Rama and Lakshmana with Vishwamitra
Sage Vishwamitra approaches King Dasharata
A powerful sage named Vishwamitra visits King Dasharata to request that he send Rama with him to kill two formidable demons. Vishwamitra explains to Dasharata that the two shape-shifting demons called Mareecha and Subahu wait till the end of the Vedic ritual that Vishwamitra and a few fellow sages have undertaken. Then they pour meat and blood over the altar. Since this defiles the Yagna, the sages have to start over, but the demons repeat the misdemeanour all over again. Vishwamitra also explains to Dasharata that he cannot curse the demons since he is under vows while performing the rituals. The story goes that Dasharata agrees to send young Rama very unwillingly. Lakshmana, who never parts from his brother Rama, follows him to accompany Vishwamitra.
Image description:
Given the sequences of Ramayana on the wall, we can identify two people sitting across each other on elevated seats and conversing as Dasharata and Vishwamitra. The sitting man on the left looks royal with the headgear (Dasharata), and the one on the right appears to be an ascetic (Vishwamitra.) The rest are helpers fanning the king on either side and bodyguards with weapons. It could be young Rama sitting behind the king on the left side.
Rama kills the demoness Tataka
Vishwamitra, Rama, and Lakshmana started from Ayodhya and crossed the river Sarayu to enter a dense forest. The sage explained to Rama the legend of a demoness named Tataka who had destroyed all life-forces from that forest. Tataka, a Yakshi or a magical being, was born a delicate beauty, and because of a boon her father got from Brahma, she had the strength of a thousand elephants. She was married to a demon named Sunda and had two mighty sons named Mareecha and Subahu. Tataka got enraged when her husband was cursed and killed by a sage called Agastya. She and her son Mareecha rushed toward the sage seeking revenge for the killing of Sunda. An angered Agastya cursed Tataka that she lose her beautiful form and become a misshapen demoness.
Since then, Tataka and her son Mareecha began torturing the sages and people in and around the forest. Vishwamitra directed Rama that Tataka needs to be killed to save the people and sages. When Rama launched an attack on Trataka, the demoness rained a shower of stones on him. Undeterred, Rama built an umbrella of arrows to prevent the rocks from hurling at him. After a long fight, Rama succeeded in sending an arrow through Tataka’s heart and ridding the world of her menace. After killing Tataka, sage Vishwamitra hands Rama several mighty arrows that were missiles activated by Mantras.
Equipped with the weapons, Rama and Lakshmana guarded the Yagna for sage Vishwamitra. Though the first five days of the Yagna passed peacefully, on the sixth day, the formidable brothers Mareecha and Subahu descended on the premises of the rituals. In a fierce fight, Rama and Lakshmana defeated the demon brothers. While Subahu was killed in the battle, Mareecha was thrown far into the sea. A recent legend has it that the place where Mareecha landed after Rama hurled him into the ocean is now Mauritius.
Image description
On the right-side panel, we can see stones piled on. Given the background of the story, we can infer that these were the stones rained by Tataka. In the same panel, we can see Rama standing with an upright bow in his right hand and a quiver of arrows in his left. This stance of Rama is the common iconographic representation of him. The bow, called the Kodanda, is the weapon Rama used to vanquish evil. On the left-side panel, we can see a woman fallen on the ground clutching at her chest, and Rama is standing in a shooting stance with the arrow drawn.
