Sunda

The name Sunda belongs to two figures in the texts. In the Mahābhārata, Sunda is the elder of two asura brothers, sons of Nikumbha. He and his brother Upasunda were never apart. In the Rāmāyaṇa, Sunda is a rākshasa, the son of Jambha and husband of Tāṭakā. Agastya Maharshi destroyed him.

Sunda, the asura brother (Mahābhārata)

The bond with Upasunda

Sunda was the elder of the two asura brothers. Upasunda was his brother. The brothers were born into an asura line that valued power and tapas (austerity). From birth they were inseparable. They ate from one plate and slept in one bed. They never acted apart in any matter. Their bond of devotion to each other was complete, and it was their greatest strength.

Tapas and vara

The two brothers did fierce tapas on the Vindhya mountain. They stood in the sun, lived on water and air, and bore great hardship. At last the whole creation was disturbed, and Brahmā appeared.

They asked for invincibility. Brahmā told them that no being in creation can be made invincible against all enemies. He gave them the next best vara (a boon): only they themselves could kill each other. No outside force could kill them.

With this vara they conquered the three worlds. They drove the devas out of svarga (heaven), brought the rākshasas under them and ruled over all creation.

Death

After their conquest the brothers sat at ease in a forest with women and wine. Both saw Tilottamā at the same moment. Both were full of desire. Each claimed her for himself alone, and neither gave way. Each struck the other with his club. Both died in the same moment. The only force that could destroy them was, as Brahmā had said, each other.

Brahmā had created Tilottamā for this very purpose, to bring about their end. Nārada told the story of Sunda and Upasunda to the Pāṇḍavas. It was a warning about the danger of desire among those who share what is most dear to them.

Sunda, the husband of Tāṭakā (Rāmāyaṇa)

Family

This Sunda was a rākshasa of great power, the son of Jambha. His wife was Tāṭakā, the daughter of the yaksha Suketu. Tāṭakā was a beautiful yakshī of great strength. Brahmā’s vara gave her the strength of a thousand elephants. Sunda had a rākshasa’s power and pride. Together they were a strong pair.

Death at the hands of Agastya

Sunda attacked Agastya Maharshi out of pride. In doing so he broke the sacred protection owed to every brahmarshi. The result came at once. Agastya burned Sunda to ash with the fire of his yoga-śakti (yogic power).

What came after

Grief and rage at her husband’s death changed Tāṭakā. She and her son Mārica went to attack Agastya. The ṛshi laid a śāpa (a curse) on Tāṭakā. She became a rākshasī, ugly in form, who lived in the Malada forest and ate all who came in. The Bāla Kāṇḍa tells that she laid waste the forests of Malada and Kārusha.

Rāma killed Tāṭakā at the start of his journey with Viśvāmitra. That event opens the Bāla Kāṇḍa’s account of his career as a warrior.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapters 210–211
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 24–25