l was. Both of them being under the
influence of lust, each sought the maiden for himself. And Sunda seized
that maid of fair brows by her right hand. Intoxicated with the boons
they had obtained, with physical might, with the wealth and gems they had
gathered from every quarter, and with the wine they had drunk, maddened
with all these, and influenced by wishful desire, they addressed each
other, each contracting his bow in anger, 'She is my wife, and therefore
your superior,' said Sunda. 'She is my wife, and therefore your
sister-in-law', replied Upasunda. And they said unto each other, 'She is
mine not yours.' And soon they were under the influence of rage. Maddened
by the beauty of the damsel, they soon forgot their love and affection
for each other. Both of them, deprived of reason by passion, then took up
their fierce maces. Each repeating, I was the first, I was the first,'
(in taking her hand) struck the other. And the fierce Asuras, struck by
each other with the mace, fell down upon the ground, their bodies bathed
in blood, like two suns dislodged from the firmament. And beholding this,
the women that had come there, and the other Asuras there present, all
fled away trembling in grief and fear, and took refuge in the nether
regions. The Grandsire himself of pure soul, then came there, accompanied
by the celestials, and the great Rishis. And the illustrious Grandsire
applauded Tilottama and expressed his wish of granting her a boon. The
Supreme Deity, before Tilottama spoke, desirous of granting her a boon,
cheerfully said, 'O beautiful damsel, thou shalt roam in the region of
the Adityas. Thy splendour shall be so great that nobody will ever be
able to look at thee for any length of time!' The Grandsire of all
creatures, granting this boon unto her, establishing the three worlds in
Indra as before, returned to his own region.'

"Narada continued, 'It was thus that Asuras, ever united and inspired by
the same purpose slew each other in wrath for the sake of Tilottama.
Therefore, from affection I tell you, ye foremost ones of Bharata's line,
that if you desire to do anything agreeable to me, make some such
arrangements that you may not quarrel with one another for the sake of
Draupadi.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The illustrious Pandavas, thus addressed by the
great Rishi Narada, consulting with one another, established a rule
amongst themselves in the presence of the celestial Rishi himself endued
with immeasur