Bala Kanda, Sarga 26

Meaning

Hearing the utterance of the sage Viśwāmitra, which was anything but cowardly, Prince Rāma, a scion of Raghu, firm of resolve as he was, replied as follows with folded hands : (1)

Meaning

“In the midst of other elders at Ayodhyā I was instructed by my high-souled father, King Daśaratha, in the following words : ‘In pursuance of the instructions of your father conveyed in his actual words and out of respect for your father’s word the command of Viśwāmitra (a scion of Kuśa) must be carried out by you without any scruple !’ His admonition, therefore, should on no account be ignnored by me. (2-3)

Meaning

“Having heard the aforesaid exhortation of my father and in obedience to the command of an exponent of the Vedas in you, I shall accordingly discharge my foremost duty in the form of killing the ogress, Tāṭakā—there is no doubt about it. (4)

Meaning

“For the purpose of doing good to the cows and the Brāhmaṇas and in the interest of this region as well as in your own interest (in the shape of your gratification) I am prepared to do your bidding, possessed as you are of immeasurable glory.” (5)

Meaning

Saying so and clenching his left fist around the middle of his bow, Śrī Rāma (who was capable of taming his enemy) produced a sharp twang, making the quarters resound with loud reverberations. (6)

Meaning

The dwellers in the forest haunted by Tāṭakā (viz., the followers of Tāṭakā) were terrified by that sound; while Tāṭakā, who was stunned in the first instance by that sound, got terribly enraged. (7)

Meaning

The ogress was overwhelmed with wrath on hearing that sound and, having heard it, rushed angrily in the direction whence the sound had emantated. (8)

Meaning

Seeing her enraged and deformed with a mis-shapen countenance and monstrous in size, the celebrated Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, addressed Lakṣmaṇa as follows : (9)

Meaning

“Behold, O Lakṣmaṇa, the formidable and fearful body of the Yakṣa woman; the hearts of the timorous will break at her very sight. (10)

Meaning

“See how I put her to flight today once she has been deprived of her ears and the tip of her nose, even though she is difficult to subdue and equipped with the power of Māyā (conjuring tricks). (11)

Meaning

“I do not really feel inclined to kill her, protected as she is by her womanhood. Let me put an end to her prowess (capacity to worst others) as well as to her power of motion by depriving her of her hands and feet and thereby rendering her incapable of further devastation: such indeed is my resovle.” (12)

Meaning

Even while Śrī Rāma was speaking thus to Lakṣmaṇa, Tāṭakā, overwhelmed with anger, rushed towards Rāma himself, lifting up her arms and roaring. (13)

Meaning

Threatening her with the sound of ‘hum’, the Brāhmaṇa sage Viśwāmitra, however, exclaimed saying “Good luck to the two scions of Raghu !” and further raised a shout of “Victory !” (14)

Meaning

Raising plentiful dust, the said Tāṭakā perplexed both the scions of Raghu with a huge cloud of dust for an hour or so. (15)

Meaning

Then, falling back upon conjuring tricks, she covered the two scions of Raghu with a tremendous shower of rocks. Thereupon Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, flew into a rage. (16)

Meaning

Parrying the copious shower of rocks sent down by her with a counter shower of shafts, Śrī Rāma cut off her arms with arrows even as she came running towards him. (17)

Meaning

Then out of anger Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā, the second wife of Daśaratha) deprived her of her ears and the tip of her nose while she was roaring close by exhausted, with her arms severed. (18)

Meaning

Assuming numerous forms, the said Yakṣa woman, however, capable as she was of taking any form at will, went out of sight, mystifying the two brothers by her conjuring tricks. (19)

Meaning

Pouring a terrible shower of rocks, she freely moved about hither and thither. Seeing them being covered by a shower of stones on all sides, the glorious Viśwāmitra, son of Gādhi, tendered the following advice to them : “Have done with your tenderness, O Rāma ! This sinful Yakṣa woman of wicked conduct, interfering as she does with sacrificial performances, should be got rid of even before she gains strength through her conjuring tricks. The twilight is fast approaching there. (20—22)

Meaning

“For in the evening, really speaking, the ogres are hard to overcome.” Showing his skill in hitting a target (not visible to the eye) with the help of the sound coming from it, the celebrated Śrī Rāma, thus addressed by Viśwāmitra, impeded that notorious Yakṣa woman, who was covering them with a shower of stones, with his own arrows. Intercepted with a network of arrows the ogress, equipped as she was with the power of conjuring tricks, ran roaring towards Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, and Lakṣmaṇa. Śrī Rāma hit her in the breast with a shaft as she came rushing like a thunderbolt discharged with force by Indra, with the result that she fell down dead. Seeing her, so terrible of aspect, dead, Indra, the ruler of gods, as well as the other gods applauded Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, saying “Well done ! Bravo !!” Highly pleased, the thousand-eyed Indra (the demolisher of strongholds) as well as all the gods, extremely delighted, presently said to Viśwāmitra as follows : “May good betide you, O Viśwāmitra, a scion of Kuśa ! All the hosts of gods including Indra (their ruler) stand gratified with this feat. Please show your affection towards Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu. Impart to Śrī Rāma the knowledge of the missiles presided over by the sons of K¡śāśwa—a lord of created beings—possessed of unfailing prowess and wielding great might acquired through austerities. He is worthy of receiving your favour and is devoted to your service, O holy Brāhmaṇa ! (23—30)

Meaning

A great object of gods is going to be accomplished by the prince, Śrī Rāma.” Saying so all the gods disappeared into the heavens, extolling Viśwāmitra, and then the twilight set in. Lovingly smelling the crown of the head of Śrī Rāma, Viśwāmitra, the foremost of hermits, who felt consoled by the death of Tāṭakā, then addressed the following words to Śrī Rāma : “Let us spend this night here, O good-looking Rāma ! Next morning at sunrise we shall proceed to the site of my well-known hermitage.” Pleased to hear the words of Viśwāmitra, Śrī Rāma, son of Daśaratha, happily spent the night in that forest, which had so long been the haunt of Tāṭakā. Nay, the aforesaid forest, instantly rid of molestation that very day, shone brightly like the delightful grove of Caitraratha (belonging to Kubera and existing in his capital, Alakā). (31—35)

Meaning

Having disposed of the aforesaid Tāṭakā, (the daughter of a Yakṣa) and being applauded by hosts of gods and Siddhas, the celebrated Śrī Rāma halted for the night in the forest in the company of the sage, being awakened by the latter towards sunrise. (36)