Introduction
Tataka is a Rakshasi, the daughter of the Yaksha Suketu, the wife of Sunda and the mother of Maricha and Subahu. She is the first opponent Rama defeats in the Ramayana.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
Family
Origin
Suketu had no children, and performed penance. Brahma gave him a daughter, Tataka, with the strength of a thousand elephants. She married Sunda and had two sons.
The curse
When Sunda was killed by the sage Agastya, Tataka and her sons attacked the sage and were cursed to become Rakshasas. Tataka took the form of a man-eater and made the forest of Malada and Karusha uninhabitable.
Her death
Vishwamitra asked Rama to kill her. Rama hesitated, as she was a woman, but Vishwamitra explained that it was his duty to protect the innocent. Rama killed her with an arrow, and the forest was freed.