CANDA AND MUNDA – Two asura (demon) brothers

 

CANDA AND MUNDA

Canda and his young asura brother Munda allied with the great demons, SSumbha and NisSumbha. The latter two asura brothers had just returned from heaven after receiving a boon from Brahma that they could only be killed at the hands of a woman. After receiving this boon SSumbha and NisSumbha and their asura armies conquered the three worlds of heaven, earth, and Patala (the nether­world). On the advice of the sage Brihaspati the frightened devas (gods) went to Parvati, the wife of Siva. After hearing their pitiful plea, Parvatidevi went into a deep state of meditation, and out of her body emerged Kali (or Kausiki). Kali disguised as a beautiful woman sat alone in the forest, where she was seen by Canda and Munda. They reported their great discovery to Sumbha and Nisumbha. Canda and Munda (some accounts say another demon named Dhumraksha, a cohort of Ravana) were sent along with sixty thousand soldiers to bring the beautiful woman to their court. By the sound hum Kali reduced all of them to ashes and then killed SSumbha and NisSumbha for good measure.

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