Rama Frees Ahalya from Curse
Balakanda - Sarga 49
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Balakanda - Sarga 49
Indra's punishment for disrupting Gautama's austerities leads to divine intervention. Rama, guided by Viswamitra, liberates the cursed Ahalya, reuniting her with Gautama in a tale of redemption.
After losing his testicles, Indra (the king of gods) addressed the assembled deities, sages, and celestial beings with a frightened expression. He said:
"I created obstacles in the great sage Gautama's austere practices, provoking his anger to fulfill the gods' objectives. As a result of his wrath, I've been deprived of my testicles, and Ahalya (Gautama's wife) has been abandoned. Through this severe curse, I've stolen his ascetic energy.
Therefore, all excellent gods, groups of sages, and celestial beings, it's your duty to restore my testicles for the benefit I've provided to you."
Hearing Indra's words, the gods, led by Agni (the fire god) and accompanied by the Maruts (storm deities), approached the Pitru-devatas (ancestral spirits) and said:
"This ram has testicles, while Indra has been rendered without them. Take the ram's testicles and immediately graft them onto Indra. The ram, now without testicles, will bring great joy to you and to the humans who offer it in sacrifice."
The Pitru-devatas, following Agni's suggestion, extracted the ram's testicles and grafted them onto Indra. From that time onward, the Pitru-devatas accepted rams without testicles as sacrificial offerings, their testicles having been given to Indra.
O Rama (descendant of Raghu), due to the power of the illustrious Gautama's asceticism, Indra has since possessed the testicles of a ram.
Viswamitra (the sage guiding Rama) then said: "O highly radiant Rama, enter the hermitage of the pious Gautama and liberate the fortunate Ahalya, a woman of divine appearance, from her curse."
Hearing Viswamitra's words, Rama, accompanied by Lakshmana (his brother), entered the hermitage with Viswamitra leading the way.
Rama beheld the highly fortunate Ahalya:
She shone brilliantly with the power of her asceticism
She was invisible to men, gods, and demons alike
She appeared divine, as if created by Lord Brahma himself
She resembled an illusory image, like the full moon's brightness veiled by mist
She was as inviolable and radiant as the sun's reflection in water
Due to Gautama's curse, Ahalya had remained invisible to the three worlds until Rama's arrival. As the curse's duration ended, she became perceptible when Rama touched her feet.
Remembering Gautama's words, Ahalya received Rama and Lakshmana with due honors. With focused attention, she performed traditional acts of hospitality, offering water for washing their feet and other respectful offerings. Rama accepted these gestures according to custom.
A great celebration ensued:
Flowers rained down amid the sound of divine drums
Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and Apsaras (celestial dancers) gathered
The gods praised Ahalya, exclaiming "Excellent! Excellent!"
They honored her body, purified by the power of penance at Gautama's command
The great ascetic Gautama, radiant and joyful, joined Ahalya in worshipping Rama according to tradition. He then resumed his austere practices.
Rama, having received great hospitality from the sage Gautama, set out towards Mithila (a kingdom).
Thus ends the Forty Ninth sarga (chapter) of Balakanda (The Book of Youth) of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.