Mahabharata · 1.203.18–19
॥
Devanāgarī
पितामह उवाच
गच्छ सुन्दोपसुन्दाभ्याम् असुराभ्यां तिलोत्तमे ॥
प्रार्थनीयेन रूपेण कुरु भद्रे प्रलोभनम् ॥
त्वत्कृते दर्शनाद् एव रूपसंपत्कृतेन वै ॥
विरोधः स्याद् यथा ताभ्याम् अन्योन्येन तथा कुरु ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pitāmaha uvāca
gaccha sundopasundābhyām asurābhyāṃ tilottame ||
prārthanīyena rūpeṇa kuru bhadre pralobhanam ||
tvatkṛte darśanād eva rūpasaṃpatkṛtena vai ||
virodhaḥ syād yathā tābhyām anyonyena tathā kuru ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
गच्छ सुन्दोपसुन्दाभ्याम् असुराभ्यां तिलोत्तमेgaccha sundopasundābhyām asurābhyāṃ tilottame"go to the asuras Sunda and Upasunda, O Tilottama;
प्रार्थनीयेन रूपेण कुरु भद्रे प्रलोभनम्prārthanīyena rūpeṇa kuru bhadre pralobhanamwith your desirable beauty, O gracious one, work temptation upon them;
त्वत्कृते दर्शनात् एव रूपसंपत्कृतेन वैtvatkṛte darśanāt eva rūpasaṃpatkṛtena vaiso that because of you, from the mere sight of you, wrought by the perfection of beauty,
विरोधः स्यात् यथा ताभ्याम् अन्योन्येन तथा कुरुvirodhaḥ syāt yathā tābhyām anyonyena tathā kuruenmity may arise between the two of them toward each other — act thus";
पितामहpitāmahaoriginal form "pitāmaha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दर्शनाद्darśanādoriginal form "darśanād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्याद्syādoriginal form "syād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
The Grandsire said: "Go to the asuras Sunda and Upasunda, O Tilottama; with your desirable beauty, O gracious one, work temptation upon them; so that because of you, from the mere sight of you, enmity may arise between the two of them toward each other — act thus."
Version
b0068e2cfb19 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the plan is revealed: to destroy unity through temptation. It is significant that Brahma aims at the very bond of the brothers — their inseparability: where force cannot prevail, desire will divide. But here too is a warning: passion for possession can set even the inseparable at odds. Thus scripture shows the instrument of fate; and this lesson applies directly to the Pandavas: beware of discord over a wife.