Notes on the story of Sunda and Upasunda

Note: this text is extracted from Book III, chapter 15.

“There were two brothers, Asuras by race, Sunda and Upasunda, hard to overcome, inasmuch as they surpassed the three worlds in valour...”

There is a certain resemblance in this story to that of Otus and Ephialtes. See Preller’s Griechische Mythologie, vol. i, p. 81. Cf. also Grohmann’s Sagen aus Bölmen, p. 35.—The story of Sunda and Upasunda is found in the Mahābhārata, Book I, sections ccxi-ccxiv (see Roy’s new edition, 1920, vol. i, part iv, pp. 407-413). Here we have the tale in full, and learn how the two brothers went to the Vindhya hills to practise the severest austerities, until their power became so great that the gods grew alarmed. All their schemes to tempt the brothers from their asceticism failed. Finally Brahmā asks the brothers what boon it is they want. They demand knowledge of all weapons and powers of illusion, to be endued with great strength, to assume any form at will, and finally to be immortal. All these demands are granted except the latter, which was denied them because they had performed their great penances only to subdue the three worlds. They are, however, allowed to name some form of death which would practically amount to their being immortal. Thinking it an absolute impossibility for two such loving brothers to quarrel with each other, they say: “Let us have no fear [of death] then from any created thing, mobile or immobile, in the three worlds, except only from each other.” At first all goes well—from the brothers’ point of view. They subdue the gods, extirpate the Brāhman caste, and lead a life of luxury and voluptuousness.

In their misery the Ṛṣis and Siddhas implore Brahmā to aid them. It is at this point that he calls upon the divine architect, Viśvakarman, to construct the celestial maiden, as related in the Ocean of Story. The story is repeated in chapter cxxi, where the two brothers are called Ghaṇṭa and Nighaṇṭa. Here they are described as Dānavas who were trying to impede Prajāpati in his work of creation. The dénouement of this version is weakened by the fact that there are two beautiful things created.

Stories of hostile brothers are of quite common occurrence in Sanskrit literature. See Pārçvanātha, IV, 53 et seq., and vi, 280 et seq.; Dharmakalpadruma, ii, and the story of “The Two Brothers” in Schiefner and Ralston’s Tibetan Tales, p. 279. Bloomfield (Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha, pp. 15, 16 ) gives short extracts from the above. —n.m.p.