May 3 - Sargas 25 and 26 of Balakanda.
Now we hear the history of Tataka and how Sri Rama brought about her end.
When he hears that Tataka has the strength of a thousand elephants, Sri Rama is surprised because yakshas are considered to be rather weak in their physical strength. Then Sage Vishwamitra explains to him:
ददौ नागसहस्रस्य बलं चास्याः पितामहः ।
न त्वेव पुत्रं यक्षाय ददौ ब्रह्मा महायशाः ॥
A yaksha by name Suketu did tapas to beget a son. A pleased Brahma gave him a daughter by name Tataka instead but endowed her with the strength of a thousand elephants. To start with she was beautiful and good.
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The girl grew up and married a rakshasa by name Sunda. She begot a very powerful son by name Mareecha. Once, Sunda provoked Sage Agastya who destroyed him by his tapas power. This brought about a violent attack by Tataka and her son Mareecha who wanted to destroy sage Agastya.
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राक्षसत्वं भजस्वेति मारीचं व्याजहार सः।अगस्त्यः परमक्रुद्धस्ताटकामपि शप्तवान् ॥
Sage Agastya cursed Mareecha and his mother Tataka to turn into ugly demons.
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Ever since, this hideous rakshasi is tormenting everyone and has destroyed the peace and prosperity of this region.
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न ह्येनां शापसंस्पृष्टां कश्चिदुत्सहते पुमान्।
निहन्तुं त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वामृते रघुनन्दन ॥
न हि ते स्त्रीवधकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम ।
चातुर्वर्ण्यहितार्थाय कर्तव्यं राजसूनुना ॥
Oh scion of Raghus, no man in the three worlds dares to try to kill this demoness endowed with her wickedness after Agastya'a curse, except you.
Please do not hesitate that she is a woman because it is a king's duty to ensure the welfare of all four castes by eliminating evil.
***
Sage Vishwamitra then quotes precedents of how Indra had once killed the daughter of a demon Virochana and how even Vishnu had killed the wife of Bhrigu when she tried to rid the world of Indra. He says there are other instances too of evil women being killed by kings for the sake of good.
Sri Rama understands the situation and replies:
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अनुशिष्टोऽस्म्ययोध्यायां गुरुमध्ये महात्मना ।
पित्रा दशरथेनाहं नावज्ञेयं हि तद्वचः ॥
Revered Sage, I have been instructed by my noble father king Dasharatha in the Ayodhya assembly in the presence of my guru Vasishtha that I shall adhere to your directives and do as you tell me. Therefore I shall undertake this task of killing Tataka.
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Sri Rama then readies and twangs his bow. That sends a shock wave through the forest. Tataka is provoked to come and attack them. She showers the two brothers with stones and attempts to devour them. Sri Rama in the beginning announces that he will incapacitate the rakshasi by removing her limbs but will spare the woman's life.
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ततो मायां समास्थाय शिलावर्षेण राघवौ।
अवाकिरत् सुमहता ततश्चुक्रोध राघवः ॥
दृष्ट्वा गाधिसुतः श्रीमानिदं वचनमब्रवीत्।
अलं ते घृणया राम पापैषा दुष्टचारिणी ।
यज्ञविघ्नकरी यक्षी पुरा वर्धेत मायया।
वध्यतां तावदेवैषा पुरा संध्या प्रवर्तते ॥
After Rama removes her limbs and Lakshmana disfigures her ears and nose, Tataka resorts to illusion and starts engulfing them with a rain of stones. This makes Sri Rama very angry.
Sage Vishwamitra says, a little impatiently, "Enough, Rama of your tarrying tactics. This rakshasi is immensely evil and goes about disturbing our yajnas. She is becoming more powerful with night-fall (a quality of demons). She has to be finished off at once.
शरेणोरसि विव्याध सा पपात ममार च ।
तां हतां भीमसंकाशां दृष्ट्वा सुरपतिस्तदा॥
तपोबलभृतो ब्रह्मन् राघवाय निवेदय ।
प्रातभूतश्च ते ब्रह्मंस्तवानुगमने धृतः ॥
The next moment, Tataka was felled by a mighty arrow well directed from Sri Rama's bow and fell down dead. Seeing that giant demoness killed, Indra and other gods were greatly pleased and showered blessings. They requested sage Vishwamitra to reward Sri Rama for his feat by gifting those divine weapons (Brahma's hundred grandchildren created to destroy rakshasas) which had come into the sage's possession before by the merit of his tapas. (note: How these weapons had been bestowed on Vishwamitra was mentioned in the royal court itself by Sage Vasishtha.)
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Sage Vishwamitra hugs and blesses Sri Rama. He says they will rest there that night and then proceed to his Ashrama. The region, after it is relieved of Tataka,starts regaining its splendour. The princes rest for the night in the company of the sage.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
