Reading Notes: Starting the Ramayana

Reading Notes: The Story of Thataka
Page 22 Narayan

Rama and Lakshma confront the demons

Thataka, the daughter of a demigod, was a spectacularly powerful woman. She met an equally, if not more, powerful man named Sunda who was a chieftain. They had two sons, Mareecha and Subahu. The combination of the genetics they inherited from their mother and father led them to become powerful on many levels. Their strength in the physical sense was nearly unimaginable- and this strength was matched by their unmatched supernatural abilities. The family was exceedingly arrogant in their strength and prowess, and began to wreak havoc on the land around themselves, tearing into nature. Sunda excavated with a mighty pull an ancient and spiritually significant group of trees- prompting Agathya to come out of his rest and cursed him to die. When his family found him they were cursed as well to transform from demigods to a class of demon. The sons went far away to demonize other lands, Thataka stayed and turned the previously rich area into a desert, cracked and scorched and devoid of life and hope.

On Rama’s long journey with Viswamithra they passed through this desert, and after inquiring to Vishramithra about the state of their surroundings, Rama came face to face with the fearsome She-Demon known as Thataka. Rama was hesitant to strike down a woman, and relayed this information to his good friend Viswamithra this concern. He was assured that it was, in fact, not only a fair fight between the two (Rama and Thataka) but that Rama would be doing the whole world a favor by striking her down. He easily won the battle, only to be left to face her sons. Rama and his brother struck them down as well, sending them scurrying back to the corners of the Earth. Rama and his brother and Viswamithra continued on their path to a far away kingdom, the brothers listening to stories along the way.