{"kanda":1,"kandaName":"Bāla Kāṇḍa","sarga":24,"title":"Story of Tāṭakā: Birth, marriage and Agastya’s curse","sentence":"Brahmā grants Suketu a powerful daughter, Tāṭakā marries Sunda and bears Mārīca, their attack on Agastya brings his transforming curses","portion":"Tāṭakā’s forest","sequence":[[{"steps":["Rāma asks how Tāṭakā can possess such extraordinary strength (24.1–2)"],"from":1,"to":2,"sarga":24},{"steps":["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 (24.3–6)"],"from":3,"to":6,"sarga":24},{"steps":["she grew in beauty and youth, was given in marriage to Sunda, son of Jambha, and later bore Mārīca (24.7–8)"],"from":7,"to":8,"sarga":24},{"steps":["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) (24.9–11)"],"from":9,"to":11,"sarga":24},{"steps":["enraged by the curse, she laid waste this region associated with Agastya (24.12)"],"from":12,"to":12,"sarga":24},{"steps":["Viśvāmitra tells Rāma that protecting the population requires killing her despite her being a woman (24.13–16)"],"from":13,"to":16,"sarga":24},{"steps":["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 (24.17–19)."],"from":17,"to":19,"sarga":24}]],"verses":[{"v":1,"ref":"1.024.001","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"atha tasyāprameyasya muner vacanam uttamam","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"śrutvā puruṣaśārdūlaḥ pratyuvāca śubhāṃ giram","q":null}],"tr":"Then, having heard the excellent speech of that immeasurable sage, the tiger among men replied with an auspicious word:","w":[["atha","then"],["tasyāprameyasya","of that immeasurable one","tasya aprameyasya",[["a-","not"],["prameya","measurable"]]],["muner","of the sage","muneḥ"],["vacanam","speech"],["uttamam","excellent"],["śrutvā","having heard"],["puruṣaśārdūlaḥ","the tiger among men","",[["puruṣa","man"],["śārdūla","tiger"]]],["pratyuvāca","replied"],["śubhāṃ","auspicious"],["giram","word, speech"]]},{"v":2,"ref":"1.024.002","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"alpavīryā yadā yakṣāḥ śrūyante munipuṃgava","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kathaṃ nāgasahasrasya dhārayaty abalā balam","q":null}],"tr":"“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?”","w":[["alpavīryā","of little valour","",[["alpa","little"],["vīrya","valour"]]],["yadā","since, when"],["yakṣāḥ","yakṣas"],["śrūyante","are heard (to be)"],["munipuṃgava","O bull among sages","",[["muni","sage"],["puṃgava","bull, best of"]]],["kathaṃ","how"],["nāgasahasrasya","of a thousand elephants","",[["nāga","elephant"],["sahasra","thousand"]]],["dhārayaty","holds","dhārayati"],["abalā","a woman (lit. the strengthless one)"],["balam","strength"]]},{"v":3,"ref":"1.024.003","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"viśvāmitro 'bravīd vākyaṃ śṛṇu yena balottarā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"varadānakṛtaṃ vīryaṃ dhārayaty abalā balam","q":null}],"tr":"Viśvāmitra spoke this word: “Hear by what she, a woman superior in strength, holds a might born of the granting of a boon.","w":[["viśvāmitro","Viśvāmitra","viśvāmitraḥ"],["'bravīd","spoke","abravīt"],["vākyaṃ","word"],["śṛṇu","hear"],["yena","by which (means)"],["balottarā","superior in strength","",[["bala","strength"],["uttara","superior, excelling"]]],["varadānakṛtaṃ","produced by the granting of a boon","",[["vara","boon"],["dāna","giving"],["kṛta","made"]]],["vīryaṃ","might, valour"],["dhārayaty","holds","dhārayati"],["abalā","a woman"],["balam","strength"]]},{"v":4,"ref":"1.024.004","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"pūrvam āsīn mahāyakṣaḥ suketur nāma vīryavān","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"anapatyaḥ śubhācāraḥ sa ca tepe mahat tapaḥ","q":null}],"tr":"Formerly there was a great yakṣa named Suketu, valorous, childless, of pure conduct; and he practised great austerity.","w":[["pūrvam","formerly"],["āsīn","there was","āsīt"],["mahāyakṣaḥ","a great yakṣa","",[["mahā","great"],["yakṣa","yakṣa"]]],["suketur","Suketu","suketuḥ"],["nāma","by name"],["vīryavān","valorous","",[["vīrya","valour"],["-vat","possessing"]]],["anapatyaḥ","childless","",[["an-","without"],["apatya","offspring"]]],["śubhācāraḥ","of pure conduct","",[["śubha","pure, auspicious"],["ācāra","conduct"]]],["sa","he"],["ca","and"],["tepe","practised (austerity)"],["mahat","great"],["tapaḥ","austerity"]]},{"v":5,"ref":"1.024.005","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"pitāmahas tu suprītas tasya yakṣapates tadā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kanyāratnaṃ dadau rāma tāṭakāṃ nāma nāmataḥ","q":null}],"tr":"And the Grandsire (Brahmā), well pleased, then gave to that lord of yakṣas a jewel of a daughter, O Rāma, Tāṭakā by name.","w":[["pitāmahas","the Grandsire (Brahmā)","pitāmahaḥ",[["pitṛ","father"],["mahā","great"]]],["tu","and"],["suprītas","well pleased","suprītaḥ"],["tasya","to that"],["yakṣapates","of the lord of yakṣas","yakṣapateḥ",[["yakṣa","yakṣa"],["pati","lord"]]],["tadā","then"],["kanyāratnaṃ","a jewel of a daughter","",[["kanyā","daughter, maiden"],["ratna","jewel"]]],["dadau","gave"],["rāma","O Rāma"],["tāṭakāṃ","Tāṭakā"],["nāma","by name"],["nāmataḥ","by name"]]},{"v":6,"ref":"1.024.006","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"dadau nāgasahasrasya balaṃ cāsyāḥ pitāmahaḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"na tv eva putraṃ yakṣāya dadau brahmā mahāyaśāḥ","q":null}],"tr":"And the Grandsire gave her the strength of a thousand elephants; yet the greatly renowned Brahmā gave no son to that yakṣa.","w":[["dadau","gave"],["nāgasahasrasya","of a thousand elephants","",[["nāga","elephant"],["sahasra","thousand"]]],["balaṃ","the strength"],["cāsyāḥ","and to her","ca asyāḥ"],["pitāmahaḥ","the Grandsire","",[["pitṛ","father"],["mahā","great"]]],["na","not"],["tv","but","tu"],["eva","indeed"],["putraṃ","a son"],["yakṣāya","to the yakṣa"],["dadau","gave"],["brahmā","Brahmā"],["mahāyaśāḥ","greatly renowned","",[["mahā","great"],["yaśas","fame"]]]]},{"v":7,"ref":"1.024.007","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"tāṃ tu jātāṃ vivardhantīṃ rūpayauvanaśālinīm","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"jambhaputrāya sundāya dadau bhāryāṃ yaśasvinīm","q":null}],"tr":"And her, born and growing up, graced with beauty and youth, he gave as wife — the illustrious one — to Sunda, son of Jambha.","w":[["tāṃ","her"],["tu","and"],["jātāṃ","born"],["vivardhantīṃ","growing up"],["rūpayauvanaśālinīm","graced with beauty and youth","",[["rūpa","beauty, form"],["yauvana","youth"],["śālin","graced with, possessing"]]],["jambhaputrāya","to the son of Jambha","",[["jambha","Jambha"],["putra","son"]]],["sundāya","to Sunda"],["dadau","gave"],["bhāryāṃ","as wife"],["yaśasvinīm","the illustrious","",[["yaśas","fame"],["-in","possessing"]]]]},{"v":8,"ref":"1.024.008","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"kasya cit tv atha kālalsya yakṣī putraṃ vyajāyata","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"mārīcaṃ nāma durdharṣaṃ yaḥ śāpād rākṣaso 'bhavat","q":null}],"tr":"And after some time the yakṣī bore a son, Mārīca by name, invincible, who by a curse became a rākṣasa.","w":[["kasya","of some","kasya"],["cit","some (indef.)"],["tv","but","tu"],["atha","then"],["kālalsya","of time","kālasya"],["yakṣī","the yakṣī"],["putraṃ","a son"],["vyajāyata","bore, gave birth to"],["mārīcaṃ","Mārīca"],["nāma","by name"],["durdharṣaṃ","invincible","",[["dur","hard"],["dharṣa","to be assailed"]]],["yaḥ","who"],["śāpād","by a curse","śāpāt"],["rākṣaso","a rākṣasa","rākṣasaḥ"],["'bhavat","became","abhavat"]]},{"v":9,"ref":"1.024.009","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sunde tu nihate rāma agastyam ṛṣisattamam","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"tāṭakā saha putreṇa pradharṣayitum icchati","q":null}],"tr":"And when Sunda was slain, O Rāma, Tāṭakā, together with her son, sought to assail Agastya, the best of seers.","w":[["sunde","Sunda (loc. abs.)"],["tu","and"],["nihate","slain (loc. abs.)"],["rāma","O Rāma"],["agastyam","Agastya"],["ṛṣisattamam","the best of seers","",[["ṛṣi","seer"],["sattama","best of"]]],["tāṭakā","Tāṭakā"],["saha","together with"],["putreṇa","her son"],["pradharṣayitum","to assail, attack"],["icchati","wishes, seeks"]]},{"v":10,"ref":"1.024.010","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"rākṣasatvaṃ bhajasveti mārīcaṃ vyājahāra saḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"agastyaḥ paramakruddhas tāṭakām api śaptavān","q":null}],"tr":"“Take on rākṣasa-hood!” — thus he uttered to Mārīca; and Agastya, exceedingly enraged, cursed Tāṭakā as well.","w":[["rākṣasatvaṃ","rākṣasa-hood, the state of a rākṣasa","",[["rākṣasa","rākṣasa"],["-tva","the state of"]]],["bhajasveti","‘take on,’ thus","bhajasva iti"],["mārīcaṃ","to Mārīca"],["vyājahāra","uttered, declared"],["saḥ","he"],["agastyaḥ","Agastya"],["paramakruddhas","exceedingly enraged","paramakruddhaḥ",[["parama","supreme"],["kruddha","angry"]]],["tāṭakām","Tāṭakā"],["api","also, as well"],["śaptavān","cursed"]]},{"v":11,"ref":"1.024.011","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"puruṣādī mahāyakṣī virūpā vikṛtānanā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"idaṃ rūpam apahāya dāruṇaṃ rūpam astu te","q":null}],"tr":"“Man-eating great yakṣī, misshapen and hideous of face — casting off this (present) form, let a dreadful form be yours!”","w":[["puruṣādī","man-eating","",[["puruṣa","man"],["ad","eating"]]],["mahāyakṣī","great yakṣī","",[["mahā","great"],["yakṣī","yakṣī"]]],["virūpā","misshapen, deformed","",[["vi-","away, dis-"],["rūpa","form"]]],["vikṛtānanā","of distorted face","",[["vikṛta","distorted"],["ānana","face"]]],["idaṃ","this"],["rūpam","form"],["apahāya","having cast off"],["dāruṇaṃ","dreadful"],["rūpam","form"],["astu","let it be"],["te","yours"]]},{"v":12,"ref":"1.024.012","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"saiṣā śāpakṛtāmarṣā tāṭakā krodhamūrchitā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"deśam utsādayaty enam agastyacaritaṃ śubham","q":null}],"tr":"This Tāṭakā, indignant at the curse and senseless with rage, lays waste this fair region once frequented by Agastya.","w":[["saiṣā","this one","sā eṣā"],["śāpakṛtāmarṣā","indignant on account of the curse","",[["śāpa","curse"],["kṛta","made, caused"],["amarṣa","indignation, wrath"]]],["tāṭakā","Tāṭakā"],["krodhamūrchitā","senseless with rage","",[["krodha","anger"],["mūrchita","stupefied, senseless"]]],["deśam","the region"],["utsādayaty","lays waste","utsādayati"],["enam","this"],["agastyacaritaṃ","frequented by Agastya","",[["agastya","Agastya"],["carita","roamed, frequented"]]],["śubham","fair, auspicious"]]},{"v":13,"ref":"1.024.013","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"enāṃ rāghava durvṛttāṃ yakṣīṃ paramadāruṇām","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya jahi duṣṭaparākramām","q":null}],"tr":"This ill-conducted yakṣī, exceedingly dreadful and of wicked prowess, slay, O Rāghava, for the good of cows and brahmins.","w":[["enāṃ","this"],["rāghava","O Rāghava"],["durvṛttāṃ","ill-conducted","",[["dur","evil"],["vṛtta","conduct"]]],["yakṣīṃ","the yakṣī"],["paramadāruṇām","exceedingly dreadful","",[["parama","supreme"],["dāruṇa","dreadful"]]],["gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya","for the good of cows and brahmins","",[["go","cow"],["brāhmaṇa","brahmin"],["hita","good, welfare"],["artha","purpose"]]],["jahi","slay"],["duṣṭaparākramām","of wicked prowess","",[["duṣṭa","wicked"],["parākrama","prowess"]]]]},{"v":14,"ref":"1.024.014","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"na hy enāṃ śāpasaṃsṛṣṭāṃ kaś cid utsahate pumān","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"nihantuṃ triṣu lokeṣu tvām ṛte raghunandana","q":null}],"tr":"For no man in the three worlds, save you, O delight of Raghu, dares to slay her, bound as she is by the curse.","w":[["na","not"],["hy","for","hi"],["enāṃ","her"],["śāpasaṃsṛṣṭāṃ","afflicted by the curse","",[["śāpa","curse"],["saṃsṛṣṭa","joined, afflicted"]]],["kaś","anyone","kaḥ"],["cid","at all (indef.)","cit"],["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","",[["raghu","Raghu"],["nandana","delight"]]]]},{"v":15,"ref":"1.024.015","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"na hi te strīvadhakṛte ghṛṇā kāryā narottama","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"cāturvarṇyahitārthāya kartavyaṃ rājasūnunā","q":null}],"tr":"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.","w":[["na","not"],["hi","for"],["te","by you"],["strīvadhakṛte","on account of the killing of a woman","",[["strī","woman"],["vadha","killing"],["kṛta","on account of, done"]]],["ghṛṇā","pity, compassion"],["kāryā","to be felt, to be done"],["narottama","O best of men","",[["nara","man"],["uttama","best"]]],["cāturvarṇyahitārthāya","for the good of the four castes","",[["cāturvarṇya","the four castes"],["hita","good"],["artha","purpose"]]],["kartavyaṃ","to be done"],["rājasūnunā","by a prince (king's son)","",[["rāja","king"],["sūnu","son"]]]]},{"v":16,"ref":"1.024.016","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"rājyabhāraniyuktānām eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"adharmyāṃ jahi kākutsha dharmo hy asyā na vidyate","q":null}],"tr":"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.","w":[["rājyabhāraniyuktānām","of those charged with the burden of kingship","",[["rājya","kingdom"],["bhāra","burden"],["niyukta","charged, appointed"]]],["eṣa","this","eṣaḥ"],["dharmaḥ","dharma, duty"],["sanātanaḥ","eternal, everlasting"],["adharmyāṃ","the unrighteous one","",[["a-","not"],["dharmya","righteous"]]],["jahi","slay"],["kākutsha","O Kākutstha","kākutstha"],["dharmo","dharma","dharmaḥ"],["hy","for","hi"],["asyā","in her","asyāḥ"],["na","not"],["vidyate","is found"]]},{"v":17,"ref":"1.024.017","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"śrūyate hi purā śakro virocanasutāṃ nṛpa","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"pṛthivīṃ hantum icchantīṃ mantharām abhyasūdayat","q":null}],"tr":"For it is heard that of old Śakra (Indra) slew Mantharā, the daughter of Virocana, when she sought to destroy the earth, O king.","w":[["śrūyate","it is heard"],["hi","for"],["purā","of old"],["śakro","Śakra (Indra)","śakraḥ"],["virocanasutāṃ","the daughter of Virocana","",[["virocana","Virocana"],["sutā","daughter"]]],["nṛpa","O king"],["pṛthivīṃ","the earth"],["hantum","to destroy"],["icchantīṃ","wishing, seeking"],["mantharām","Mantharā"],["abhyasūdayat","slew"]]},{"v":18,"ref":"1.024.018","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"viṣṇunā ca purā rāma bhṛgupatnī dṛḍhavratā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"anindraṃ lokam icchantī kāvyamātā niṣūditā","q":null}],"tr":"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.","w":[["viṣṇunā","by Viṣṇu"],["ca","and"],["purā","of old"],["rāma","O Rāma"],["bhṛgupatnī","the wife of Bhṛgu","",[["bhṛgu","Bhṛgu"],["patnī","wife"]]],["dṛḍhavratā","of firm vows","",[["dṛḍha","firm"],["vrata","vow"]]],["anindraṃ","without an Indra","",[["an-","without"],["indra","Indra"]]],["lokam","the world"],["icchantī","wishing"],["kāvyamātā","the mother of Kāvya (Śukra)","",[["kāvya","Kāvya (Uśanas, Śukra)"],["mātṛ","mother"]]],["niṣūditā","was slain"]]},{"v":19,"ref":"1.024.019","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"etaiś cānyaiś ca bahubhī rājaputramahātmabhiḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"adharmaniratā nāryo hatāḥ puruṣasattamaiḥ","q":null}],"tr":"By these and by many other great-souled princes, the best of men, women bent on unrighteousness have been slain.","w":[["etaiś","by these","etaiḥ"],["cānyaiś","and by others","ca anyaiḥ"],["ca","and"],["bahubhī","by many","bahubhiḥ"],["rājaputramahātmabhiḥ","by great-souled princes","",[["rāja","king"],["putra","son"],["mahātman","great-souled"]]],["adharmaniratā","bent on unrighteousness","adharmaniratāḥ",[["adharma","unrighteousness"],["nirata","devoted, bent on"]]],["nāryo","women","nāryaḥ"],["hatāḥ","slain"],["puruṣasattamaiḥ","by the best of men","",[["puruṣa","man"],["sattama","best of"]]]]}]}