 Rama – Dasaratha and Rama
Convince me first
The sage and the princes walk their way through thick forests, riversides and sleep on beds of straw (kusa grass) as if it were a prelude to what is in store for them in the Aranya Kanda. During the course of their journey, the sage takes them through the region lying between the principalities of Malada and Karüsa, a territory blessed by Indra to remain ever prosperous and bountiful, rich in wealth and foodgrains. But the regions wear a deserted look. There is none to inhabit the place; none even to be seen moving around, though the area is known to be holy and beautiful.
Kamban describes this land as a desert. Barren, parched and bone-dry. Rama is surprised to see a desert amidst plenty. A barren, wasteland, uncultivable and void of all vegetation, in the midst of a forest and flanked by two well-known principalities.
‘suzi padu gangai am thongal mOliyaan vizi pada vendhadhO?’ This place looks as if it has been singed by the third-eye of Shiva.
‘pazhi padar mannavan parindha naattin Ungu, azivadhu en?’ Why is this place as deserted as a country ruled by a despot, one who has no concern for the norms of kingship?
‘This is the place which is under the control of that dreadful Tataka, wife of Sunda, mother of Märïca and Subähu,’ explained Viswamitra. ‘She is a Yaksa woman turned into a demon by a curse, capable of assuming any form at will She is roaming about this place, ravaging both the countries. This area, her favourite haunt, cuts across the road. And hence, people are afraid of crossing the road to reach either of the countries,’ Viswamitra continues. “The mighty Rakshasa (Märïca), who has a terrible form, is a perennial source of terror to the people, while Tataka who conducts herself like a wicked woman, constantly ravages these two principalities of Malada and Karüsa.
‘saa iyam panthaanam aavR^itya vasati adhyardha yojane’ As such she lives in an area of twelve miles obstructing the road.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, Canto 24, Sloka 27 to 29)
The reason behind this uninhabited land, turned into a desert amidst plenty is explained; the nature of the woman who is thriving on human flesh is stated; the terror that she is striking in the minds of the people, which is the cause behind the blessed land of prosperity wearing the look of a desert, is stated. And now Viswamitra says that she has to be killed. There is none on earth other than Rama who could achieve this impossible feat of killing a demoness who is capable of assuming any shape at will, so says the sage. “For this very reason let us proceed in the quarter where exists the forest of Tataka. Relying on the might of your own arms, make short work of this ogress of wicked conduct.” (Ibid, Sloka 30)
‘I intend to take you two through this area. It is my intention that we should let her come our way. And then, I want you to kill her, for you are the only person who is capable of doing so.’ Viswamitra seems to have read the mind of Rama at this point. He adds,
‘mat niyogaat imam,’ (Do so) by my orders.
What we are going to witness now is one of the very basic qualities of Rama. He sought for more information on Tataka, a woman, the gender known for frailty, having been endowed with the strength of a thousand elephants. He cannot be ordered about. If he is supposed to do something, he should first get all the details. You can see this quality repeated at several crucial points of the story. At first he recalled to mind the order of his father when he entrusted them to the sage. Viswamitra patiently narrates the story of Tataka, daughter of a Yaksa called Suketu, given in marriage to Sunda, who earned the curse of sage Agastya and died. Tataka, capable of assuming any form at will, assumed the form of a demoness and together with her son Märïca, attempted to kill sage Agastya, to avenge for the death of her husband. And by the curse of Agastya, she was turned permanently into a demoness, the form in which she appeared before the eminent sage.
Rama cannot be pushed into doing anything without himself first being convinced about the validity of the reason behind the supposed act that he is required to undertake. Let’s now take a look at Kamban and the way the drama takes shape. And how our ‘spit-fire’ sage, the ‘impatient’ Viswamitra reasons out, supports his arguments with examples, quotes precedents, to make this boy
shoot his first arrow.
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