure.7

For purpose of pleasure, both of them went
To a table land of the Vindhya range,
Overgrown with trees spreading their fragrance.
Brothers were happy having food and wine.
Desirous of pleasing asura brothers,
Damsels danced to music set in their front.
The fatigue of exertion and fear gone,
They immersed themselves in merry making.8

"Meanwhile Tilottama attired in silk
That exposed all her charms, ambled along,
Plucking wild flowers on her way near them.
Aptitude governing one's attention,
No wonder that their eyes fell on the nymph.
They were alike when they had been smitten
With that maiden transcendent beauty.
They were alike when they reached where she stood. 9

Both alike under the influence of lust,
Each of them sought the maiden for himself.
Sunda seized that fair maid by her right hand.
Upasunda was not behind to claim her left hand.
They'd shared women in the past to their like.
Tilottoma was unique like of which
They could not find anywhere, they each felt.
Sharing forgotten, owning came to mind. 10

They addressed each other, in claiming her.
'She is my wife, and therefore your superior, '
Said Sunda, having it a valuable point.
'She is my wife, and therefore your sister-in-law',
Said Upasunda, containing his claim.
They said unto each other, 'She is mine not yours.'
And soon they were under the influence of rage.
Love and affection were the things of the past. 11

Maddened by the beauty of the damsel,
Also deprived of reason by passion,
They took up their fierce maces and struck
The other, each repeating, I was the first,
I was the first, ' while not leaving her hand,
Till they fell down flat upon the ground,
With their bodies bathed in the pool of blood
Like two stars burnt down from the firmament.12

The Grandsire himself of pure soul came,
Accompanied by all the celestials,
And applauded Nymph Tilottama
And expressed his wish to grant her a boon.
‘O damsel, thou shall 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! '13
20,11,2020
Lust is thicker than blood.

(In the Adi Parva (Book 1)of the epic Mahabharata, the divine sage Narada tells the Pandava brothers the story of destruction of demon brothers Sunda and Upsunda due to the apsara Tilottama, and warns the Pandavas that their common wife Draupadi could be a reason of quarrel between them.
the Adityas. supports the sky, sustains all existence, and nourishes the earth)