Tataka

Taraka (ताड़का Tāṛakā) or Tadaka or Thataka was a demoness in the epic Ramayana. Along with her children, Maricha and Subahu, Taraka would harass and attack rishis performing yajnas in the forest. They were ultimately slain by Rama and Lakshmana on behest of their teacher, maharishi Vishwamitra.[1][2]

Tataka
Ramayana character
Rama Killing Demon Tataka
In-universe information
GenderFemale
AffiliationRakshasa
FamilySuketu (Father)
SpouseSunda
ChildrenMaricha, Subahu,

Background

There was a yaksha named Suketu, who had no children. Longing for children, he made a sacrifice. He was blessed by Brahma, who said that there would be a girl from Suketu, who would have the strength of 1,000 elephants, and that girl was tatka. When tatka received marriageable age, she was married to Sunda. Sunda had died from The Curse of Agastya. Enraged, tatka went to kill Agastya with his son Marich. The sage cursed Marich and said that he would become a demon. They said that tatka will grow ugly and cannibal. She used to seduce people with her looks. Since then, tatka became a cruel monster and began to destroy the beautiful land that was once rich due to the boon of Indra. After telling the story of Tataka, Vishwamitra asked Ram to kill him. The scriptures prohibit the killing of women by a warrior. Then how could the sage ask Rama to kill tatka? Vishwamitra, knowing that Rama would hesitate to kill a woman, reminded rama of the duties of a king. The duty of the king is to protect religion and eliminate those who threaten religion. There was no place for mercy, simply because the culprit of the atrocity on innocent people was a woman. Vishwamitra gave Rama the example of women who were thus killed. Indra had killed Manthra, daughter of virochan and Lord Narayan had killed the wife of sage Bhrigu. When the time demanded that the innocent be saved, it was the King's duty to kill the wicked. What lies in the Tataka episode is that only God can overcome our ignorance. We have to seek their help to eradicate our inner ignorance and to light the lamp of knowledge.

Ramayana

Taraka was a Yaksha princess and daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sunda, a Rakshas. She bore Sunda two sons, Subahu and Maricha.[3] When Rishi Agastya cursed both Suketu and Sunda to death, Tadaka took it upon herself (with her son, Subahu's, aid) to wreak vengeance on the sage. This earned them both the Rishi's anger. Agastya cursed Tadaka with the loss of her beautiful physique, and transformed both mother and son into hideous demonic creatures with a cruel, cannibalistic nature.[4]

As revenge, Tadaka and Subahu attempted to harass as many rishis as they could, by destroying their Yagnas with rains of flesh and blood. Brahmarishi Vishwamitra was especially at the receiving end of Tadaka's harassment. Unable to cope with her mischief any longer, Vishwamitra finally approached Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya, for help. The King obliged by sending two of his four sons, the 16-yr-olds, Rama and Lakshmana, to the forest, charging them to protect both Vishwamitra and his Yagna.

When Tadaka and Subahu both attempted to destroy yet another of Vishwamitra's yagnas, Rama warned them not do so. They responded by laughing at Rama, and deriding him as a 'mere boy'. The 'mere boy' retaliated by slaying both mother and son swiftly.

This act gained the young princes the blessings of not just Vishwamitra but also the blessings of all of the assembled sages in the yagnashala.

References
  1. Gibbs, Laura. "Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook: Ramayana: Vishwamitra, Rama's Teacher". Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  2. "Rama and Lakshmana Slay the mighty tataka". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  3. Mittal, J. P. (2006). History Of Ancient India (a New Version) : From 7300 Bb To 4250 Bc. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0615-4.
  4. Mittal, J. P. (2006). History Of Ancient India (a New Version) : From 7300 Bb To 4250 Bc. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 192. ISBN 978-81-269-0615-4.
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