01.201
Pancharatra: Narada narrates the story of Sunda demons. They get Brahma's boon.
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said.
śṛṇu me vistareṇemamitihāsaṃ purātanam । bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitaḥ pārtha yathāvṛttaṃ yudhiṣṭhira ॥1-201-1॥
O Yudhishthira, listen as I recount to you in detail this ancient history, together with your brothers, as it truly occurred, O son of Pritha.
mahāsurasyānvavāye hiraṇyakaśipoḥ purā । nikumbho nāma daityendrastejasvī balavānabhūt ॥1-201-2॥
Once, in the lineage of the great asura Hiraṇyakaśipu, there was a powerful and strong lord of the Daityas named Nikumbha.
tasya putrau mahāvīryau jātau bhīmaparākramau । sahānyonyena bhuñjāte vinānyonyaṃ na gacchataḥ ॥1-201-3॥
He had two sons of great strength and terrible prowess. They always acted together, enjoying things together and never going anywhere without each other.
anyonyasya priyakarāv anyonyasya priyaṃvadau । ekaśīlasamācārau dvidhaivaikaṃ yathā kṛtau ॥1-201-4॥
They did what was dear to each other, spoke what was pleasing to each other, and, having the same character and conduct, were as if one being in two forms, as if created as one.
tau vivṛddhau mahāvīryau kāryeṣvapyekaniscayau । trailokyavijayārthāya samāsthāyaikaniscayam ॥1-201-5॥
Those two, who had grown in strength and were of great might, were united in their resolve even in action. Having undertaken a single determination for the conquest of the three worlds, they acted with one purpose.
kṛtvā dīkṣāṃ gatau vindhyaṃ tatrograṃ tepatus tapaḥ । tau tu dīrgheṇa kālena tapoyuktau babhūvatuḥ ॥1-201-6॥
After performing their initiation, they went to the Vindhya mountains; there, they practiced severe austerities. Over a long period, the two became wholly devoted to austerity.
kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntau jaṭāvalkaladhāriṇau । malopacitasarvāṅgau vāyubhakṣau babhūvatuḥ ॥1-201-7॥
They, suffering from hunger and thirst, utterly exhausted, wearing matted hair and bark garments, with all their limbs covered in dirt, subsisting on air, became thus.
ātmamāṃsāni juhvantau pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitau । ūrdhvabāhū cānimiṣau dīrghakālaṃ dhṛtavratau ॥1-201-8॥
They offered their own flesh as oblation, standing on the tips of their big toes, with arms raised and eyes unblinking, steadfast in their vow for a long time.
tayostapaḥprabhāveṇa dīrghakālaṃ pratāpitaḥ । dhūmaṃ pramumuce vindhyastadadbhutamivābhavat ॥1-201-9॥
By the power of their austerity, Vindhya was tormented for a long time and emitted smoke; it appeared as something wonderful.
tato devābhavanbhītā ugraṃ dṛṣṭvā tayostapaḥ । tapovighātārthamatho devā vighnāni cakrire ॥1-201-10॥
Then, seeing the fierce austerity of the two, the gods became afraid. Therefore, in order to hinder their austerity, the gods created obstacles.
ratnaiḥ pralobhayāmāsuḥ strībhiś cobhau punaḥ punaḥ । na ca tau cakratur bhaṅgaṃ vratasya sumahāvratau ॥1-201-11॥
They repeatedly tempted both of them with jewels and women, but those two of great vow did not break their vow.
atha māyāṃ punar devās tayoś cakrur mahātmanoḥ । bhaginyo mātaro bhāryās tayoḥ parijanas tathā ॥1-201-12॥
Then, once again, the gods created an illusion for those two great souls, manifesting as sisters, mothers, wives, and attendants for them.
paripātyamānā vitrastāḥ śūlahastena rakṣasā । srastābharaṇakeśāntā ekāntabhraṣṭavāsasaḥ ॥1-201-13॥
Terrified and scattered by the demon holding a spear, their ornaments and hair loosened, and their garments fallen from one side.
abhidhāvya tataḥ sarvāstau trāhīti vicukruśuḥ । na ca tau cakraturbhaṅgaṃ vratasya sumahāvratau ॥1-201-14॥
Then, having run towards them, all the women cried out 'save us!', but those two, who were of great vow, did not violate their vow.
yadā kṣobhaṃ nopayāti nārtim anyataras tayoḥ । tataḥ striy astā bhūtaṃ ca sarvam antaradhīyata ॥1-201-15॥
When neither agitation nor distress affected either of the two, then those women and all beings vanished.
tataḥ pitāmahaḥ sākṣād abhigamya mahāsurau । vareṇa chandayāmāsa sarvalokapitāmahaḥ ॥1-201-16॥
Then the Grandfather, having directly approached the two great asuras, offered them a boon to choose, he who is the grandfather of all worlds.
tataḥ sundopasundau tau bhrātarau dṛḍhavikramau । dṛṣṭvā pitāmahaṃ devaṃ tasthatuḥ prāñjalī tadā ॥1-201-17॥
Then, Sunda and Upasunda, the two valorous brothers, upon seeing the grandsire god, stood before him with joined palms.
ūcatuś ca prabhuṃ devaṃ tatastau sahitau tadā । āvayostapasānena yadi prītaḥ pitāmahaḥ ॥1-201-18॥
They both addressed the lord god, and then, together, said at that time: "If our grandfather (Brahmā) is pleased with this austerity of ours..."
māyā-vidau astra-vidau balinau kāma-rūpiṇau | ubhāv api amarau syāvaḥ prasannaḥ yadi nau prabhuḥ ||1-201-19||
If the Lord is gracious to us, both of us, skilled in illusion and weaponry, strong and able to assume any form, may become immortal.
pitāmaha uvāca॥
The paternal grandfather said.
ṛte'maratvamanyadvāṃ sarvamuktaṃ bhaviṣyati । anyadvṛṇītāṃ mṛtyośca vidhānamamaraiḥ samam ॥1-201-20॥
Except for immortality, everything else that has been spoken will be granted to you two. Choose something else, and the arrangement regarding death will be made equal to that of the immortals.
kariṣyāvedamiti yan-mahad-abhyutthitaṃ tapaḥ । yuvayor-hetunā-anena nāmaratvaṃ vidhīyate ॥1-201-21॥
Because of the great austerity that has arisen with your resolve of 'I shall do this,' immortality is ordained for you both by this cause.
trailokyavijayārthāya bhavadbhyām āsthitaṃ tapaḥ | hetunānena daityendrau na vāṃ kāmaṃ karomy aham ||1-201-22||
You both have undertaken austerity for the purpose of conquering the three worlds; for this reason, O chiefs of the Daityas, I do not grant your wish.
sundopasundāvūcatuḥ॥
Sunda and Upasunda both spoke.
triṣu lokeṣu yad bhūtaṃ kiñcit sthāvara-jaṅgamam । sarvasmān nau bhayaṃ na syād ṛte'nyonyaṃ pitāmaha ॥1-201-23॥
O grandsire, in all the three worlds, whatever beings there are, whether immobile or mobile, there would be no fear for us from anything except from one another.
pitāmaha uvāca॥
The paternal grandfather spoke.
yatprārthitaṃ yathoktaṃ ca kāmam etad dadāni vām । mṛtyor vidhānam etac ca yathāvad vāṃ bhaviṣyati ॥1-201-24॥
I grant you both exactly what you have requested and as you have spoken; the arrangement regarding death will also be as it should for you.
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said.
tataḥ pitāmaho dattvā varam etat tadā tayoḥ । nivartya tapasas tau ca brahmalokaṃ jagāma ha ॥1-201-25॥
Then the grandsire granted this boon to the two, caused them to desist from their austerities, and then went to Brahma's world.
labdhvā varāṇi sarvāṇi daityendrāv api tau ubhau । avadhyau sarvalokasya svam eva bhavanaṃ gatau ॥1-201-26॥
After receiving all the boons, the two Daitya lords, now invulnerable to all beings, returned to their own abode.
tau tu labdhavarau dṛṣṭvā kṛtakāmau mahāsurau । sarvaḥ suhṛjjanastābhyāṃ pramodamupajagmivān ॥1-201-27॥
But when those two great asuras, having obtained boons and fulfilled their desires, were seen, all their friends and people rejoiced because of them.
tatastau tu jaṭā hitvā maulinau sambabhūvatuḥ । mahārhābharaṇopetau virajombaradhāriṇau ॥1-201-28॥
Then those two, having cast off their matted hair, appeared crowned; they were adorned with the finest ornaments and wore spotless garments.
akālakāumudīṃ caiva cakratuḥ sārvakāmikīm । daityendrau paramaprītau tayoścaiva suhṛj-janaḥ ॥1-201-29॥
The two Daitya chiefs, being extremely pleased, organized an untimely full-moon festival that fulfilled every desire; and all their friends and associates joined in as well.
bhakṣyatāṃ bhujyatāṃ nityaṃ ramyatāṃ gīyatāmiti । pīyatāṃ dīyatāṃ ceti vāca āsan gṛhe gṛhe ॥1-201-30॥
In every house, the words were: "Let it be eaten, let it be enjoyed, let it always be delightful, let it be sung; let it be drunk, let it be given."
tatra tatra mahāpānair utkṛṣṭatalanāditaiḥ । hṛṣṭaṃ pramuditaṃ sarvaṃ daityānām abhavat puram ॥1-201-31॥
Everywhere, the city of the Daityas became joyful and delighted, resounding with excellent cymbals and great drinks.
taistair vihārair bahubhir daityānāṃ kāmarūpiṇām । samāḥ saṅkrīḍatāṃ teṣām ahar ekam iva abhavat ॥1-201-32॥
For those Daityas who could assume forms at will, engaged in many amusements, the years passed by as if they were just a single day.
