Sushmajee
Biographies | Others

Biographies-Others

Home | Biographies

Taaraa

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others

 
Taaraa
See also     Baali,    Sugreev

There are three Taaraa - one is the wife of Dev Guru Brihaspati, the other one is the wife of Vaanar Raaj Baali and the third one is the wife of Raajaa Harishchandra - her name is Taaraamatee, somewhere her name is given as Shaivyaa also.


Taaraa, the Wife of Baali

We meet Taaraa first time in Kishkindhaa Kaand when she tries to stop Baali from going to fight with Sugreev when he comes second time to fight with Sugreev. Valmiki Ramayan, 4/15, Introduction says that Taaraa was the granddaughter of Dev Guru Brihaspati Jee and the wife of Vaanar Raaj Baali. She had a son named Angad who played an important part in Raam-Raavan war, as Raam could not retrieve Seetaa without killing Baali. She pacified Lakshman also when Lakshman was angry at Sugreev for not making any efforts for searching Seetaa after killing Baali as he promised. She was the daughter of Sushen. She is one of the Panch Kanyaa (five Virgins) -

Ahalyaa Draupadee Kuntee Taaraa Mandodaree Tathaa |
Panch Kanyaa smare Nityam Mahaapaatak Naashnam ||

How Taaraa got Married to Baali?
A parable is said about Sushen. Taaraa came out of churning the Ksheer Saagar (Milky Ocean) at the time of Saagar Manthan by Devtaa and Raakshas. Seeing her and knowing her as the daughter of Dev Guru Brihaspati (the Jupiter), both Baali and Sushen held her hand. Baali held her by her right hand and Sushen held her by her left hand. Then they started to quarrel to make her their wife. Then the elderly Devtaa intervened and decided that one who held her by her right hand is her husband and the one who held her by her left hand is her father. Thus Sushen became her father, and Baali became her husband.

Taaraa Was an Intelligent Woman
Taaraa was a very intelligent woman. Baali had also accepted her intelligence and made it known to Sugreev and Raam etc. When Sugreev came again to fight with Baali, she knew that there was some strong backing with Sugreev that was why he dared to come again. She told everything to Baali also, but he didn't believe her as he could not reconcile that anybody like Raam would kill him from hiding. So he went out to fight with him and was killed by the arrow of Raam.

My Note:
Taaraa cried a lot for Baali. More than two Sarg have been devoted to her lamentations for Baali in Vaalmeeki Raamaayan. Maanas doesn't give so much importance to her lamentations but it gives a good account of Raam's discourse to Taaraa, while Vaalmeeki Raamaayan has no mention of it at all.

Her son Angad should not lose his father's throne, that is why she married Sugreev after Baali's death.

Another incident of her intelligence may be found, when even after getting wife and kingdom back, Sugreev didn't care to search for Seetaa, Raam got very angry and asked Lakshman to go to Kishkindhaa Nagaree and remind him for search of Seetaa. Lakshman entered like a storm in Kishkindhaa in a great rage felling many large trees. All Vaanar appointed at outposts ran away in fear, Angad happened to appear there so Lakshman asked him to tell Sugreev about his coming. Angad was also scared seeing Lakshman's fury and hearing his tone. So when Angad reported all this to Sugreev, with the consultation of his ministers, Sugreev sent Taaraa to pacify Lakshman, which she did very well. She pacified Lakshman shielding Sugrev from his anger.

 

 

Home | Biographies

 

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others

Created by Sushma Gupta On 5/27/04
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 03/01/14