In the Ramayana, when Rishi Vishwamitra went to King Dasharatha and asked for his son Rama, he mentioned that rakshasas like Maricha and Subahu were interrupting his yagyas or sacrifices. At that time, Rama was only 16 years of age, and Dasharatha was reluctant to send him to fight demons. Vishwamitra had, perhaps, anticipated this. That is why he did not mention that Tataka, a rakshasi—female demoness, also needed to be killed. In that age, the Kshatriya warriors had a strict code of conduct, according to which women were never to be killed. Dasharatha may have been even more reluctant to send Rama if he knew that he would be required to kill a woman.
After just two days of the journey, even before they had reached Vishwamitra’s ashram, they passed through Tataka vana, the forest where Tataka had established a reign of terror. Vishwamitra told Rama that there used to be two prosperous cities called Malada and Karusha in that region. To a yaksha named Suketu, a daughter called Tataka was born. Due to a boon by Lord Brahma, she possessed the strength of a thousand elephants. In the course of time, she was married and had a son, but due to her angry and wicked nature, she became a man-eater rakshasi.
Vishwamitra knew that it would be difficult for Rama to overcome the warrior ethos, so he quoted examples from the past, where women had to be killed when they threatened dharma. He told about Manthara, the daughter of demon Virochana, who threatened to destroy the world, and had to be killed by Indra. He also told Rama about how Lord Vishnu had to kill Rishi Bhrigu’s wife when she led the Asuras in battle against the Devas, in Bhrigu’s absence.
Inspired by Vishwamitra’s words, Rama grasped the middle of his bow with his fist and twanged the bow. The terrible sound filled all directions and attracted Tataka to the spot. She was gigantic in size, malformed in features, and extremely angry. On seeing her, Rama’s warrior ethos overpowered everything he had been told. He said, ‘O Lakshmana! She is invincible and possesses the strength of Maya. I will now make her withdraw by severing her ears and the tip of her nose. Since she is protected by her nature as a woman, I do not wish to kill her. It is my view that one should only destroy her valour and her speed.’ However, Tataka invited her own end by attacking Rama. Raising her arms, she roared and rushed with great force towards Rama. Left with no other option, Rama shot an arrow at her and slew her.