`O!   Best   among   sages!   Yaksas   are   known   to   be   of little   valour.   Then,   how   does   a   female   possess   the   might of   a   thousand   mammoths   ?'   (2)
tÞy   tÑ¥cn|   ½¤Ïva   ramÞy   ¢v¢dtaÏmn:   .
hxIyM¯ÜlßNya   vaca   slßmNm¢rÓdmm¯   ¡3¡

tÞy

his

tt¯

those

vcn|

words

½¤Ïva

hearing

ramÞy

of Rama

¢v¢dtaÏmn:

reputed for his sharp intellect

hxIyn¯

making happy

ÜlßNya

nice and soft

vaca

words

slßmN|

along with Lakshmana

A¢rÓdmm¯

the suppressor of foes

 
¢váa¢mæOaE{b#v£¹aÀy|   ½¦N¤   yEn   blaEäOra   .
vrdank]t|   v£yI|   DaryÏybla   blm¯   ¡4¡

¢váa¢mæO:

Viswamitra

Ab#v£t¯

replied

vaÀy|

words

½¦N¤	may you listen

yEn	for what reason

blaEäOra

the superior among the strong

vr

boons

dan

bestowed

k]t|	brought about

v£yI|

prowess

Dary¢t

bears

Abla	the frail (woman Tataka)

blm¯

strength

Upon   hearing   those   utterances   of   Rama,   reputed   to   be   of   sharp intellect,   Viswamitra,   much   to   the   joy   of   Rama   who   was   with Lakshmana   and   was   capable   of   demolishing   his   foes,   said   the following.   `This   woman   is   very   mighty,   as   she   wears   her physical   strength   by   virtue   of   the   boons   secured   by   her, the   details   of   which   may   you   listen   (3-4).
p¥vImas£ÓmhayX:   s¤kEt¤naIm   v£yIvan¯   .
AnpÏy:   S¤Bacar:   s   c   tEpE   mhäOp:   ¡5¡ 

p¥vI|

long,long ago

Aas£t¯

there lived

mhayX:

a great Yaksha

s¤kEt¤:

Suketu

nam

known as

v£yIvan¯

of great valour

AnpÏy:

issueless

S¤Bacar:

of excellent conduct

s:

he

c

and

tEpE	engaged in penance

mht¯	of severe nature

tp:	austerities

There   was,   in   the   olden   days,   a   great   Yaksa   called   Suketu, who   was   greatly   valorous.   As   he   did   not   have   progeny,   he engaged   himself   in   severe   penance,and   followed   a meritorious   way   of   life   (5).  
¢ptamhÞt¤   s¤p#£tÞtÞy   yXptEÞtda   .
kÓyarÏn|   ddaW   ram   tazka|   nam   namt:   ¡6¡

¢ptamh:

the grandsire (Brahma)

t¤

verily

s¤p#£t:

extremely pleased

tÞy

to him

yXptE:

the chief among Yakshas

tda

thereupon

kÓyarÏn|

a jewel among maidens

ddaW

gave

ram

O! Rama!

tazka|

Tataka

nam

known as

namt:

by name

Lord   Brahma,   who   was   highly   pleased   with   that   chief   of   Yaksas, O!   Rama!   bestowed   on   him   a   maiden   named   Tataka,   a   jewel among   maidens   (6).
ddaW   nagsh*Þy   bl|   caÞya:   ¢ptamh:   .
n   ÏvEv   p¤æO|   yXay   ddaW   b#'a   mhaySa:   ¡7¡

ddaW

gave

nagsh*Þy

of a thousand elephants

bl|

strength

c

and

AÞya:

to her

¢ptamh:

the grand sire

n

not

t¤

but

ev

verily

p¤æO|

son

yXay	to the Yaksha

ddaW

gave

b#'a	Lord Brahma

mhaySa:

of extensive repute

Lord   Brahma,   the   Grandsire   of   great   repute,   blessed   her with   the   strength   of   a   thousand   elephants   but   did   not   grant the   Yaksa   a   son   (7).
ta|   t¤   jata|   ¢vvDIÓt£|   ãpyaWvnSa¢ln£m¯   .
JJIp¤æOay   s¤Óday   ddaW   BayaI|   yS¢Þvn£m¯   ¡8¡

ta|

her

t¤

indeed

jata|

so born

¢vvDIÓt£|

and growing up

ãp	in form (beauty)

yaWvn

youth

Sa¢ln£m¯

endowed with

JJIp¤æOay

the son of Jharjha

s¤Óday

Sunda

ddaW

bestowed

BayaI|

as a wife

yS¢Þvn£m¯

this reputed one

 
Born   thus   and   growing   with   youth,   beauty   and   acclaim, (the   Yaksha)   gave   (her)   in   marriage   to   Sunda,   the   son of   Jharjha   (8).  
kÞy¢cÏvT   kalÞy   yX£   p¤æO|   Ûyjayt   .
mar£c|   nam   ѤDIxI|   y:   Sapad#aXsaE{Bvt¯   ¡9¡

kÞy¢ct¯

after certain

t¤

verily

AT	thereafter

kalÞy

time interval

yX£	the yakshi (Tataka)

p¤æO|

son

Ûyjayt

gave birth to

mar£c|

Marica

nam

named

ѤDIxI|

irrepressible

y:

who

Sapat¯

on account of a curse

raXs:

a demon

ABvt¯

was rendered

Thereafter,   after   the   passage   of   some   time,   the   Yaksi   brought forth   a   son   named   Maricha,   an   irrepressible   one   who   became a   demon,   due   to   a   curse   (9).  
s¤ÓdE   t¤   ¢nhtE   ram   sa{gÞÏym¦¢xsäOmm¯   .
tazka   sh   p¤æOEN   p#DxI¢yt¤¢mÅC¢t   ¡10¡

s¤ÓdE

when Sunda

t¤

indeed

¢nhtE

was destroyed

ram

O! Rama!

sa

she

AgÞÏy|

Agasthya

§¢x

sage

säOmm¯

best among

tazka

Tataka

sh	accompanied by

p¤æOEN

son

p#DxI¢yt¤|

to suppress

iÅC¢t

was desirous

 
O!   Rama!   On   the   death   of   Sunda,   that   Tataka,   along   with Maricha,   started   tormenting   the   exalted   sage   Agasthya   (10).