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(1) Tilottamaa Apsaraa
One Tilottamaa was an Apsaraa. Til means sesame seed or very minute; and Uttamaa means the best or highest; so Tilottamaa means who is at the best to one's minutest part. Thus Tilottamaa was supposed to be the best in her all body parts to the minutest level.

(2) Tilottamaa: a woman
According to Mahaabhaarat,  Aadi Parv, Tilottamaa was created by Vishwakarmaa at the request of Brahmaa Jee by taking all the best qualities of everything from Brahmaa's creation to ,kill two Asur - Sund and Upasund. She was so beautiful that even Shiv and Indra were also enamored by her enchanting beauty.

Wikipedia says - "A legend has it that she was an ugly widow in her previous life; while another legend says that she was cursed to be born as a Daitya Princess Ushaa by sage Durvaasaa.
I do not understand of his logic that can the created man or woman have his or her past? And any human being havong his past can be created like Tilottamaa was created?

In MBH, when Naarad Jee comes to Indra Prasth and warns about their common wife Draupadee telling them that a common wife could be cause of conflict, and in that reference tells the story of Tilottamaa that how because of her two Asur, Sund and Upasund, were killed. While these two brothers were so close to each other that they looked like two bodies and one soul. They shared everything - kingdom, bed, food, house, seat etc. Once they did Tapasyaa on Vindhya Mountains and asked the boon of great power and immortality. Brahmaa Jee did not grant them the boon of immortality, but asked them to ask for some other boon which could give them near immortality. So they asked that they should be killed by each other only, because they were very sure they could never fight each other. After getting this boon they became very poerrful and started all kinds of atrocities on Devtaa sages etc. So Indra went to Brahmaa Jee to request him to end his atrocities. Brahmaa Jee said, "So be it."

So then Brahmaa Jee called Vishwakarmaa and asked him to create a woman by collecting all the best things from the world. Vishwakarmaa did the same and the woman was very beautiful. The woman was named Tilottamaa. Brahmaa Jee asked her to lure the two Asur, Sund and Upasund, so that they fight each other to the extent to kill each other.

MBH, Aadi Parv, G-3-Youth/12, further says that although Brahmaa Jee was not deluded by Tilottamaa's beauty, even Shiv and Indra were also not affected in the beginning, but later when she circumambulated him to respect him, he developed 3 more faces in other three directions; and Indra developed 1,000 eyes. Since then Mahaadev had 4 heads and Indra was known as 1,000-eyed Indra. Another legend says that when Gautam cursed Indra to seduce his wife to develop 1,000 marks of vagina on his body, bjut later he softened the curse that they will change into 1,000 eyes as he would see Tilottamaa.

In fact both these incidents happened at the time of the creation of Ahalyaa, but in a different way. When Ahalyaa was created Brahmaa Jee created his four faces to see her all around, and came to be known as Chaturaanan; and Indra had Ahalyaa after she was married to Gautam Rishi, so Gautam Rishi cursed him to have 1,000 marks of vagina on his whole body. Embarrassed Indra worshipped Shiv and Shiv changed to them 1,000 eyes. So from that day he was known as Sahastraaksh.

Another tale in MBH, 13, says that Tilottamaa went to Shiv to seduce him. Eager to see her, he developed four faces in all the four directions, as she circumambulated him. Its another interpretaion is this that Shiv himself revealed his 5 faces (4 visible and 1 invisible) he east face signifying his sovereignty over the world, the north face to sport with Parvati, the west to ensure the happiness of creatures; the south face, to destroy the universe and the fifth face was invisible as it was beyond the comprehension of Tilottama.

Another legend from the Puraan says Brahmaa Jee created Tilottamaa and was aroused by her. Brahmaa lusts for his own daughter Tilottamaa and developes his five heads in order to see her. Then Brahmaa sends her to Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiv, to pay her obeisance to him. Shiv glances at her, but avoids to carefully look at her as his consort Paarvatee was seated beside him. As Tilottamaa circumambulated Shiva, he develops a head in each direction to see her. The divine sage Narada taunts Parvati, "You can imagine what Shiva is thinking about this prostitute who is reviled by wise men". Agitated, Paarvatee covers Shiv's eyes with her hands submerging the universe in darkness. Shiv then develops a third eye to bring light to the universe.

Once Sund and Upasund were enjoying on a bank of a river that Tilottamaa arrived on the scene. Seeing her voluptuous figure both lost their mind. Both started fighting that Tilottamaa was his. Ultimate they killed each other. After their death Brahmaa Jee allowed her to roam about freely in the universe as a boon. He also granted a boon to her that nobody will be look at her for long time because of her luster.

Tilottamaa in Other Literature
Kathaa Sarit Saagar, the 11th century AD Sanskrit translation of Paishaachee text Brihat Kathaa", tells that how the King Sahstraaneek was cursed by Tilottamaa. The King was returning from Indra Lok to his kingdom that Tilottamaa tried to sto stop for a few munutes to tell him something imprtant; but the King was immersed in the thoughts of his wife Alambooshaa Apsaraa. Tilottamaa got furious and cursed the King that the King will suffer the separation from his beloved in whose thoughts he was immersed in for a period of 14 years.

Padm Puraan says that Tilottamaa was an ugly widow, Kubjaa, in her previous birth. Kubjaa performed auspicious ceremonies for 8 years, and finally performed the Maagh Poojaa. This ensured her that she was born as Apsaraa in Heaven.

The Brahm Vaivart Puraan says that once the grandson of Bali, Sahaseek, disturbed the penance of Durvaasaa. As a result the sage cursed him to be born as a donkey; and cursed Tilottamaa to be born as a demon princess, so she was born as Ushaa to Baanaasur. later Ushaa was married to Krishn's grandson Aniruddh.

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