She was born with a different name in a Vedasura (Asura healers) settlement close to one of the largest Man cities of that time Aadishail that was ruled by Shailve a cruel and avaricious tyrant. When she was only five years old, she returned one evening having spent the day playing with wolf cubs to find that the advancing army of Shailve on his way to avenge the rejection of his suit for a neighboring state’s princess, had orphaned her ruthlessly ravaging the settlement of the peace loving healers.
‘Young Taarka finds burning debris where her village used to be’
* The Kaallipik, were a tribe of historians that are thought to be the authors of the ancient scriptures excavated in the modern day state of Jharkhand in Northern India. These scriptures are thought to be over 7000 years old by the Archeological survey of India (ASI)
Perhaps comprehending the tragedy that had befallen her and not finding her home and family she wept till hunger drove her back to the cave of her day’s companion to feed.
She spent a year growing up with cubs till one day for no apparent reason they were driven from the cave by the she-wolf.
She was found sleeping in a hollow trunk of a lightning struck ‘Taar’ tree by an Asura named Bhasmasura, a prominent Sadhu(Monk) of that time, and his apprentice Yamasura.
Bhasmasura who had the typical nature of a reclusive monk decided to leave her at the next Asura settlement they encountered.
What he could not have guessed at that time however was the fact that by the time he found another tribe of Vedasuras, he would be too attached to give her up to them. She became to him the family he never had and his star pupil (as, being a healer, a mind that remembered the vaguest recipes was hers genetically)
All this was much to the chagrin of the insanely jealous Yamasura who found himself holding the steadily shrinking end of his masters attention. As the years passed Yamasura found it increasingly difficult to hide the animosity, he felt towards Taarka, from Bhasmasura.
Bhasmasura did not wish to exile his pupil and companion of many decades. Nor did he trust Yamasura to learn to control his jealousy.
Bhasmasura decided that the only course open to him was to secrete Taarka somewhere. For this he chose a secure valley he had earmarked for his retirement from his nomadic way of life. He setup powerful protective wards around the valley that suppressed anger and made all beings docile. He instructed Taarka not to leave the valley till he came to fetch her. Having satisfied himself that she was safe till such time, as he would come back he left the valley to continue his wanderings with Yamasura.
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