“Rama showed His tremendous knowledge of fighting by killing the demon Tataka. The muni then gave to Him knowledge of secret mantras to be used in fighting.” (Janaki Mangala, 36)

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बधी ताड़का राम जानि सब लायक
बिद्या मंत्र रहस्य दिए मुनिनायक

badhī tāṛakā rāma jāni saba lāyaka
bidyā mantra rahasya di’e munināyaka

We are fortunate that Bhagavad-gita features a section describing and detailing the dividing line between the divine and demoniac natures. The Sanskrit equivalents are daiva and asura. The word “sura” can also be used in place of daiva. These words happen to also refer to specific races of beings. There is always choice, after all. Someone born in a demon family, such as Prahlada Maharaja, might be inclined towards the sura way since birth. Someone who is the head of the suras, such as Indra, might carry out the coldest, wickedest, and potentially most tragic attack against innocent people. As they say, life happens. If the asuras are the “bad guys”, we might be surprised to learn that they sometimes have the greatest powers, which they then use for evil. As a result, the “good guys” reach a state of helplessness such that they rely on the powerful arm of the Supreme Lord. They call on their friend to help them, and He has no problem obliging.

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च
दैवो विस्तरश: प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे श‍ृणु

dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin
daiva āsura eva ca
daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta
āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu

“O son of Pritha, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine and the other demonic. I have already explained to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.6)

During the period described in the Ramayana history, there is a female character named Tataka. She was previously cursed to appear in a hideous form. It was indeed a curse, since she gravitated towards adharma. She happened to be quite powerful after the curse. She was known to harass peaceful sages in the forest. The sages are the opposite in stature. They are mild, meek, kind, polite, and respectful. They are not there to fight anyone. They usually cannot be bullied since no bullies would make it out into such austere settings. The sages wanted to meditate, practice austerities, and conduct official sacrifice ceremonies known as yajnas.

Though perhaps not specifically cursed to appear in this way, from what we know, asuras can also be found in the modern day. They are similarly powerful, on occasion, and they follow the familiar pattern. They boast about their accomplishments. They have the means to broadcast the message far and wide. They ridicule any who follow a different way. They have a particularly negative view of religion. They consider that to be a fallback for the weak. For those who couldn’t make it in life, who were not smart enough to gain credentials from esteemed institutions, they decided to worship some imaginary figure. Those fools think this figure will save them at some point in time.

The glaring defect, of course, is the dishonesty and the deception. The asuras of today attempt to force everyone to take a poison injection, rushed to market, in order to continue living a normal life. They say that declining such an intervention is for people stuck in the past, for those who do not understand the brilliance of science. What they fail to mention are the side effects of such interventions, proved through actual science in clinical trials. They also keep quiet about the origins of the medical issue they are supposedly trying to stop. In other words, the same asuras pushing the poison remedy are the ones who unleashed the dreaded disease on society in the first place.

Someone like Tataka is powerful. She can disrupt the yajnas of the sages. At the same time, she operates on stealth. She relies on deception. This particular class of demons attacks at night. They do so while the victims are least expecting intrusion. Tataka has the special ability to appear and disappear at will. We could say she is the original model referenced by the many modern video games featuring a similar character, or boss, to defeat. The sages had such a difficult time that one of the leaders, Vishvamitra, paid a visit to the kingdom of Ayodhya. This was to ask for assistance, specifically of the two youths named Rama and Lakshmana.

The asuras are proud, but at the same time cowardly. Tataka has to rely on illusion to succeed. Meanwhile, someone like Rama is not affected. He does not need to boast. He has the greatest power, but He does not bother innocent people. At the insistence of Vishvamitra, who was accepted as the spiritual guide, Rama defeated Tataka. Rama had to use sound. Her treachery did not work on Him. Rama is the Absolute Truth, after all. Deception thrives in darkness. Honesty lives in the sunlight, where the cheaters are exposed.

Rama is also antaryami. He is everywhere, simultaneously. He does not need to trick anyone. There is no use trying to deceive Him. He has seen everything. He is the greatest witness. Better to gravitate towards the divine nature, working in such a way that Rama will notice us. He is always a friend to the devotees.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

In Closing:

For successful outcome to receive,
Relying on powers to deceive.

Those sages innocent and true,
Powerless to fight back who.

Relying on Shri Rama then,
Found enemy by sound when.

Better for our efforts to see,
Pleased by devotion is He.

Categories: janaki mangala

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, rama lila