In the Ramayana, name the sea demoness who trapped birds and other creatures by illusion and tried to obstruct Hanuman on his way to Lanka.

Introduction / Context:
In the epic Ramayana, Hanuman's journey to Lanka is filled with symbolic encounters with various supernatural beings. These episodes test his courage, intelligence and devotion. One such figure is a sea demoness who uses illusion to trap birds and other beings and attempts to stop Hanuman mid journey. This question checks familiarity with that particular character and her name, which often appears in mythology and literature based quizzes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers specifically to Hanuman's flight over the sea towards Lanka.
• The demoness is associated with trapping creatures by illusion.
• All options are names of female demons from Hindu stories, but from different contexts.
• Only one is correctly linked with this sea encounter with Hanuman.

Concept / Approach:
According to many retellings of the Ramayana, Hanuman encounters two significant female beings over the sea: Surasa, who tests him by demanding he enter her mouth, and Simhika, a sea demoness who seizes the shadows of flying creatures to drag them down. The demoness described as trapping birds and trying to obstruct Hanuman by illusion is Simhika. Tataka is a forest demoness defeated earlier in the epic by Rama, and Putana is a demoness from the Krishna stories in the Bhagavata tradition. The approach is to match the specific sea setting and shadow trapping ability with Simhika.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the phrase sea demoness and the detail that she trapped birds and creatures by illusion. Step 2: Recall that Simhika dwelt in the ocean and could capture the shadows of beings flying overhead, thereby dragging them into the water. Step 3: Remember that Hanuman allowed her to catch his shadow, then changed his size and ultimately defeated her. Step 4: Recognise that Surasa also appears over the sea, but she is a celestial being testing Hanuman rather than a shadow trapping demoness. Step 5: Note that Tataka belongs to an earlier forest episode and Putana appears in Krishna's childhood stories, not on Hanuman's sea journey. Step 6: Conclude that Simhika best matches the description in the question and choose Simhika as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading standard Ramayana retellings or summaries of Hanuman's Lanka journey shows that after dealing with Surasa, he confronts Simhika, who pulls at his shadow. This episode is often used to illustrate the victory of devotion and strength over illusion and hidden dangers. Cross checking the roles of Tataka and Putana confirms that they belong to different narratives, reinforcing that Simhika is the intended character.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Surasa is usually depicted as a naga or divine being sent to test Hanuman by asking him to enter her open mouth; she is not described as a shadow trapping sea demoness. Tataka is a rakshasi from a forest episode whom Rama defeats early in the epic, far from the sea route to Lanka. Putana is a demoness from Krishna's childhood stories who attempts to kill him by breastfeeding poisoned milk. None of these match the specific description of the sea demoness stopping Hanuman during his flight to Lanka.

Common Pitfalls:
Because both Surasa and Simhika appear in the same general part of the story, some readers confuse them and choose Surasa. Others may broadly remember demoness names from Hindu stories but not recall which demoness appears in which epic. To avoid such confusion, it helps to link Simhika with shadows and the ocean, Surasa with a test that Hanuman passes diplomatically and Tataka with the early forest battles of Rama.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Simhika