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[Hindu] Taraka is the name of a powerful demon who threatened to subjugate the world. He was able to grow so powerful because he had followed his austerities to such an extent that he became more powerful than the gods. Fearing his power, the gods went to Shiva, imploring him to help them against this terrible threat. Shiva created a champion, Karttikeya, to combat the foe. When he was ready, Karttikeya went forth and the two battled. Karttikeya was able to destroy the demon, and so rescued the world. Taraka is also the name of a female Rakshasa whom Rama kills with his bow in his epic the Ramayana. At first he is reluctant to slay a woman, and just shoots off her arms. But then she becomes invisible. Using her magic, she hurls rocks and boulders at Rama and his companions, and they are hard-pressed to ward off her attack. Finally Rama closes his eyes and aims by sound only. He lets his arrow fly, and pierces the evil spirit through the heart.

Taraka Tarakâ (Sanskrit) The daitya or giant-demon whose yoga austerities were so extraordinary that he had obtained all the divine knowledge of yoga-vidya and occult powers. The gods feared his superhuman powers and Skanda or Karttikeya, the god of war, was miraculously born to destroy him.

Tara or Taraka Târâ, Târakâ (Sanskrit) The wife of Brihaspati (Jupiter). The Puranas relate that Soma, the moon, carried Tara off with him, which brought about the great war in heaven between the gods and the asuras. Brahma put an end to the war and had Tara restored to Brihaspati. She then gave birth to a son, Budha (esoteric wisdom), whom she claimed was the son of Soma.
"Soma is the moon astronomically; but in mystical phraseology, it is also the name of the sacred beverage drunk by the Brahmins and the Initiates during their mysteries and sacrificial rites. . . .
"Soma was never given in days of old to the non-initiated Brahman -- the simple Grihasta, or priest of the exoteric ritual. Thus Brihaspati -- 'guru of the gods' though he was -- still represented the dead-letter form of worship. It is Tara his wife -- the symbol of one who, though wedded to dogmatic worship, longs for true wisdom -- who is shown as initiated into his mysteries by King Soma, the giver of that Wisdom. Soma is thus made in the allegory to carry her away. The result of this is the birth of Budha -- esoteric Wisdom -- (Mercury, or Hermes in Greece and Egypt.) He is represented as 'so beautiful,' that even the husband, though well aware that Budha is not the progeny of his dead-letter worship -- claims the 'new-born' as his Son, the fruit of this ritualistic and meaningless forms. Such is, in brief, one of the meanings of the allegory" (SD 2:498-9).
See also SOMA; TARAKAMAYA

See more at Wikipedia.org...

[Hindu] Taraka is the name of a powerful demon who threatened to subjugate the world. He was able to grow so powerful because he had followed his austerities to such an extent that he became more powerful than the gods. Fearing his power, the gods went to Shiva, imploring him to help them against this terrible threat. Shiva created a champion, Karttikeya, to combat the foe. When he was ready, Karttikeya went forth and the two battled. Karttikeya was able to destroy the demon, and so rescued the world. Taraka is also the name of a female Rakshasa whom Rama kills with his bow in his epic the Ramayana. At first he is reluctant to slay a woman, and just shoots off her arms. But then she becomes invisible. Using her magic, she hurls rocks and boulders at Rama and his companions, and they are hard-pressed to ward off her attack. Finally Rama closes his eyes and aims by sound only. He lets his arrow fly, and pierces the evil spirit through the heart.

Taraka Tarakâ (Sanskrit) The daitya or giant-demon whose yoga austerities were so extraordinary that he had obtained all the divine knowledge of yoga-vidya and occult powers. The gods feared his superhuman powers and Skanda or Karttikeya, the god of war, was miraculously born to destroy him.

Tara or Taraka Târâ, Târakâ (Sanskrit) The wife of Brihaspati (Jupiter). The Puranas relate that Soma, the moon, carried Tara off with him, which brought about the great war in heaven between the gods and the asuras. Brahma put an end to the war and had Tara restored to Brihaspati. She then gave birth to a son, Budha (esoteric wisdom), whom she claimed was the son of Soma.
"Soma is the moon astronomically; but in mystical phraseology, it is also the name of the sacred beverage drunk by the Brahmins and the Initiates during their mysteries and sacrificial rites. . . .
"Soma was never given in days of old to the non-initiated Brahman -- the simple Grihasta, or priest of the exoteric ritual. Thus Brihaspati -- 'guru of the gods' though he was -- still represented the dead-letter form of worship. It is Tara his wife -- the symbol of one who, though wedded to dogmatic worship, longs for true wisdom -- who is shown as initiated into his mysteries by King Soma, the giver of that Wisdom. Soma is thus made in the allegory to carry her away. The result of this is the birth of Budha -- esoteric Wisdom -- (Mercury, or Hermes in Greece and Egypt.) He is represented as 'so beautiful,' that even the husband, though well aware that Budha is not the progeny of his dead-letter worship -- claims the 'new-born' as his Son, the fruit of this ritualistic and meaningless forms. Such is, in brief, one of the meanings of the allegory" (SD 2:498-9).
See also SOMA; TARAKAMAYA