Anger over the injustice amongst family members is the crux of Taara’s story. Her foresight and intelligent nature allows her to point out deceptive natures amongst those who seem to be trustworthy. Her stance remains strong willed in that appearances are deceiving, rather it is the actions one must focus on. Moreover, she is renowned for her wisdom and diplomacy in her kingdom. Being the daughter of Sushena, a monkey-physician, marrying the monkey-king, Vaali, and bearing a son, Angada, she is skilled in making fair judgments and embodies a strong personality.
The Backstory
Long ago, Vaali and his brother, Sugriva, went into the forest to battle a demon. During that battle, Vaali is injured. To his shock, Vaali is heartbroken to see Sugriva abandon him and return to the kingdom. Although already married to Rumi, his wife, Sugriva appropriates the allegedly widowed Taara as his second-wife upon his return.
Eventually, Vaali returns from battle, enraged at his brother’s actions. He takes back his place as king, exiles Sugriva. And against Taara’s wishes, he also abducts Rumi. Immediately, Sugriva challenges Vaali to a duel.
Trust, Pacts, and the Duel
Before Vaali agrees to the duel, Taara wisely advises him not to participate and that she suspects Sugriva made a pact with Lord Rama to have him killed. Hotheaded as always, Vaali dismisses her concerns, but promises her that he would not kill his brother.
Meanwhile, as Taara had predicted, Sugriva makes a pact with Lord Rama. Rama had been frantically searching for his wife, Sita, as she was abducted by Ravana while they were on vanavasam. Sugriva agrees to help Rama find his wife, as long as Rama can help him destroy his brother.
And so begins the duel. Rama hides behind a tree until he can find aim and shoot Vaali. Rama realizes that the brothers are nearly identical and therefore suggests that Sugriva wear a garland. Ultimately, Rama shoots his arrow and Vaali falls to his death. In his dying breath, he advises Sugriva to follow Taara’s wise counsel.
Taara’s rage
Back at the kingdom, Taara realizes her family’s fate and is furious. Sugriva returns to the kingdom and is crowned king. Overjoyed with his new power and lustful urges, he refuses to follow through with his promise to Rama. Furious, Rama’s brother, Lakshmana, charges into Sugriva’s chambers to kill him; however, Taara plays a critical role in pacifying him and helping gather their troops to help Rama find Sita. This being said, literature states that Taara doesn’t hesitate to curse Rama for having killed her husband, and this curse is fulfilled in his next incarnation as Krishna.
There’s many pieces to unpack in Taara’s story: the tragic story of losing her husband to a brother in law who acted on ego, the loss of a trustworthy comrade who turned their back against them and now the dilemma of caring for her son without his father. One can only imagine the pain of losing someone, only wishing they heeded your words.
Taara is unlike many of the damsels in the panchakanya. She is wise, strong-willed, and the most courageous of the group. She isn’t a damsel in distress but rather a damsel in defense. Her rage is that of a persistent woman who acts on intelligence and lessons rather than emotions and despair.
Taara also stands out as a character that acts strategically. Instead of character representation, Taara’s story exudes a humanistic nature of a concept that surrounds us in our daily lives. More importantly, it plays on the idea that a woman’s words are not taken seriously when a man’s ego gets in the way. Women still face the dilemma on a regular basis when advising others on knowledge that we may know better, but this often is not taken seriously. Eventually when they become affected by their constant dismissal, they are left feeling unheard.
*Please note: These stories and analyses are based on our interpretations of multiple texts and articles, as well as discussions from elders through oral traditions. Additionally, we have drawn inspirations from many writers and playwrights over the years. We are aware that there are many perspectives and interpretations to these characters. The following are links that we found helpful to aid in our understanding.
Links:
- Living by Their Own Norms Unique Powers of the Panchkanyas
- Wikipedia — Vali
- Wikipedia — Taara
- Tara — The Queen of Kishkinda
- Panchkanya — five reverred ladies in Indian mythology
- Vali And Sugriva
Written by Manaswini Avvari and Meena Vemuri
Edited by Anjali Vemuri
Photography by Raama Srivatsan