Thataka
Encyclopedia
Tadaka was a Yaksha princess-turned-demoness in the epic Ramayana
. The daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu
, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sumali
, an Asura King. She bore Sumali
two sons, Subahu
and Maricha
, and a daughter, Kaikesi
.
Tadaka and Sumali schemed to marry off Kaikesi
to the Rishi Vishrava
in order to obtain progeny that would be all-powerful and rule over all the three worlds. They orchestrated their daughter's "chance encounter" with Vishrava
, whereupon the Rishi, although already married, fell in love with Kaikesi
and through her, fathered Ravana
, the mighty Asura King of Lanka, Vibhishana
, Kumbhakarna
and Soorpanaka, all of whom would later play important roles in the immortal epic, the Ramayana
.
When Rishi Agastya
cursed both Suketu
and Sumali
to death, Tadaka took it upon herself (with her son, Subahu's, aid) to wreak vengeance on the sage. This earned them both the Rishi's anger. Agastya cursed Tadaka with the loss of her beautiful physique, and transformed both mother and son into hideous demonic creatures with a cruel, cannibalistic nature.
As revenge, Tadaka and Subahu attempted to harass as many rishis as they could, by destroying their Yagnas
with rains of flesh and blood. Brahmarishi Vishwamitra was especially at the receiving end of Tadaka's harassment. Unable to cope with her mischief any longer, Vishwamitra finally approached Dasaratha
, the King of Kosala
, for help. The King obliged by sending two of his four sons, the 16-yr-olds, Rama
and Lakshmana
, to the forest, charging them to protect both Vishwamitra and his Yagna
When Tadaka and Subahu both attempted to destroy yet another of Vishwamitra's yagnas, Rama
warned them not do so. They responded by laughing at Rama
, and deriding him as a 'mere boy'. The 'mere boy' retaliated by slaying both mother and son swiftly.
This act gained the young princes the blessings of not just Vishwamitra but also the blessings of all of the assembled sages in the yagnashala.
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. The daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu
Suketu
Suketu was a Yaksha King in the epic Ramayana, and the father of the demoness, Thataka. After being childless for many years, Suketu meditated upon the Creator Brahma and was granted the gift of a beautiful daughter...
, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sumali
Sumali
Sumali is the grandfather of Ravana, the principal antagonist of the Ramayana.He, his elder brother Malyavan and younger brother Mali were the sons of the daitya Sukesh....
, an Asura King. She bore Sumali
Sumali
Sumali is the grandfather of Ravana, the principal antagonist of the Ramayana.He, his elder brother Malyavan and younger brother Mali were the sons of the daitya Sukesh....
two sons, Subahu
Subahu
Subahu is a rakshasa character in the Ramayana. He and his mother, Tataka, took immense pleasure in harassing the munis of the jungle, especially Vishvamitra, by disrupting their yajnas with rains of flesh and blood....
and Maricha
Maricha
Maricha or Mareecha was a rakshasa who played a small but important part in the Indian Ramayana epic. He was thrown into a remote island by the arrow of Lord Rama when he tried to interrupt Sage Vishwamitra's yagna. After that he became very afraid of the very mention of the name Rama...
, and a daughter, Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
.
Tadaka and Sumali schemed to marry off Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
to the Rishi Vishrava
Vishrava
Vishrava was the son of Pulastya and the grandson of Brahma, the Creator, and a powerful Rishi as described in a scripture epic of Ancient India. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through Tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow Rishis...
in order to obtain progeny that would be all-powerful and rule over all the three worlds. They orchestrated their daughter's "chance encounter" with Vishrava
Vishrava
Vishrava was the son of Pulastya and the grandson of Brahma, the Creator, and a powerful Rishi as described in a scripture epic of Ancient India. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through Tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow Rishis...
, whereupon the Rishi, although already married, fell in love with Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
and through her, fathered Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, the mighty Asura King of Lanka, Vibhishana
Vibhishana
Vibhishana or Bibhishan is a character in the epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion...
, Kumbhakarna
Kumbhakarna
Kumbhakarna , is a rakshasa and brother of Ravana in the Indian Ramayana epic...
and Soorpanaka, all of whom would later play important roles in the immortal epic, the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
When Rishi Agastya
Agastya
Agastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
cursed both Suketu
Suketu
Suketu was a Yaksha King in the epic Ramayana, and the father of the demoness, Thataka. After being childless for many years, Suketu meditated upon the Creator Brahma and was granted the gift of a beautiful daughter...
and Sumali
Sumali
Sumali is the grandfather of Ravana, the principal antagonist of the Ramayana.He, his elder brother Malyavan and younger brother Mali were the sons of the daitya Sukesh....
to death, Tadaka took it upon herself (with her son, Subahu's, aid) to wreak vengeance on the sage. This earned them both the Rishi's anger. Agastya cursed Tadaka with the loss of her beautiful physique, and transformed both mother and son into hideous demonic creatures with a cruel, cannibalistic nature.
As revenge, Tadaka and Subahu attempted to harass as many rishis as they could, by destroying their Yagnas
Yajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...
with rains of flesh and blood. Brahmarishi Vishwamitra was especially at the receiving end of Tadaka's harassment. Unable to cope with her mischief any longer, Vishwamitra finally approached Dasaratha
Dasaratha
Dasharatha was a king of Ayodhya of the Ikshvaku dynasty whose life story is narrated principally in the Hindu epic Ramayana...
, the King of Kosala
Kosala
Kosala was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text, the Bhagavati Sutra, Kosala was one of the Solasa Mahajanapadas in 6th century BCE and its cultural and...
, for help. The King obliged by sending two of his four sons, the 16-yr-olds, Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, to the forest, charging them to protect both Vishwamitra and his Yagna
Yajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...
When Tadaka and Subahu both attempted to destroy yet another of Vishwamitra's yagnas, Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
warned them not do so. They responded by laughing at Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, and deriding him as a 'mere boy'. The 'mere boy' retaliated by slaying both mother and son swiftly.
This act gained the young princes the blessings of not just Vishwamitra but also the blessings of all of the assembled sages in the yagnashala.