The following Narratation by Narada involves the story of Tilottama and how she came into being.
This interesting story is actually one of the side stories from the Mahabharata and is retold by Narada to the Pandavas around the time that they are given half of the kingdom and asked to go settle down in their new capital Khadavaprastha.
During the time that Khandavaprastha was being established, the Pandavas had a lot of visitors to help them, including Krishna and Viswakarma. Sometime after this, the Divine Sage Narada also visits them.
The Sage Narada spends some time with Yudishtra, instructing him on the art of administration and kingship. This is the time that Narada is also introduced to Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas.
When Narada sees Draupadi, he is reminded of the story of Tillotama and how her beauty caused two very loving brothers to fight and kill each other.
He proceeds to narrate this story to the Pandavas and Draupadi so that they could learn from it..
Narada says "It is a well known fact that even the closest friends or relatives can become bitter enemies if they desire the same woman.
In ancient times, there were two Asura brothers named Sundha and Upasundha, who were inseparable. Their brotherly devotion was extraordinary. They defeated the Devas and sent them into hiding. They desired immortality and performed a penance with this motive, directed towards Lord Brahma . When the Lord appeared before them, they wanted the boon of immortality. However, that boon could not be granted, so the Lord asked them instead to choose their mode of death. Since the brothers were so sure of their devotion to each other, they sought the boon that the only way death could approach them was if they killed each other. When Indra came to know of this fact, he knew that he had an opening. He commissioned his divine architect Vishwakarma to create the most beautiful woman in the world. According to Brahma's advice, Vishwakarma collected a crore (10 million) gems, and taking a small part (equal to that of one sesame seed) from each of these flawless gems, he created the beautiful Tilottama (Sanskrit Thila=Sesame), and sent her to seduce the Asura brothers. When Sundha and Upasundha beheld this woman, their desire knew no bounds and each of them wanted her for himself. A quarrel immediately arose. The brothers fought and ended up killing each other. Let their story be a warning to you."
and thus ended the narration of the story of Tilottama by Narada to Yudhishtra in the Mahabharat
Thursday, February 28, 2008
From Panchatantra.......
We wanted to re write one of the stories from Panchatantra and have it enacted by kids for the 2008 Ugadi function in Austin.
The following is a writeup for the "United we Stand" Pigeon Story from Mitra laabam from the Panchatantra : this was accompanied by a slide show and was a precurser to the actual ballet that was enacted by kids at the Telugu Cultural Association of Austin in Apr 2008
Writeup :
The original Sanskrit text of "Panchatantra" was written by Pandit Vishnu Sharma around 200 BC, and contained a collection of popular tales. Each of these stories has a moral that continues to be relevant to this
day.
The following story is taken from the second “Tantra” called “Mitrasamprapti of the Panchatantra and sheds light on the importance of friendship and Unity.
‘United we stand”
Here is a story extolling the virtues of a wise Pigeon King named Chitragreeva , who saves his subjects from a hunter by proposing that they tackle the problem unitedly.
‘Chitragreeva” ( name of the pigeon king) and his group of pigeons/doves were flying together in search of grain.
They had traveled long and hard looking for some grain, and finally one of pigeons spots a lot of grain scattered underneath a banyan tree.
“Chitragreeva” tries to caution his team of pigeons from flying down to the grain because it just didn’t seem right and could be trap.
But is team was tired and hungry, so they just flew down to eat the grain.
As “Chitragreeva’ suspected, it was no ordinary reason that there was so much grain scattered in plain sight, a hunter had set a trap for the birds.
As soon as the hunter sees all the doves he throws a net on them and is about to pick them all up,
The birds struggle only to get more entangled in the net. “Chitragreeva” asks his team to remain calm and do exactly as he says.
,He thinks fast and decides that the best way is for them to play dead. He whispers to his team to play dead, as the hunter comes to pick each bird from the net.
The hunter is surprised and puzzled when each time he tries to pick a bird from the net it looks dead.
He starts to wonder if the grain was poisoned. As he is thinking about it, “Chitragreeva’ asks his team to all flap their wings at once and fly away with the net. They do as they are told and their combined flying force making it easy for all of them to fly away with the net
The hunter chases after them shocked, and surprised at their cleverness and deception. but he is unable to catch them.
They fly away to a far of place where a Chitragreeva’s friend “Hiranyaka” the mouse lives.
When the Hiranyaka hears the loud noise of their approach, he goes into hiding. The dove king Chitragreeva gently calls out to him and then the mouse Hiranyaka realizes that it is friend Chitrsgreeva , he comes out.
Chitragreeva explains that he and his subjects had been caught in a trap and they need Hiranyaka’s help to gnaw at the net with his teeth and set them free.
Hiranyaka agrees and proceeds to free Chitragreeva the dove king first.
The Nobel king Chitragreeva insists that he Hiranyaka , the mouse, free his subjects first and himself last. The Hiranyaka understands and applauds the king's feelings and complies with his wishes. He begins to cut the net and one by one all the doves are freed, including his friend Chitragreeva, the dove/pigeon king.
All the doves are very happy to be free and thank Hiranyaka the Mouse and their king “Chitragreeva”, who tells them that it is always important to listen to words of wisdom and act with caution.
He also asks them to always remain united.
Because being United, they will always be able to fight their way out of adverse situations.
The following is a writeup for the "United we Stand" Pigeon Story from Mitra laabam from the Panchatantra : this was accompanied by a slide show and was a precurser to the actual ballet that was enacted by kids at the Telugu Cultural Association of Austin in Apr 2008
Writeup :
The original Sanskrit text of "Panchatantra" was written by Pandit Vishnu Sharma around 200 BC, and contained a collection of popular tales. Each of these stories has a moral that continues to be relevant to this
day.
The following story is taken from the second “Tantra” called “Mitrasamprapti of the Panchatantra and sheds light on the importance of friendship and Unity.
‘United we stand”
Here is a story extolling the virtues of a wise Pigeon King named Chitragreeva , who saves his subjects from a hunter by proposing that they tackle the problem unitedly.
‘Chitragreeva” ( name of the pigeon king) and his group of pigeons/doves were flying together in search of grain.
They had traveled long and hard looking for some grain, and finally one of pigeons spots a lot of grain scattered underneath a banyan tree.
“Chitragreeva” tries to caution his team of pigeons from flying down to the grain because it just didn’t seem right and could be trap.
But is team was tired and hungry, so they just flew down to eat the grain.
As “Chitragreeva’ suspected, it was no ordinary reason that there was so much grain scattered in plain sight, a hunter had set a trap for the birds.
As soon as the hunter sees all the doves he throws a net on them and is about to pick them all up,
The birds struggle only to get more entangled in the net. “Chitragreeva” asks his team to remain calm and do exactly as he says.
,He thinks fast and decides that the best way is for them to play dead. He whispers to his team to play dead, as the hunter comes to pick each bird from the net.
The hunter is surprised and puzzled when each time he tries to pick a bird from the net it looks dead.
He starts to wonder if the grain was poisoned. As he is thinking about it, “Chitragreeva’ asks his team to all flap their wings at once and fly away with the net. They do as they are told and their combined flying force making it easy for all of them to fly away with the net
The hunter chases after them shocked, and surprised at their cleverness and deception. but he is unable to catch them.
They fly away to a far of place where a Chitragreeva’s friend “Hiranyaka” the mouse lives.
When the Hiranyaka hears the loud noise of their approach, he goes into hiding. The dove king Chitragreeva gently calls out to him and then the mouse Hiranyaka realizes that it is friend Chitrsgreeva , he comes out.
Chitragreeva explains that he and his subjects had been caught in a trap and they need Hiranyaka’s help to gnaw at the net with his teeth and set them free.
Hiranyaka agrees and proceeds to free Chitragreeva the dove king first.
The Nobel king Chitragreeva insists that he Hiranyaka , the mouse, free his subjects first and himself last. The Hiranyaka understands and applauds the king's feelings and complies with his wishes. He begins to cut the net and one by one all the doves are freed, including his friend Chitragreeva, the dove/pigeon king.
All the doves are very happy to be free and thank Hiranyaka the Mouse and their king “Chitragreeva”, who tells them that it is always important to listen to words of wisdom and act with caution.
He also asks them to always remain united.
Because being United, they will always be able to fight their way out of adverse situations.
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