The story of Sugriva is found in the Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana. Sugriva was the son born of Surya to Ahalya, the wife of Sage Gautama. Ahalya had another son, Vali or Bali, born of Indra. Gautama threw both the illegitimate sons into the sea after cursing them to be turned into monkeys. Vali came of age and became the king of Kishkindha, the kingdom of holy monkeys.

Once, the demon named Mayavi challenged Vali for a fight. Vali accepted the challenge, but the demon fled into a cave. Vali ran after him and a long fight took place inside the cave. Sugriva waited outside. He heard demonic shouts in the cave and later saw blood oozing from the mouth of the cave. Sugriva thought that Vali was dead. He returned to Kishkindha and assumed kingship. Vali was not dead. He won the combat and returned home. He concluded that his brother had betrayed him. He ousted Sugriva and ascended the throne. He took Sugriva’s wife Tara also for himself. Sugriva fled to the mountain Rishyamuka, where Vali could not tread. Vali was previously cursed by Sage Matanga that he would die, once he stepped into Rishyamuka.

Sugriva made acquaintance with Srirama, who was on his quest to rescue Sita, who was abducted by Ravan. Sugriva sought the help of Rama. Lord Ram promised that he would kill Bali and reinstate Sugriva as the king. Sugriva, in turn, promised to help Rama in his quest for Sita. Sugriva and Sree Rama went together to Vali. Fight ensued between Vali and Sugriva. Rama drove an arrow and Vali died. Sugriva regained kingdom. He took back his wife Tara and also Vali’s wife Ruma. Tara became empress. Her son by Vali, Angada became crown prince.

Rama proceeded to Lanka in search of Sita. Sugriva sent his trusted advisor Hanuman to search for Sita. Hanuman found out Sita who was kept captive in Lanka. Sugriva placed his army of monkeys at Rama's disposal. The army crossed into Lanka by means of the specially erected bridge and laid siege to Ravana's citadel. Sugriva also personally took part in the battle. He attacked Kumbhakarna with the trunk of a Sala tree. Kumbhakarna then seized Sugriva and dragged him off. He would have been killed. But Lakshmana intervened and saved him. At last the monkeys defeated the demons, Rama slew Ravana, and Sita was liberated. All of them came back to India on board of Ravana’s aircraft Pushpaka. 

The story of Sri Rama and Tataka is found in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Tataka’s father Suketu was a Yaksha king who performed Tapas to please Lord Brahma so as to obtain an offspring. Suketu desired a son, but Brahma blessed him with a daughter, beautiful and strong in physique. She was Tataka who married Sunda. She had two sons Maricha and Subahu and a daughter, Kaikasi.

Tataka and Sunda planned to marry off Kaikasi to the Rishi Visravas in order to obtain a progeny that would be all-powerful. Visravas, although already married, fell in love with Kaikasi and married her. Their son was Ravana, the mighty King of Lanka. Once, Rishi Agastya cursed Tataka’s father Suketu to death. Tataka decided to wreak vengeance on the sage. She had the help of her son, Subahu.  This enraged Agastya and he cursed Tataka to lose her beautiful physique, and transform into a demonic creature with a cruel and cannibalistic nature. The curse transformed Tataka into a man-eater with an ugly and fierce figure. After the curse of Agastya, Tataka started living in a place near the habitations of Malaja and Karusha in a forest near the river Ganga, opposite to the confluence of the river Sarayu. The area came to be known as the forest of Tataka. She terrorized the people, devouring anyone who dared to set foot in that forest.

Tataka and Subahu harassed many Rishis by destroying their Yagas with rains of flesh and blood. Maharshi Visvamitra was the most affected victim of Tataka's harassment. At last, Visvamitra approached Dasaratha, the King of Kosala, for help. The King obliged by sending two of his four sons, young Rama and Lakshmana, to the forest, entrusting them to protect both Visvamitra and his sacrifice.

Visvamitra and the two princes Sree Ram and Lakshmana came to Tataka’s forest and the sage ordered Lord Rama to kill the demoness to free the area from her terror. Rama was hesitant to kill her as she was a woman. He chopped off her hands so that she could not attack anyone further. Using her demonic powers, she changed her form, disappeared and continued her attack. Visvamitra advised Lord Ram that though a woman, Tataka was terrorising the region and as a prince, it was Sri Rama’s duty to protect the people by killing the terrorists who plagued his people. Rama was thus convinced of killing Tataka. He pierced her heart with his arrows.