बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्ती तदा ह्यभूत् । ताटका नाम भद्रं ते भार्या सुन्दस्य धीमतः ॥१-२४-
She possessed the strength of a thousand elephants; her name was Tataka, the wife of the wise Sunda.
मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः । वृत्तबाहुर्महाशीर्षो विपुलास्यतनुर्महान् ॥१-२४-
Her son was Maricha, a rakshasa of Indra-like prowess, with rounded arms, a great head, a broad mouth, and a massive body.
राक्षसो भैरवाकारो नित्यं त्रासयते प्रजाः । इमौ जनपदौ नित्यं विनाशयति राघव ॥१-२४-
This rakshasa, terrifying in appearance, constantly frightens the people and destroys these two regions, O Raghava.
मलदांश्च करूषांश्च ताटका दुष्टचारिणी । सेयं पन्थानमावृत्य वसत्यत्यर्धयोजने ॥१-२४-
Tataka, wicked in conduct, devastates the Maladas and Karushas; she dwells blocking this path, at a distance of half a yojana.
अत एव च गन्तव्यं ताटकाया वनं यतः । स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य जहीमां दुष्टचारिणीम् ॥१-२४-
Therefore, you must go to Tataka's forest; relying on your own strength, destroy this wicked one.
मन्नियोगादिमं देशं कुरु निष्कण्टकं पुनः । नहि कश्चिदिमं देशं शक्तो ह्यागन्तुमीदृशम् ॥१-२४-
By my command, make this region free from thorns once more; for no one is able to come to this place as it is now.
यक्षिण्या घोरया राम उत्सादितमसह्यया । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथैतद् दारुणं वनम् । यक्ष्या चोत्सादितं सर्वमद्यापि न निवर्तते ॥१-२४-
Rama, this land has been devastated by a fierce and intolerable yakshini; all has been told to you about this dreadful forest, which remains ruined by the yakshini even now.
thumb|पञ्चविंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे पञ्चविंशः सर्गः ॥१-
The twenty-fifth sarga is to be heard. In the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, in the Bala Kanda, the twenty-fifth sarga.
अथ तस्याप्रमेयस्य मुनेर्वचनमुत्तमम्। श्रुत्वा पुरुषशार्दूलः प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम् ॥१-२५-
Then, having heard the excellent words of the immeasurable sage, the tiger among men replied with auspicious speech.
अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षी श्रूयते मुनिपुङ्गव । कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥१-२५-
O foremost among sages, it is said that the yakshini is of little strength; how does this weak one bear the power of a thousand elephants?
इत्युक्तं वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्यामितौजसः । हर्षयञ्श्लक्ष्णया वाचा सलक्ष्मणमरिन्दमम् ॥१-२५-
Having heard this speech of Raghava, of boundless energy, the sage, delighting, spoke gently to the destroyer of enemies, along with Lakshmana.
विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीद् वाक्यं शृणु येन बलोत्कटा । वरदानकृतं वीर्यं धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥१-२५-
Vishvamitra spoke: 'Hear how she became so powerful; by the boon granted, she bears the strength though she is weak.'
पूर्वमासीन्महायक्षः सुकेतुर्नाम वीर्यवान् । अनपत्यः शुभाचारः स च तेपे महत्तपः ॥१-२५-
Once there was a great yaksha named Suketu, mighty and virtuous; he was childless and performed great austerities.
पितामहस्तु सुप्रीतस्तस्य यक्षपतेस्तदा । कन्यारत्नं ददौ राम ताटकां नाम नामतः ॥१-२५-
His father, the lord of the yakshas, being greatly pleased, gave him a jewel among daughters, named Tataka, O Rama.
ददौ नागसहस्रस्य बलं चास्याः पितामहः । न त्वेव पुत्रं यक्षाय ददौ चासौ महायशाः ॥१-२५-
He also gave her the strength of a thousand elephants, but did not grant a son to the yaksha, though he was renowned.
तां तु बालां विवर्धन्तीं रूपयौवनशालिनीम् । जम्भपुत्राय सुन्दाय ददौ भार्यां यशस्विनीम् ॥१-२५-
As she grew, possessing beauty and youth, she was given as wife to Sunda, the illustrious son of Jambha.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रं व्यजायत । मारीचं नाम दुर्धर्षं यः शापाद् राक्षसोऽभवत् ॥१-२५-
Then, after some time, a yakṣī gave birth to a son named Mārīca, who was formidable and, by a curse, became a rākṣasa.
सुन्दे तु निहते राम अगस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम् । ताटका सहपुत्रेण प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति ॥१-२५-
When Sunda was slain, O Rāma, the eminent sage Agastya was attacked by Tāṭakā together with her son.
भक्षार्थं जातसंरम्भा गर्जन्ती साभ्यधावत । आपतन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः ॥१-२५-
Driven by hunger and rage, she rushed forward, roaring; seeing her charging, the venerable sage Agastya—
राक्षसत्वं भजस्वेति मारीचं व्याजहार सः । अगस्त्यः परमामर्षस्ताटकामपि शप्तवान् ॥१-२५-
—spoke to Mārīca, saying, 'Assume the form of a rākṣasa!' And Agastya, filled with great anger, also cursed Tāṭakā.
पुरुषादी महायक्षी विकृता विकृतानना । इदं रूपम् विहायाशु दारुणं रूपमस्तु ते ॥१-२५-
'O great yakṣī, devourer of men, monstrous and deformed of face, quickly abandon this form—let a dreadful appearance be yours!'
सैषा शापकृतामर्षा ताटका क्रोधमूर्छिता । देशमुत्सादयत्येनमगस्त्याचरितं शुभम् ॥१-२५-
Thus, transformed by the curse and seized by wrath, Tāṭakā, overwhelmed by anger, devastates this region once sanctified by Agastya.
एनां राघव दुर्वृत्तां यक्षीं परमदारुणाम् । गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय जहि दुष्टपराक्रमाम् ॥१-२५-
O Rāghava, for the welfare of cows and Brāhmaṇas, slay this wicked and terrible yakṣī Tāṭakā, whose evil deeds are great.
नह्येनां शापसंसृष्टां कश्चिदुत्सहते पुमान् । निहन्तुं त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वामृते रघुनन्दन ॥१-२५-
No man in the three worlds, except you, O delight of the Raghus, is able to kill her, for she is empowered by a curse.
नहि ते स्त्रीवधकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम । चातुर्वर्ण्यहितार्थं कर्तव्यं राजसूनुना ॥१-२५-
O best of men, you should not hesitate to slay a woman in this case; for the sake of the welfare of the four orders, a prince must act.
नृशंसमनृशंसं वा प्रजारक्षणकारणात् । पातकं वा सदोषं वा कर्तव्यं रक्षता सदा ॥१-२५-
For the protection of the people, whether an act is cruel or not, sinful or faulty, it must always be done by the protector.
राज्यभारनियुक्तानामेष धर्मः सनातनः । अधर्म्यां जहि काकुत्स्थ धर्मो ह्यस्यां न विद्यते ॥१-२५-
This is the eternal duty of those entrusted with the burden of kingship; slay the unrighteous one, O descendant of Kakutstha, for there is no righteousness in her.
श्रूयते हि पुरा शक्रो विरोचनसुतां नृप । पृथिवीं हन्तुमिच्छन्तीं मन्थरामभ्यसूदयत् ॥१-२५-
It is heard, O king, that in ancient times Indra slew Mantharā, daughter of Virocana, who sought to destroy the earth.
विष्णुना च पुरा राम भृगुपत्नी पतिव्रता । अनिन्द्रं लोकमिच्छन्ती काव्यमाता निषूदिता ॥१-२५-
And formerly, O Rāma, Viṣṇu slew Kāvya's wife, the devoted spouse of Bhṛgu, who wished for a world without Indra.
एतैश्चान्यैश्च बहुभी राजपुत्रैर्महात्मभिः । अधर्मसहिता नार्यो हताः पुरुषसत्तमैः । तस्मादेनां घृणां त्यक्त्वा जहि मच्छासनान्नृप ॥१-२५-
By these and many other noble princes, unrighteous women have been slain by the best of men; therefore, casting aside hesitation, slay her at my command, O king.