# Bāla Kāṇḍa 25 — Rāma kills Tāṭakā *Rāma’s bowstring draws her attack, he kills her with an arrow to the breast and the Devas ask Viśvāmitra to reward him with divine weapons* Portion: Tāṭakā’s forest · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 1.25. ## Sequence - Rāma joins his palms and agrees to obey Viśvāmitra → he recalls Daśaratha’s instruction, given in Ayodhyā before his elders, and affirms the need to protect the region, cows, and brāhmaṇas (25.1–5) - he grips the middle of his bow firmly in his fist and makes the bowstring twang fiercely, filling every direction with sound → the forest creatures are terrified → bewildered and enraged by the sound, Tāṭakā rushes toward its source (25.6–8) - seeing the rākṣasī’s monstrous body, Rāma tells Lakṣmaṇa that he still intends to disable her rather than kill a woman: he proposes cutting her nose and ears and destroying her power to move and attack (25.9–12) - before he finishes, she charges roaring with her arms raised, springing forward like a thunderbolt → Rāma shoots her in the breast, and she falls dead (25.13–14) - Indra and the Suras praise the deed → they ask Viśvāmitra to give Rāma the divine weapons—Prajāpati Bhṛśāśva’s sons, sustained by the power of austerity—since he is a worthy pupil with a great divine task ahead (25.15–19) - the Suras depart as twilight approaches → Viśvāmitra, delighted by Tāṭakā's death, kisses Rāma on the head and proposes spending the night there before continuing to his hermitage at dawn (25.20–22). ## Verses **1.25.1** muner vacanam aklībaṃ śrutvā naravarātmajaḥ rāghavaḥ prāñjalir bhūtvā pratyuvāca dṛḍhavrataḥ Hearing the manly speech of the sage, the son of the best of men, Rāghava, of firm vows, joined his palms and replied: **1.25.2** pitur vacananirdeśāt pitur vacanagauravāt vacanaṃ kauśikasyeti kartavyam aviśaṅkayā “By the injunction of my father's word, and out of reverence for my father's word, the word of the Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) must be carried out without hesitation. **1.25.3** anuśiṣṭo 'smy ayodhyāyāṃ gurumadhye mahātmanā pitrā daśarathenāhaṃ nāvajñeyaṃ ca tad vacaḥ I was instructed in Ayodhyā, in the midst of my elders, by the great-souled one, my father Daśaratha; and that word (of his) is not to be disregarded. **1.25.4** so 'haṃ pitur vacaḥ śrutvā śāsanād brahma vādinaḥ kariṣyāmi na saṃdehas tāṭakāvadham uttamam So I, having heard my father's word, at the command of the utterer of sacred lore, shall accomplish the excellent slaying of Tāṭakā — of this there is no doubt. **1.25.5** gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya deśasyāsya sukhāya ca tava caivāprameyasya vacanaṃ kartum udyataḥ For the good of cows and brahmins, for the well-being of this region, and in obedience to the word of you, the immeasurable one, I am ready to act. **1.25.6** evam uktvā dhanurmadhye baddhvā muṣṭim ariṃdamaḥ jyāśabdam akarot tīvraṃ diśaḥ śabdena pūrayan Having spoken thus, the tamer of foes, gripping his fist at the middle of the bow, made a fierce twang of the bowstring, filling the quarters with the sound. **1.25.7** tena śabdena vitrastās tāṭakā vanavāsinaḥ tāṭakā ca susaṃkruddhā tena śabdena mohitā By that sound the dwellers of Tāṭakā's forest were terrified; and Tāṭakā herself, greatly enraged, was bewildered by that sound. **1.25.8** taṃ śabdam abhinidhyāya rākṣasī krodhamūrchitā śrutvā cābhyadravad vegād yataḥ śabdo viniḥsṛtaḥ Fixing her attention on that sound, the rākṣasī, senseless with rage, and having heard it, rushed with speed toward where the sound had issued forth. **1.25.9** tāṃ dṛṣṭvā rāghavaḥ kruddhāṃ vikṛtāṃ vikṛtānanām pramāṇenātivṛddhāṃ ca lakṣmaṇaṃ so 'bhyabhāṣata Seeing her — enraged, deformed, of distorted face, and of enormous size — Rāghava said to Lakṣmaṇa: **1.25.10** paśya lakṣmaṇa yakṣiṇyā bhairavaṃ dāruṇaṃ vapuḥ bhidyeran darśanād asyā bhīrūṇāṃ hṛdayāni ca “Behold, Lakṣmaṇa, the fearful, dreadful body of the yakṣī; the hearts of the timid would burst at the very sight of her. **1.25.11** enāṃ paśya durādharṣāṃ māyā balasamanvitām vinivṛttāṃ karomy adya hṛtakarṇāgranāsikām Behold her, hard to assail, endowed with the power of magic; today I shall drive her back, her ear-tips and nose lopped off. **1.25.12** na hy enām utsahe hantuṃ strīsvabhāvena rakṣitām vīryaṃ cāsyā gatiṃ cāpi haniṣyāmīti me matiḥ For I do not venture to slay her, protected as she is by her woman's nature; but I will destroy her strength and her power of movement — such is my intent.” **1.25.13** evaṃ bruvāṇe rāme tu tāṭakā krodhamūrchitā udyamya bāhū garjantī rāmam evābhyadhāvata But as Rāma was speaking thus, Tāṭakā, senseless with rage, raising her arms and roaring, rushed straight at Rāma. **1.25.14** tām āpatantīṃ vegena vikrāntām aśanīm iva śareṇorasi vivyādha sā papāta mamāra ca As she rushed on with speed, springing forth like a thunderbolt, he pierced her in the breast with an arrow; she fell and died. **1.25.15** tāṃ hatāṃ bhīmasaṃkāśāṃ dṛṣṭvā surapatis tadā sādhu sādhv iti kākutsthaṃ surāś ca samapūjayan Seeing her of fearful aspect slain, the lord of the gods then, and the gods, honoured Kākutstha (Rāma), (crying) “Well done, well done!” **1.25.16** uvāca paramaprītaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ puraṃdaraḥ surāś ca sarve saṃhṛṣṭā viśvāmitram athābruvan The thousand-eyed Puraṃdara (Indra), greatly delighted, spoke; and all the gods, thrilled, then said to Viśvāmitra: **1.25.17** mune kauśike bhadraṃ te sendrāḥ sarve marudgaṇāḥ toṣitāḥ karmaṇānena snehaṃ darśaya rāghave “O sage Kauśika, blessings on you! All the hosts of the Maruts, together with Indra, are gratified by this deed; show now your affection to Rāghava. **1.25.18** prajāpater bhṛśāśvasya putrān satyaparākramān tapobalabhṛtān brahman rāghavāya nivedaya O brahmin, present to Rāghava the sons of Prajāpati Bhṛśāśva (the divine weapons), of true valour, sustained by the power of austerity. **1.25.19** pātrabhūtaś ca te brahmaṃs tavānugamane dhṛtaḥ kartavyaṃ ca mahat karma surāṇāṃ rājasūnunā And he is a worthy recipient for you, O brahmin, and is resolved on following you; and a great work for the gods is to be done by the prince. **1.25.20** evam uktvā surāḥ sarve hṛṣṭā jagmur yathāgatam viśvāmitraṃ pūjayitvā tataḥ saṃdhyā pravartate Having spoken thus, all the gods, delighted, having honoured Viśvāmitra, departed as they had come; then the twilight came on. **1.25.21** tato munivaraḥ prītis tāṭakā vadhatoṣitaḥ mūrdhni rāmam upāghrāya idaṃ vacanam abravīt Then the best of sages, pleased, gratified by the slaying of Tāṭakā, kissing Rāma on the head, spoke these words: **1.25.22** ihādya rajanīṃ rāma vasema śubhadarśana śvaḥ prabhāte gamiṣyāmas tad āśramapadaṃ mama “Here today let us spend the night, O Rāma of auspicious aspect; tomorrow at dawn we shall go to that hermitage of mine.”