Ilvala () and Vatapi () are

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

brothers in

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

. They are featured in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

, in which their murderous scheme is ended by the sage

Agastya Agastya was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He is regarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wife ...

Legend

In the

, the sage Lomasha narrates the legend of the

daityas The daityas () are a race of asuras in Hindu mythology, descended from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the Bhuloka, earth, and required three of Vi ...

called Ilvala and Vatapi to the prince

Yudhishthira Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, ud̪ʱiʂʈʰiɾᵊ IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira''), also known as Dharmaputra, is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is also one of the central characters of the ancient Indian epic ''Ma ...

. The elder of the brothers, Ilvala, is stated to have once begged a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

hermit to grant him a son equal to that of the deity

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

. When the Brahmin refused this request, Ilvala grew angry with him. He turned Vatapi into a lamb or a goat, cooked his meat, and served him to the Brahmin. After the Brahmin had completed his meal, Ilvala called out to his brother by name, who promptly emerged from within the Brahmin's side, murdering him. Ilvala performed this deed on multiple occasions with the Brahmins he encountered. The brothers engaged in the same scheme when they came across the sage Agastya. When Ilvala summoned Vatapi after being swallowed by the sage, the latter informed him that his brother had been digested by him. When the terrified asura asked Agastya how he could serve him, Agastya asked for ten thousand cows and pieces of gold, and a golden chariot yoked by two steeds. In the

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

, Ilvala is stated to have attacked Agastya after his brother's death, after which he was also slain by the sage's glance. The

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...

mentions that Ilvala had a son named Balavala, who used to disturb the sages present at Naimisha forest as they listened to the narration of various

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

from Ugrashravas. He is slain by the deity

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

during his pilgrimage.Bhagavata Purana Skandha X Chapter 78.38-40, 79.1-7, Motilal Bansaridass Publishers Book 4 pages 1747, 1748

References

Daityas Asura Characters in the Mahabharata {{DEFAULTSORT:Ilvala and Vatapi