बालकांड
पंचविंशति सर्गः

अथ तस्याप्रमेयस्य मुनेर्वचनमुत्तमम् ।
श्रुत्वा पुरुषशार्दूलः प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम्॥

Then that tiger among men who is unaffected by anything asked the sage with words that reflcet respect`

अल्पवीरा यदा यक्षाः श्रूयंते मुनिपुंगव ।
कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबलाबलम् ॥

'Oh best amఒng Sages ! it is known that the Yakshas are known to be not very strong . Then how is that a woman known as one without strength is born with the strength of a thousaన్d elephants?'

इत्युक्तं वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्यामितौजसः ।
हर्षयन् श्लक्षया वाचा स लक्ष्मणमरिंदमम् ॥
विश्वामित्रोs ब्रवीद्वाक्यं शृणु येन बलोत्तरा ।
वरदानकृतं वीर्यं धारयत्यबलाबलम् ॥
पूर्वमासीन्महायक्षः सुकेतुर्नाम वीर्यवान् ।
अनपत्यः शुभाचारः स च तेपे महत् तपः ॥

Hearing those words of Rama of unlimited prowess and known to be the destroyer of enemies , Viswamitra spoke to him with delight.' Oh! Rama! I will tell you why a woman known to be without strength is now supposed to be so powerful. Please listen. Because of boons she became empowered with strength of thousand eelephants. Once upon a time there was a Yaksha by name 'Suketa'. He is a very very capable person. He has unblemished character . He did not have progeny hence he performed severe penance.'

पितामहस्तु सुप्रीतः तस्य यक्ष पतेस्तदा ।
कन्यारत्नं ददौ राम ताटकांनाम नामतः ॥
ददौ नाग सहस्रस्य बलं चास्याः पितामहः ।
न त्वेन पुत्त्रंयक्षाय ददौ ब्रह्मा महायशाः ॥

' Pleased with his penance , Brahma gave him a daughter as a boon. Her name is Tataki. Thus Brahma obliged by giving a daughter with the strength of a thousand elephants but did not favor him with a son.'
तां तु जातां विवर्धंतीं रूपयौव्वन शालिनीम् ।
जंभपुत्राय मंदाय ददौ भार्यां यशस्विनीम् ॥
कस्यचित्त्वथकालस्य यक्षीपुत्रं अजायत ।
मारीचं नाम दुर्दर्षं यश्शासाद्राक्षसोsभवत् ॥

Born thus Tataki grew up to be a woman of beautiful form. She was given in marriage to 'Sunda ' the son of Jambhasura. After some time she bore a son by name Maricha. He is so powerful that he cannot be confronted. But due to a curse he became a Rakshasa.

सुंदे तु निहते राम साsगस्त्यम् ऋषिसत्तमम् ।
ताटका सहपुत्त्रेण प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति ॥
भक्षार्थं जात संरंभा गर्जंती साभ्यधावत ।
अपतंतींतु तां दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवान् ऋषिः ॥
राक्षसत्वं भजस्वेति मारीचं व्यजहार सः ।
अगस्त्यः परमक्रुद्धः ताटकामपि शप्तवान् ॥
पुरुषादि महायक्षी विरूपा विकृतानना ।
इदं रूपं विहायाथ दारुणं रूपमस्तुते ॥

'O Rama ! Sunda was killed because of Sage Agastya, Then Tataka went forward along with her son Maricha to attack the sage. In her anger she jumped forward with intent to kill the sage. The sage too cursed Maricha saying he will become a Rakshasa. He also cursed Tataki that she will lose her fair form and be one with gruesome form and with gruesomఎ face. She will become eater of human forms.'

सैषा शापकृता मर्षाताटका क्रोधमूर्च्छिता ।
देशं उत्सादयत्येनम् अगस्त्य चरितं शुभम्॥
एनां राघव दुर्वृत्तां यक्षीं परम दारुणीम् ।
गोब्राह्मण हितार्थाय जहि दुष्टपराक्रमाम् ॥
न ह्येनां शापसंस्पृष्टां कश्चिदुत्सहते पुमान् ।
निहंतुं त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वां ऋते रघुनंदन ॥

Thus cursed by sage Agasthya , Tataki could not bear her anger. She is bent on destroying all those places where the sage was moving about. Hence O Raghava ! This fearsome and very powerful Tataki who is bent on destroying all should be killed for the benifit of Brahmans and protecting the cows. Oh Scion of Raghus ! in the all the three worlds there is no one better than you to accomplish this'.

न हि ते स्त्रीवथकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम ।
चातुर्वर्ण हितार्थाय कर्तव्यं राजसूनुवा ॥
नृशंसमनृशंसं वा प्रजारक्षण कारणात् ।
पातकं वा सदोषं वा कर्तव्यं रक्षता सता ॥
राज्यभारनियुक्तानाम् एषधर्मः सनातनः ।
अधर्म्यां जहि काकुत् स्थ धर्मो ह्यस्या न विद्यते ॥

' Oh Best among men ! Donot show mercy on her with thoughts about appropriateness of killing a woman. Protecting the people of the four castes is the duty of a prince. When one is performing a duty for the benefit of people, one cannot worry if that is a cruel act or otherwise. Even if it is a sin or if it is associated with a blemish the task has to be accomplished . For those bearing the burden of the ruling the kingdom, this is their duty. In her actions there is not an iota of righteousness'.

श्रूयते हि पुरा शक्रो विरोचनसुतां नृप ।
पृथिवींहंतु मिच्छंतीं मंथराभ्यसूदयत्॥
विष्णुनापि पुरा राम भृगुपत्नी धृडव्रता ।
अनिंद्रं लोकमिच्छंती काव्यमाता निषूदिता ॥

Oh Rama! In the olden times we hear that when the daughter of Virochana by name Mandhara was set on killing the earth goddess, Indra killed her. Similarly when the wife of Bhrughu , and mother of Sukracharya was bent on Killing Indra , Lord Vishnu killed her'.

एतैश्चान्यैश्च बहुभिः राजपुत्त्र महात्मभिः ।
अधर्मसहिता नारो हताः पुरुषसत्तमैः ।
तस्मादेवानां घृणां त्यक्ता जहि मच्छासनानृप॥

Oh Prince ! Several great men had to kill women who were bent on following unrighteous ways. Hence O Rama ! without showing any mercy follow my words and kill this Tataki who is bent on despicable acts'.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकांडे पंचविंश स्सर्गः ॥
समाप्तं ॥

Thus ends chapter twenty five of Balakanda in Valmiki Ramayana

|| Om tat sat ||

|| om tat sat ||