← 1.23 Story of Tāṭakā’s forest: Indra’s cleansing and the ruined country · Bāla Kāṇḍa · 1.25 Rāma kills Tāṭakā →

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 24: Story of Tāṭakā: Birth, marriage and Agastya’s curse

Summary. Brahmā grants Suketu a powerful daughter, Tāṭakā marries Sunda and bears Mārīca, their attack on Agastya brings his transforming curses

Sequence

  1. Rāma asks how Tāṭakā can possess such extraordinary strength (1.24.1–2)
  2. Viśvāmitra explains that the childless yakṣa Suketu performed austerities → pleased, Brahmā gave him a daughter, Tāṭakā → he also gave her the strength of a thousand elephants, but gave Suketu no son (1.24.3–6)
  3. she grew in beauty and youth, was given in marriage to Sunda, son of Jambha, and later bore Mārīca (1.24.7–8)
  4. after Sunda was slain, Tāṭakā and Mārīca sought to attack Agastya → he cursed Mārīca to become a rākṣasa and Tāṭakā to lose her beauty and become a hideous puruṣādī (man-eater) (1.24.9–11)
  5. enraged by the curse, she laid waste this region associated with Agastya (1.24.12)
  6. Viśvāmitra tells Rāma that protecting the population requires killing her despite her being a woman (1.24.13–16)
  7. he cites Indra killing Virocana's daughter Mantharā when she threatened to destroy the earth, and Viṣṇu killing Bhṛgu's wife, the mother of Śukra, when she sought a world without Indra. (1.24.17–19)

Verses 1.24.1–19

1.24.1

atha tasyāprameyasya muner vacanam uttamam
śrutvā puruṣaśārdūlaḥ pratyuvāca śubhāṃ giram

Then, having heard the excellent speech of that immeasurable sage, the tiger among men replied with an auspicious word:

Words: atha — then; tasyāprameyasya — of that immeasurable one; muner — of the sage; vacanam — speech; uttamam — excellent; śrutvā — having heard; puruṣaśārdūlaḥ — the tiger among men; pratyuvāca — replied; śubhāṃ — auspicious; giram — word, speech

1.24.2

alpavīryā yadā yakṣāḥ śrūyante munipuṃgava
kathaṃ nāgasahasrasya dhārayaty abalā balam

“Since yakṣas are heard to be of little valour, O bull among sages, how does a (mere) woman hold the strength of a thousand elephants?”

Words: alpavīryā — of little valour; yadā — since, when; yakṣāḥ — yakṣas; śrūyante — are heard (to be); munipuṃgava — O bull among sages; kathaṃ — how; nāgasahasrasya — of a thousand elephants; dhārayaty — holds; abalā — a woman (lit. the strengthless one); balam — strength

1.24.3

viśvāmitro 'bravīd vākyaṃ śṛṇu yena balottarā
varadānakṛtaṃ vīryaṃ dhārayaty abalā balam

Viśvāmitra spoke this word: “Hear by what she, a woman superior in strength, holds a might born of the granting of a boon.

Words: viśvāmitro — Viśvāmitra; 'bravīd — spoke; vākyaṃ — word; śṛṇu — hear; yena — by which (means); balottarā — superior in strength; varadānakṛtaṃ — produced by the granting of a boon; vīryaṃ — might, valour; dhārayaty — holds; abalā — a woman; balam — strength

1.24.4

pūrvam āsīn mahāyakṣaḥ suketur nāma vīryavān
anapatyaḥ śubhācāraḥ sa ca tepe mahat tapaḥ

Formerly there was a great yakṣa named Suketu, valorous, childless, of pure conduct; and he practised great austerity.

Words: pūrvam — formerly; āsīn — there was; mahāyakṣaḥ — a great yakṣa; suketur — Suketu; nāma — by name; vīryavān — valorous; anapatyaḥ — childless; śubhācāraḥ — of pure conduct; sa — he; ca — and; tepe — practised (austerity); mahat — great; tapaḥ — austerity

1.24.5

pitāmahas tu suprītas tasya yakṣapates tadā
kanyāratnaṃ dadau rāma tāṭakāṃ nāma nāmataḥ

And the Grandsire (Brahmā), well pleased, then gave to that lord of yakṣas a jewel of a daughter, O Rāma, Tāṭakā by name.

Words: pitāmahas — the Grandsire (Brahmā); tu — and; suprītas — well pleased; tasya — to that; yakṣapates — of the lord of yakṣas; tadā — then; kanyāratnaṃ — a jewel of a daughter; dadau — gave; rāma — O Rāma; tāṭakāṃ — Tāṭakā; nāma — by name; nāmataḥ — by name

1.24.6

dadau nāgasahasrasya balaṃ cāsyāḥ pitāmahaḥ
na tv eva putraṃ yakṣāya dadau brahmā mahāyaśāḥ

And the Grandsire gave her the strength of a thousand elephants; yet the greatly renowned Brahmā gave no son to that yakṣa.

Words: dadau — gave; nāgasahasrasya — of a thousand elephants; balaṃ — the strength; cāsyāḥ — and to her; pitāmahaḥ — the Grandsire; na — not; tv — but; eva — indeed; putraṃ — a son; yakṣāya — to the yakṣa; dadau — gave; brahmā — Brahmā; mahāyaśāḥ — greatly renowned

1.24.7

tāṃ tu jātāṃ vivardhantīṃ rūpayauvanaśālinīm
jambhaputrāya sundāya dadau bhāryāṃ yaśasvinīm

And her, born and growing up, graced with beauty and youth, he gave as wife — the illustrious one — to Sunda, son of Jambha.

Words: tāṃ — her; tu — and; jātāṃ — born; vivardhantīṃ — growing up; rūpayauvanaśālinīm — graced with beauty and youth; jambhaputrāya — to the son of Jambha; sundāya — to Sunda; dadau — gave; bhāryāṃ — as wife; yaśasvinīm — the illustrious

1.24.8

kasya cit tv atha kālalsya yakṣī putraṃ vyajāyata
mārīcaṃ nāma durdharṣaṃ yaḥ śāpād rākṣaso 'bhavat

And after some time the yakṣī bore a son, Mārīca by name, invincible, who by a curse became a rākṣasa.

Words: kasya — of some; cit — some (indef.); tv — but; atha — then; kālalsya — of time; yakṣī — the yakṣī; putraṃ — a son; vyajāyata — bore, gave birth to; mārīcaṃ — Mārīca; nāma — by name; durdharṣaṃ — invincible; yaḥ — who; śāpād — by a curse; rākṣaso — a rākṣasa; 'bhavat — became

1.24.9

sunde tu nihate rāma agastyam ṛṣisattamam
tāṭakā saha putreṇa pradharṣayitum icchati

And when Sunda was slain, O Rāma, Tāṭakā, together with her son, sought to assail Agastya, the best of seers.

Words: sunde — Sunda (loc. abs.); tu — and; nihate — slain (loc. abs.); rāma — O Rāma; agastyam — Agastya; ṛṣisattamam — the best of seers; tāṭakā — Tāṭakā; saha — together with; putreṇa — her son; pradharṣayitum — to assail, attack; icchati — wishes, seeks

1.24.10

rākṣasatvaṃ bhajasveti mārīcaṃ vyājahāra saḥ
agastyaḥ paramakruddhas tāṭakām api śaptavān

“Take on rākṣasa-hood!” — thus he uttered to Mārīca; and Agastya, exceedingly enraged, cursed Tāṭakā as well.

Words: rākṣasatvaṃ — rākṣasa-hood, the state of a rākṣasa; bhajasveti — ‘take on,’ thus; mārīcaṃ — to Mārīca; vyājahāra — uttered, declared; saḥ — he; agastyaḥ — Agastya; paramakruddhas — exceedingly enraged; tāṭakām — Tāṭakā; api — also, as well; śaptavān — cursed

1.24.11

puruṣādī mahāyakṣī virūpā vikṛtānanā
idaṃ rūpam apahāya dāruṇaṃ rūpam astu te

“Man-eating great yakṣī, misshapen and hideous of face — casting off this (present) form, let a dreadful form be yours!”

Words: puruṣādī — man-eating; mahāyakṣī — great yakṣī; virūpā — misshapen, deformed; vikṛtānanā — of distorted face; idaṃ — this; rūpam — form; apahāya — having cast off; dāruṇaṃ — dreadful; rūpam — form; astu — let it be; te — yours

1.24.12

saiṣā śāpakṛtāmarṣā tāṭakā krodhamūrchitā
deśam utsādayaty enam agastyacaritaṃ śubham

This Tāṭakā, indignant at the curse and senseless with rage, lays waste this fair region once frequented by Agastya.

Words: saiṣā — this one; śāpakṛtāmarṣā — indignant on account of the curse; tāṭakā — Tāṭakā; krodhamūrchitā — senseless with rage; deśam — the region; utsādayaty — lays waste; enam — this; agastyacaritaṃ — frequented by Agastya; śubham — fair, auspicious

1.24.13

enāṃ rāghava durvṛttāṃ yakṣīṃ paramadāruṇām
gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya jahi duṣṭaparākramām

This ill-conducted yakṣī, exceedingly dreadful and of wicked prowess, slay, O Rāghava, for the good of cows and brahmins.

Words: enāṃ — this; rāghava — O Rāghava; durvṛttāṃ — ill-conducted; yakṣīṃ — the yakṣī; paramadāruṇām — exceedingly dreadful; gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya — for the good of cows and brahmins; jahi — slay; duṣṭaparākramām — of wicked prowess

1.24.14

na hy enāṃ śāpasaṃsṛṣṭāṃ kaś cid utsahate pumān
nihantuṃ triṣu lokeṣu tvām ṛte raghunandana

For no man in the three worlds, save you, O delight of Raghu, dares to slay her, bound as she is by the curse.

Words: na — not; hy — for; enāṃ — her; śāpasaṃsṛṣṭāṃ — afflicted by the curse; kaś — anyone; cid — at all (indef.); utsahate — dares; pumān — man; nihantuṃ — to slay; triṣu — in the three; lokeṣu — in the worlds; tvām — you; ṛte — except, save; raghunandana — O delight of Raghu

1.24.15

na hi te strīvadhakṛte ghṛṇā kāryā narottama
cāturvarṇyahitārthāya kartavyaṃ rājasūnunā

You should feel no pity on account of the killing of a woman, O best of men; for the good of the four castes it must be done by a prince.

Words: na — not; hi — for; te — by you; strīvadhakṛte — on account of the killing of a woman; ghṛṇā — pity, compassion; kāryā — to be felt, to be done; narottama — O best of men; cāturvarṇyahitārthāya — for the good of the four castes; kartavyaṃ — to be done; rājasūnunā — by a prince (king's son)

1.24.16

rājyabhāraniyuktānām eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
adharmyāṃ jahi kākutsha dharmo hy asyā na vidyate

This is the eternal dharma of those charged with the burden of kingship; slay the unrighteous one, O Kākutstha, for no dharma is found in her.

Words: rājyabhāraniyuktānām — of those charged with the burden of kingship; eṣa — this; dharmaḥ — dharma, duty; sanātanaḥ — eternal, everlasting; adharmyāṃ — the unrighteous one; jahi — slay; kākutsha — O Kākutstha; dharmo — dharma; hy — for; asyā — in her; na — not; vidyate — is found

1.24.17

śrūyate hi purā śakro virocanasutāṃ nṛpa
pṛthivīṃ hantum icchantīṃ mantharām abhyasūdayat

For it is heard that of old Śakra (Indra) slew Mantharā, the daughter of Virocana, when she sought to destroy the earth, O king.

Words: śrūyate — it is heard; hi — for; purā — of old; śakro — Śakra (Indra); virocanasutāṃ — the daughter of Virocana; nṛpa — O king; pṛthivīṃ — the earth; hantum — to destroy; icchantīṃ — wishing, seeking; mantharām — Mantharā; abhyasūdayat — slew

1.24.18

viṣṇunā ca purā rāma bhṛgupatnī dṛḍhavratā
anindraṃ lokam icchantī kāvyamātā niṣūditā

And of old, O Rāma, by Viṣṇu was slain the wife of Bhṛgu, of firm vows, the mother of Kāvya (Śukra), when she wished to make the world without an Indra.

Words: viṣṇunā — by Viṣṇu; ca — and; purā — of old; rāma — O Rāma; bhṛgupatnī — the wife of Bhṛgu; dṛḍhavratā — of firm vows; anindraṃ — without an Indra; lokam — the world; icchantī — wishing; kāvyamātā — the mother of Kāvya (Śukra); niṣūditā — was slain

1.24.19

etaiś cānyaiś ca bahubhī rājaputramahātmabhiḥ
adharmaniratā nāryo hatāḥ puruṣasattamaiḥ

By these and by many other great-souled princes, the best of men, women bent on unrighteousness have been slain.

Words: etaiś — by these; cānyaiś — and by others; ca — and; bahubhī — by many; rājaputramahātmabhiḥ — by great-souled princes; adharmaniratā — bent on unrighteousness; nāryo — women; hatāḥ — slain; puruṣasattamaiḥ — by the best of men

← 1.23 Story of Tāṭakā’s forest: Indra’s cleansing and the ruined country · Bāla Kāṇḍa · 1.25 Rāma kills Tāṭakā →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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