Week 3 Story: Thataka, Not Your Average Demon

In a land of Gods, Goddesses, and Kings, there was a demon named Thataka. Once a Goddess, she and her family were turned to demons to wreak havoc upon those who came to slay her. She was the most powerful demon in the forest, able to shapeshift into any form she pleased. Her family was always looking out for her, especially her son, Maricha, who loved his mother dearly.

One day, a Sage named Vishvamitra was travelling through the forest with the two young sons of the King of the land, Dashartha. They were named Rama and Lakshmana. The three were out looking for trouble with any foul spirits of the forest. Thataka sensed the danger and told her family to hide, and that she would take care of the curious boys travelling through their home. Thataka, though powerful, was gifted with a heart of gold, which she was able to maintain, even as a demon. She was sure that she could talk the boys out of fighting with her and her family, even envisioning the demons, princes, and sage getting along. Thataka was convinced that if she could show the princes how peaceful her family was, the boys could spread the word and demolish the belief that demons are evil, horrible beings.

As the boys got closer, she could sense their anger and thirst for blood. Thataka began to think she may need to rethink her strategy. As soon as she turned around, she was shocked to see the three travelers in front of her. She began to welcome them into her home, when suddenly, a boulder came crashing down in front of Rama and Lakshmana, nearly killing them.

After that, the tone was set. Anger erupted out of Prince Rama as he began to aim his weapon at her. Panicked and confused, Thataka turned invisible, trying to flee the scene of the horrible accident. She hadn’t meant for this to happen at all. With one fatal strike of an arrow, Thataka was shot. Rama and Lakshmana embraced as the sage cheered gleefully for Rama who had just killed the mighty demon, Thataka. After the three left Thataka’s body, all of her family appeared at her side distraught… all except Maricha, who was nowhere to be found.  

Rama and Lakshmana shooting at the demon, Thataka as she approaches.

Image Source: Slaying Thataka

That evening, Rama, Lakshmana, and the sage returned to sage Vishvamitra’s village where they were praised for their bravery. The villagers decided to have a ceremony honoring Rama for the killing of the demon Thataka. During the ceremony, they heard a rustling in the bushes. All of a sudden, Maricha, the son of Thataka appeared to fight in Thataka’s name. Maricha tells Rama that he made a mistake killing his mother. Maricha admits to throwing the boulder that almost killed Rama and his brother; his mother had nothing to do with it. Immediately, Rama and the villagers start shooting at Maricha, and end up killing him.

Of course, Maricha knew he would be killed by going to the village, but he felt such immense guilt for causing his mothers death that he would rather be killed than live without his beloved mother. Maricha knew that the truth would ultimately set him free.

Authors Note:

This is a retelling of the story Slaying of Thataka by Donald A. Mackenzie. In the original story, Rama is special and praised throughout, while the demons, Thataka and her family, are portrayed as evil, horrible beings. In the story, Thataka was described as enraged, rushing towards Rama and his brother throwing boulders when they came face to face in the forest. I thought that there must have been a reason that Thataka would be so angry, or maybe there was a misuderstanding. I incorporated some of that into my interpretation by creating a possible scenario that could've cause this issue. I also gave Thataka the spotlight in my retelling of the story because she got such a bad rap in the original story. Though she may have been a demon, there is more to her than just that. She was a powerful woman, wife, and mother who deserved more recognition. I also ended the story with Maricha sacrificing himself in honor of his mother instead of Rama being praised and celebrated for senselessly killing them both.

Bibliography. "Slaying of Thataka" from PDE Ramayana by Donald A. Mackenzie. Website: Thataka