look news india
News India Live, Digital Desk: Often when we mention Ramayana, pictures of Ram, Lakshman and Hanuman ji start roaming in our mind. But many challenges came in the life of Lord Rama even before defeating Ravana. One of the most prominent among them was ‘Tadka’. Many people see her only as a ferocious demon, but if we look back a little, Tadka has a different story of her own.
That Tadka who was once a beautiful Yakshini
Hardly you know that Tadka was not actually from the demonic clan. She was the daughter of a Yaksha named Suketu. She was so beautiful and strong that it was said that she had the strength of a thousand elephants. She was married to a person named Sund. But the cycle of time turned such that once Taadka’s husband insulted sage Agastya, due to which the sage got angry and burnt him to ashes. After this, when Taadka and his sons (Marich and Subahu) attacked the sage in anger, they received a curse which disfigured Taadka and she became a fearsome demoness.
When sage Vishwamitra got help from Ram
Due to the fear of Tadka, there used to be silence in Dandakaranya forest (which was now called Tadka forest). She would disrupt the sacrifices of the sages and would kill and eat them. The great sage Vishwamitra was also troubled by him. Then he remembered the princes of Ayodhya – Ram and Lakshman.
Vishwamitra went to King Dasharatha and asked for permission to take Ram with him to the forest. Ram was very young at that time, but he set out with his brother Lakshman to protect the religion.
That little hesitation of Ram
When Ram reached that dense forest and Tadka attacked with his fierce roar, Shri Ram stopped for a moment. The question arose in his mind – “Is it right to kill a woman?” Religion and dignity flowed in Ram’s veins, that is why he was hesitant.
Then Guru Vishwamitra explained to him. He said, “O Ram! One who adopts the path of evil and becomes a threat to humanity, it does not matter whether he is a man or a woman. The duty of a king and protector is only to protect the people.” As soon as he got the Guru’s permission, Shri Ram straightened his bow and killed Tadka with a single arrow.
What does this story teach us?
Taadka’s end was no ordinary slaughter. This was the first glimpse of Shri Ram’s bravery. From this incident we come to know that when evil starts crossing its limits in the society, then the greatest virtue is to destroy it. Besides, it is also a story of unwavering faith between the Guru and the disciple.
