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.
thumb|षड्विंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीयरामायणे बालकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः ॥१-
The twenty-sixth sarga (canto) is to be heard in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa.
मुनेर्वचनमक्लीबं श्रुत्वा नरवरात्मजः । राघवः प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा प्रत्युवाच दृढव्रतः ॥१-२६-
Hearing the sage's resolute words, Rāghava, son of the best of men, with joined palms and firm resolve, replied—
पितुर्वचननिर्देशात् पितुर्वचनगौरवात् । वचनं कौशिकस्येति कर्तव्यमविशङ्कया ॥१-२६-
Out of obedience and respect for my father's command, and because of the authority of Kauśika's words, this task must be done without hesitation.
अनुशिष्टोऽस्म्ययोध्यायां गुरुमध्ये महात्मना । पित्रा दशरथेनाहं नावज्ञेयं हि तद्वचः ॥१-२६-१३ सोऽहं पितुर्वचः श्रुत्वा शासनाद् ब्रह्मवादिनः । करिष्यामि न संदेहस्ताटकावधमुत्तमम् ॥१-२६-
I have been instructed in Ayodhyā among great teachers by my father Daśaratha; his words must not be disregarded.
गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय देशस्य च हिताय च । तव चैवाप्रमेयस्य वचनं कर्तुमुद्यतः ॥१-२६-
For the welfare of cows and Brahmins, for the good of the land, and to fulfill your own unfathomable word, I am now prepared to act.
एवमुक्त्वा धनुर्मध्ये बद्ध्वा मुष्टिमरिन्दमः । ज्याघोषमकरोत् तीव्रं दिशः शब्देन नादयन् ॥१-२६-
Having spoken thus, the subduer of enemies fastened his grip at the center of the bow and produced a sharp twang, resounding through the directions with its sound.
तेन शब्देन वित्रस्तास्ताटकावनवासिनः । ताटका च सुसंक्रुद्धा तेन शब्देन मोहिता ॥१-२६-
Frightened by that sound, the dwellers of Tāṭakā's forest were alarmed, and Tāṭakā herself, greatly enraged, was bewildered by that noise.
तं शब्दमभिनिध्याय राक्षसी क्रोधमूर्छिता । श्रुत्वा चाभ्यद्रवत् क्रुद्धा यत्र शब्दो विनिःसृतः ॥१-२६-
Fixating on that sound, the demoness, overcome with wrath, heard it and, furious, rushed toward the place from which the sound had come.
तां दृष्ट्वा राघवः क्रुद्धां विकृतां विकृताननाम् । प्रमाणेनातिवृद्धां च लक्ष्मणं सोऽभ्यभाषत ॥१-२६-
Seeing her, furious, deformed, with a monstrous face and of immense size, Rāghava spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
पश्य लक्ष्मण यक्षिण्या भैरवं दारुणं वपुः । भिद्येरन् दर्शनादस्या भीरूणां हृदयानि च ॥१-२६-
Look, Lakṣmaṇa, at the terrifying, dreadful form of this yakṣinī; at the mere sight of her, the hearts of the timid would break.