Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3173

c9.3173

TĀṬAKĀ. A fierce demoness. It was because of a curse of the sage Agastya that Tāṭakā became a demoness. There was once a great Yakṣa named Suketu, a son of Surakṣa. He did penance to propitiate Brahmā to get a child and by the blessing of Brahmā Suketu got a daughter named Tāṭakā. Brahmā gave her the strength of a thousand elephants. Tāṭakā was by nature interested in cruel and violent deeds and doing deeds of magic. She made Sunda, son of Jharjha, her husband. She got two sons named Mārica and Subāhu. They also became mighty ones great in deeds by magic.