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.
एतां पश्य दुराधर्षां मायाबलसमन्विताम् । विनिवृत्तां करोम्यद्य हृतकर्णाग्रनासिकाम् ॥१-२६-
See this formidable one, difficult to subdue, endowed with the power of illusion; today I will render her powerless, depriving her of her ears and nose.
न ह्येनामुत्सहे हन्तुं स्त्रीस्वभावेन रक्षिताम् । वीर्यं चास्या गतिं चैव हन्यामिति हि मे मतिः ॥१-२६-
Indeed, I am not able to kill her, as she is protected by her womanly nature; but I intend to destroy her strength and her movement.
एवं ब्रुवाणे रामे तु ताटका क्रोधमूर्छिता । उद्यम्य बाहू गर्जन्ती राममेवाभ्यधावत ॥१-२६-
As Rāma was speaking thus, Tāṭakā, overcome with rage, raised her arms, roaring, and charged straight at Rāma.
विश्वामित्रस्तु ब्रह्मर्षिर्हुंकारेणाभिभर्त्स्य ताम् । स्वस्ति राघवयोरस्तु जयं चैवाभ्यभाषत ॥१-२६-
But Viśvāmitra, the Brāhmin sage, rebuked her with a shout, and uttered blessings of safety and victory for the two sons of Raghu.
उद्धुन्वाना रजो घोरं ताटका राघवावुभौ । रजोमेघेन महता मुहूर्तं सा व्यमोहयत् ॥१-२६-
Tāṭakā stirred up a terrible cloud of dust, bewildering both sons of Raghu for a moment with that great dust storm.
ततो मायां समास्थाय शिलावर्षेण राघवौ । अवाकिरत् सुमहता ततश्चुक्रोध राघवः ॥१-२६-
Then, resorting to her magic, she showered the sons of Raghu with a great rain of stones; at this, Rāghava became angry.
शिलावर्षं महत् तस्याः शरवर्षेण राघवः । प्रतिवार्योपधावन्त्याः करौ चिच्छेद पत्रिभिः ॥१-२६-
Rāghava countered her great stone shower with a rain of arrows, and as she charged forward, he cut off her hands with his shafts.
ततश्च्छिन्नभुजां श्रान्तामभ्याशे परिगर्जतीम् । सौमित्रिरकरोत् क्रोधाद्धृतकर्णाग्रनासिकाम् ॥१-२६-
Then, as she stood nearby, armless, exhausted, and roaring, Saumitri, in anger, cut off her ears and the tip of her nose.
कामरूपधरा सा तु कृत्वा रूपाण्यनेकशः । अन्तर्धानं गता यक्षी मोहयन्ती स्वमायया ॥१-२६-
That yakṣinī, able to assume any form at will, took on many shapes and vanished, confusing them with her magic.
अश्मवर्षं विमुञ्चन्ती भैरवं विचचार सा १-२६-
She moved about in a terrifying manner, releasing a shower of stones.