Madhu ( sa, मधु, ''Madhu'') and Kaitabha ( sa, कैटभ, ''Kaiṭabha''), also rendered Madhu-Kaiṭabhas, are the names of two asuras in

Hindu scriptures Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...

, and are associated with

Hindu cosmology Hindu cosmology is the description of the universe and its states of matter, cycles within time, physical structure, and effects on living entities according to Hindu texts. Hindu cosmology is also intertwined with the idea of a creator who all ...

Legend

Madhu and Kaitabha both originated from the earwax within the deity

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

's ears, while he was in the meditative state of

yoganidra Yoga nidra ( sa, योग निद्रा, ) or yogic sleep in modern usage is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, typically induced by a guided meditation. A state called yoga nidra is mentioned in the Upanishads and the ...

. From his navel, a lotus sprouted, upon which

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

, the creator, sat contemplating the creation of the

cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

. Two dewdrops of water upon the lotus were created by Vishnu. One drop was as sweet as honey, and from that drop emerged Madhu, imbued with the attribute of tamas (darkness). The other drop was hard, and from it was born Kaiṭabha, imbued with the attribute of rajas (activity). According to the

Devi Bhagavata Purana The Devi Bhagavata Purana ( sa, देवी भागवतपुराणम्, '), also known as the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana or simply ''Devi Bhagavatam'', is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hindui ...

, Madhu and Kaitabha originated from Vishnu's earwax, and performed a long period of ''

tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In so ...

'' devoted to the goddess Mahadevi, employing the Vāgbīja mantra. The goddess granted them the boon of death befalling them only with their consent, which was granted. The proud asuras then started attacking Brahma, and stole the Vedas, hiding themselves in

Patala In Indian religions, Patala (Sanskrit: पाताल, IAST: pātāla, lit. ''that which is below the feet''), denotes the subterranean realms of the universe – which are located under the earthly dimension. Patala is often translated as un ...

. Brahma sought Vishnu's help, and eulogised the deity in order to awaken him. The two asuras then fought against Vishnu, and were undefeated. Upon advice from Mahadevi, Vishnu employed deceit to destroy the two asuras. Vishnu praised the powers of the two asuras, and said that he would be pleased to grant them boons. Laughing, the boastful asuras, proud of their victories against Vishnu, said that they were willing to grant him boons instead. Vishnu cleverly asked Madhu and Kaitabha for the boon of slaying them. Defeated, the asuras requested Vishnu to be slain at any location except in the water, believing that they would still be invincible upon land. They were subsequently vanquished by Vishnu with his Sudarshana Chakra: The

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...

states that during the creation, the asuras Madhu and Kaitabha stole the

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

from

, and deposited them deep inside the waters of the primeval ocean. Vishnu, in his manifestation as

Hayagriva Hayagriva, also spelled Hayagreeva ( sa, हयग्रीव IAST , ), is a Hindu deity, the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu. The purpose of this incarnation was to slay a danava also named Hayagriva (A descendant of Kashyapa and Danu), wh ...

, killed them, and retrieved the Vedas. The bodies of Madhu and Kaitabha disintegrated into 2 times 6 — which is twelve pieces (two heads, two torsos, four arms and four legs). These are considered to represent the twelve seismic plates of the Earth. According to another legend, Madhu and Kaitabha were two asuras who had become powerful enough to annihilate Brahma. However, Brahma spotted them, and begged the goddess Mahamaya for help. Vishnu then awoke, and the two conspiring asuras were killed. This led to Vishnu being offered the epithets

Madhusudana Madhusudana ( sa, मधुसूदन, Madhusūdana, translit-std=IAST) is an epithet of Vishnu and is the 73rd name in the Vishnu Sahasranama. According to Adi Sankara's commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, Madhusudana means the "destroyer ...

- the killer of Madhu, and Kaitabhajit - the victor of Kaitabha. The

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

states that a child named Dhundhu was born to the asuras. Due to his desire to seek vengeance against Vishnu for killing his fathers, he was slain by King Kuvalāśva of the

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king of ...

dynasty and his sons.

References

Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend The ''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' (2002) is a book written by Anna L. Dallapiccola, and contains information on over one thousand concepts, characters, and places of Hindu mythology and Hinduism, one of the major religions of the Indian ...

({{ISBN, 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola Daityas Hindu mythology Puranas Asura