Verse 1
अथ तस्याप्रमेयस्य मुनेर्वचनमुत्तमम् । श्रुत्वा पुरुषशार्दूलः प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम् ॥
Having heard the excellent words of that sage of immeasurable power, Rama, the tiger among men, replied with auspicious words.
Verse 2
अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षी श्रूयते मुनिपुङ्गव । कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥
O foremost of sages, it is said that a Yakshi possesses little strength. How can this woman, being weak, possess the strength of a thousand elephants?
Verse 3
इत्युक्तं वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्यामितौजसः । हर्षयञ्छ्लक्ष्णया वाचा सलक्ष्मणमरिन्दमम् ॥
Hearing the words of the immensely powerful Raghava, Vishvamitra, speaking gently, encouraged Rama together with Lakshmana, the subduer of enemies.
Verse 4
विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं शृणु येन बलोत्कटा । वरदानकृतं वीर्यं धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥
Vishvamitra said: “Listen to how this woman became exceedingly powerful. She possesses this strength because of a boon that was granted to her.”
Verse 5
पूर्वमासीन्महायक्षः सुकेतुर्नाम वीर्यवान् । अनपत्यः शुभाचारः स च तेपे महत्तपः ॥
“Formerly there was a mighty and powerful Yaksha named Suketu. He was childless and of good conduct, and he performed great austerities.”
Verse 6
पितामहस्तु सुप्रीतस्तस्य यक्षपतेस्तदा । कन्यारत्नं ददौ राम ताटकां नाम नामतः ॥
“O Rama, the Grandsire Brahma, being greatly pleased with that lord of the Yakshas, gave him a precious daughter named Tataka.”
Verse 7
ददौ नागसहस्रस्य बलं चास्याः पितामहः । न त्वेव पुत्रं यक्षाय ददौ चासौ महायशाः ॥
“The illustrious Grandsire also gave her the strength of a thousand elephants, but he did not give the Yaksha a son.”
Verse 8
तां तु बालां विवर्धन्तीं रूपयौवनशालिनीम् । जम्भपुत्राय सुन्दाय ददौ भार्यां यशस्विनीम् ॥
“As she grew into a youthful and beautiful woman, Suketu gave the illustrious Tataka as wife to Sunda, the son of Jambha.”
Verse 9
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रं व्यजायत । मारीचं नाम दुर्धर्षं यः शापाद्राक्षसोऽभवत् ॥
“After some time, the Yakshi gave birth to a son named Maricha, who was exceedingly difficult to overcome and who became a Rakshasa because of a curse.”
Verse 10
सुन्दे तु निहते राम सा अगस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम् । ताटकासह पुत्रेण प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति ॥
“O Rama, when Sunda was destroyed, Tataka, together with her son, wished to attack Agastya, the foremost of sages.”
Verse 11
भक्षार्थं जातसंरम्भा गर्जन्ती साभ्यधावत । आपतन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः ॥
“Becoming enraged and roaring, she rushed toward Agastya as though intending to devour him. Seeing her rushing upon him, the venerable sage Agastya—”
Verse 12
राक्षसत्वं भजस्वेति मारीचं व्याजहार सः । अगस्त्यः परमामर्षस्ताटकामपि शप्तवान् ॥
“—said to Maricha, ‘Assume the form of a Rakshasa.’ The greatly wrathful Agastya also cursed Tataka.”
Verse 13
पुरुषादी महायक्षी विरूपा विकृतानना । इदं रूपं विहायाशु दारुणं रूपमस्तु ते ॥
“O great Yakshi, abandoning this form immediately, become a man-eater, deformed and hideous-faced. Let a terrible form be yours.”
Verse 14
सैषा शापकृतामर्षा ताटका क्रोधमूर्छिता । देशमुत्सादयत्येनमगस्त्याचरितं शुभम् ॥
“Thus enraged by the curse, Tataka, overcome with fury, is destroying this region, which was once made sacred by the presence of Agastya.”
Verse 15
एनां राघव दुर्वृत्तां यक्षीं परमदारुणाम् । गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय जहि दुष्टपराक्रमाम् ॥
“O Raghava, this Yakshi is extremely cruel, evil in conduct, and dreadful in her power. Destroy her for the welfare of the cows and Brahmanas.”
Verse 16
न ह्येनां शापसंसृष्टां कश्चिदुत्सहते पुमान् । निहन्तुं त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वामृते रघुनन्दन ॥
“O delight of the Raghus, no man in the three worlds has the courage to destroy her, who has become formidable through the curse, except you.”
Verse 17
न हि ते स्त्रीवधकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम । चातुर्वर्ण्यहितार्थं हि कर्तव्यं राजसूनुना ॥
“O best among men, you should not feel compassion merely because she is a woman. A prince must act for the welfare of the four social orders.”
Verse 18
नृशंसमनृशंसं वा प्रजारक्षणकारणात् । पातकं वा सदोषं वा कर्तव्यं रक्षता सदा ॥
“For the sake of protecting the people, a ruler must always perform what is required, whether it appears cruel or compassionate, sinful or blameworthy.”
Verse 19
राज्यभारनियुक्तानामेष धर्मः सनातनः । अधर्म्यां जहि काकुत्स्थ धर्मो ह्यस्यां न विद्यते ॥
“This is the eternal duty of those entrusted with the burden of ruling a kingdom. Therefore, O Kakutstha, destroy this unrighteous one, for there is no righteousness in her.”
Verse 20
श्रूयते हि पुरा शक्रो विरोचनसुतां नृप । पृथिवीं हन्तुमिच्छन्तीं मन्थरामभ्यसूदयत् ॥
“O prince, it is heard that in ancient times Indra destroyed Manthara, the daughter of Virochana, when she wished to destroy the earth.”
Verse 21
विष्णुना च पुरा राम भृगुपत्नी पतिव्रता । अनिन्द्रं लोकमिच्छन्ती काव्यमाता निषूदिता ॥
“O Rama, in ancient times Vishnu also destroyed the devoted wife of Bhrigu, the mother of Kavya, when she desired to make the world devoid of Indra.”
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे पञ्चविंशः सर्गः ॥
Thus ends the twenty-fifth Sarga of Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the first epic composed by Sage Valmiki.