Just like आदिपर्व within महाभारत, the बालकाण्ड within रामायण is littered with lot of events from ancient India. If anyone wishes to get a glimpse into इतिहास of भारत देश, one must read these two parts of these इतिहास texts. This blog focusses itself on the event of राम’s encounter with अहल्या and गौतम ऋषि. अहल्या, as people may know, is revered as one of the greatest women from ancient India (like गार्गी, मैत्रेयी, among others). But as people may know, अहल्या is involved in an act of adultery within the रामायण. As a consequence, अहल्या is cursed by her husband, गौतम ऋषि. So why should अहल्या be revered? What is the role of राम with regards to अहल्या? Let us read on.

शतानन्द enquiry about his mother

To set the context, it may be useful to go a little ahead of the event. As विश्वामित्र together with राम and लक्ष्मण enter मिथिला to take part in सीता’s स्वयंवर, they are greeted by सीता’s father Janaka as well as शतानन्द. Who is शतानन्द? He is actually the son of ऋषि गौतम and अहल्या who was working as a minister in the court of Janaka. So when शतानन्द met विश्वामित्र , a conversation ensued between them as below:

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रस्य धीमत:। हृष्टरोमा महातेजाश्शतानन्दो महातपा:।।
गौतमस्य सुतो ज्येष्ठस्तपसा द्योतितप्रभ:। रामसन्दर्शनादेव परं विस्मयमागत:।।

स तौ निषण्णौ सम्प्रेक्ष्य सुखासीनौ नृपात्मजौ। शतानन्दो मुनिश्रेष्ठं विश्वामित्रमथामब्रवीत्।।

शतानन्द the eldest son of गौतम, a great sage who looked brilliant with the power of austerities was thrilled to hear the words of विश्वामित्र the intellectual and experienced great astonishment on beholding राम. शतानन्द saw the two princes comfortably seated nearby and said to विश्वामित्र , the foremost of the ascetics:

अपि ते मुनिशार्दूल मम माता यशस्विनी। दर्शिता राजपुत्राय तपो दीर्घमुपागता।।
अपि रामे महातेजा मम माता यशस्विनी। वन्यैरुपाहरत्पूजां पूजार्हे सर्वदेहिनाम्।।अपि रामाय कथितं यथावृत्तं पुरातनम्। मम मातुर्महातेजो दैवेन दुरनुष्ठितम्।।अपि कौशिक भद्रं ते गुरुणा मम सङ्गता। मम माता मुनिश्रेष्ठ रामसन्दर्शनादित:।।

“O Tiger among ascetics, was my renowned mother who had been practising intense austerities for long shown to the prince (राम)?

Did my महातेजा and यशस्विनी mother offer homage to राम, worthy of reverence by all living beings, with things available in the forest?

O highly powerful sage, was राम told the old story about the misdeed of देव (Indra) to my mother?

O Son of Kushika (विश्वामित्र) be blessed. O the best among the ascetics, as a result of beholding राम, was my mother united with my father?

अपि मे गुरुणा राम: पूजित: कुशिकात्मज। इहागतो महातेजा: पूजां प्राप्तो महात्मन:।।
अपि शान्तेन मनसा गुरुर्मे कुशिकात्मज । इहाऽगतेन रामेण प्रयतेनाभिवादित:।। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य विश्वामित्रो महामुनि:। प्रत्युवाच शतानन्दं वाक्यज्ञो वाक्यकोविदम्।।

O Son of Kushika was राम honoured by my father? Was my most brilliant father honoured by illustrious राम when he arrived?

O Kushika’s son did pious राम welcome my father with a tranquil mind when he arrived?”

Great sage विश्वामित्र equipped with the knowledge of words heard शतानन्द who was proficient in speech. And replied:

नातिक्रान्तं मुनिश्रेष्ठ यत्कर्तव्यं कृतं मया। सङ्गता मुनिना पत्नी भार्गवेणेव रेणुका।।

O Best of ascetics (शतानन्द) All that is required to be done has been done and nothing was omitted. अहल्या was united with sage गौतम like रेणुका with जमदग्नि.

Comments

Some aspects become evident from this conversation:

1. शतानन्द deeply revered his mother. And while this may seem as natural, one must note that he addresses her as one who is महातेजा and यशस्विनी. Thereby, one must note that अहल्या is not seen just as a normal mother but one who is highly capable and deserving of respect.
2. शतानन्द clearly blames इंद्र for the event. He sees the event as a misdeed of इंद्र and not as a lapse of his mother. While cynics may again dismiss this as love of son for his mother, people who revere रामायण can recognize that शतानन्द is a ऋषि himself and will always stick to truth in his words, deed and action. Such people are not casual with words and his respect for his mother is not purely out of son’s natural affection but also on account of her ऋषि status.
3. विश्वामित्र tells शतानन्द that अहल्या is united with गौतम just as रेणुका with जमदग्नि. Why is this analogy important? रेणुका and Jamagagni are parents of परशुराम. One day, as रेणुका went over to a river to fetch water, she saw a गन्धर्व sporting with his queen. As she saw both of them engage in acts of love, she too cultivated thoughts of sexual union and thereby returned to her आश्रम in a state of anxiety. Her husband senses the reason for disturbance in her mind and immediately orders his sons to kill his mother for carrying such thoughts (Yes – ऋषि lives by moral standards that are much higher than normal humans like us). परशुराम kills his mother immediately but when his gratified father asks him to seek a boon for his action, परशुराम immediately asks for his mother to be restored to life. जमदग्नि immediately restored his wife back to life and रेणुका was thus united with her husband.
4. Why is this analogy important? As is quite evident, रेणुका did not indulge in any physical act with anyone but merely carried amorous thoughts. And she had to go through a punishment as a result of such deviation. But once her punishment was concluded, she was united with her husband fully purified of her पाप. Let us see whether this applies to the story of अहल्या too.

गौतम curses अहल्या and इंद्र

In the बालकाण्ड, we see विश्वामित्र taking राम and लक्ष्मण through the forest and they pass various locations where the ऋषि conveys history of each such location to them. And as they were walking across the forest, they come across a deserted place.

मिथिलोपवने शून्यमाश्रमं दृश्य राघव: । पुराणं निर्जनं रम्यं पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम्।।
श्रीमदाश्रमसङ्काशं किन्न्विदं मुनिवर्जितम्। ज्ञातुमिच्छामि भगवन् कस्यायं पूर्वमाश्रम:।। तच्छ्रुत्वा राघवेणोक्तं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारद:। प्रत्युवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनि:।।

At the sight of an old uninhabited, beautiful and desolate hermitage in a grove near मिथिला, the descendant of the Raghus enquired of the foremost among the ascetics

“O Venerable one I wish to know why this auspicious looking hermitage was deserted by ascetics? To whom did this belong in the past.”

Hearing the aforesaid question asked by श्रीराम, the great ऋषि विश्वामित्र , who is exceptionally glorious and skilled in speech replied:

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि श्रुणु तत्त्वेन राघव। यस्येदमाश्रमपदं शप्तं कोपान्महात्मना।। गौतमस्य नरश्रेष्ठ पूर्वमासीन्महात्मन:। आश्रमो दिव्यसङ्काशस्सुरैरपि सुपूजित:।। स चेह तप आतिष्ठदहल्यासहित: पुरा। वर्षपूगाननेकांश्च राजपुत्र महायश:।।

“O Descendant of the Raghus I shall tell all you about this hermitage cursed by the wrath of a great man.

O Best among men this hermitage resembling a celestial retreat and well-honoured even by devatas once belonged to illustrious गौतम.

O Highly renowned prince it was here in ancient times that गौतम in the company of अहल्या practised austerities for several years.

तस्यान्तरं विदित्वा तु सहस्राक्षश्शचीपति:। मुनिवेषधरोऽहल्यामिदं वचनमब्रवीत्।।

The सहस्राक्ष Indra, consort of Sachi, having found an opportunity (during the absence of the ascetic), assumed the guise of the ascetic (गौतम) and said to अहल्या :

ऋतुकालं प्रतीक्षन्ते नार्थिनस्सुसमाहिते। सङ्गमं त्वहमिच्छामि त्वया सह सुमध्यमे।।
मुनिवेषं सहस्राक्षं विज्ञाय रघुनन्दन। मतिं चकार दुर्मेधा देवराजकुतूहलात्।। अथाब्रवीत् नरश्रेष्ठ कृतार्थेनान्तरात्मना। कृतार्थाऽस्मि सुरश्रेष्ठ गच्छ शीघ्रमित: प्रभो।।
आत्मानं मां च देवेश सर्वदा रक्ष गौतमात्। इन्द्रस्तु प्रहसन् वाक्यमहल्यामिदमब्रवीत्। ।

‘O most beautiful one those overtaken by passion would not await the completion of the menstrual period (favourable for conception). O woman of fine waist! I desire union with you.’

Even on recognising him to be इंद्र, O राघव, the misguided woman set her heart upon इंद्र in her curiosity to know इंद्र

With her inner self gratified, she said to इंद्र – I stand accomplished of my purpose (through this meeting with you), O greatest among देव! Depart from this place at once. Guard your own self as well as me in every way from the notice of गौतम. Thereupon, इंद्र laughed sarcastically and addressed the following words to अहल्या –

सुश्रोणि परितुष्टोऽस्मि गमिष्यामि यथाऽगतम्। एवं सङ्गम्य तु तया निश्चक्रामोटजात्तत:।।

Highly gratified (through this meeting with you), O Charming lady! I shall depart as I came (unobserved by anyone”. O राम! He came out of the leaf-hut after his meeting with her, apprehensive of गौतम.

स सम्भ्रमात्त्वरन् राम शङ्कितो गौतमं प्रति।गौतमं तं ददर्शाथ प्रविशन्तं महामुनिम्।।
देवदानवदुर्धर्षं तपोबलसमन्वितम्। तीर्थेंदकपरिक्लिन्नं दीप्यमानमिवानलम्।। गृहीतसमिधं तत्र सकुशं मुनिपुङ्गवम्। दृष्ट्वा सुरपतिस्त्रस्तो विवर्णवदनोऽभवत्।। अथ दृष्ट्वा सहस्राक्षं मुनिवेषधरं मुनि:। दुर्वृत्तं वृत्तसम्पन्नो रोषाद्वचनमब्रवीत्।।

Subsequently, Indra beheld the great ascetic गौतम, unassailable by देवता and danava, endowed with the power of ascetism, drenched with sacrificial waters, shining like flaming fire, carrying sacrificial firewood and Kusha grass and preeminent among sages, entering that leaf hut. On seeing him, the face of the Lord of the gods (Indra) turned pale with fear. Seeing इंद्र in his own disguise and guilty of misconduct, the ऋषि, who was well-behaved forthwith spoke in an angry tone as follows:

मम रूपं समास्थाय कृतवानसि दुर्मते। अकर्तव्यमिदं तस्माद्विफलस्त्वं भविष्यसि।।
गौतमेनैवमुक्तस्य सरोषेण महात्मना। पेततुर्वृषणै भूमौ सहस्राक्षस्य तत्क्षणात्।।

“O Wicked natured one assuming my form you have done a forbidden act. For that reason you shall be devoid of testicles.

Cursed thus out of anger by eminent गौतम the testicles of Indra immediately dropped down on the earth.

तथा शप्त्वा स वै शक्रमहल्यामपि शप्तवान्। इह वर्षसहस्राणि बहूनि त्वं निवत्स्यसि।।
वायुभक्षा निराहारा तप्यन्ती भस्मशायिनी। अदृश्या सर्वभूतानां आश्रमेऽस्मिन्निवत्स्यसि।। यदा चैतद्वनं घोरं रामो दशरथात्मज:। आगमिष्यति दुर्धर्षस्तदा पूता भविष्यसि। । तस्यातिथ्येन दुर्वुत्ते लोभमोहविवर्जिता मत्सकाशे मुदा युक्ता स्वं वपुर्धारयिष्यसि।।

Having thus cursed Indra, he also cursed अहल्या : ‘You will be staying here for thousands of years without food and subsisting on air, remain lying on ashes, doing तप, without being seen by any living beings in this आश्रम’. ‘When the son of दशरथ, the unassailable राम enters this dreadful forest, you will be absolved (of this पाप)’. O immoral one! by offering hospitality to राम, without cupidity and infatuation, you will happily live with me by regaining your present form’.

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा गौतमो दुष्टचारिणीम्। इममाश्रममुत्सृज्य सिद्धचारणसेविते। हिमवच्छिखरे पुण्ये तपस्तेपे महातपा:।।

Highly powerful गौतम who had performed rigid austerities thus cursed the immoral अहल्या and left this hermitage, for the peaks of Himavat mountain served by siddhas and charanas. Here he performed austerities”(said विश्वामित्र).

Comments

1. There must be no doubt that अहल्या is an accomplished one. Without this, she would not have been able to recognize इंद्र even though he came in the form of her husband.
2. Now having seen इंद्र , she was very excited. Who will not be? After all, even when the Prime Minister of a country comes to our home, one will get excited, why should अहल्या have any other emotion?
3. Having said that, इंद्र clearly came at a time which was inappropriate for a married woman to be alone with someone else. It was संध्या time which is the time for prayers and purification. And इंद्र tells her quite clearly that he wanted to have sexual union with her.
4. Did she have a sexual union with इंद्र ? There are two opinions – purists state that she merely entertained the thought of union with इंद्र but did not have any sexual union. In response, owing to her excitement, she uses the words “कृतार्थाऽस्मि सुरश्रेष्ठ” – “I am gratified meeting you” and tells him to depart immediately. But given that she was gratified and entertained a thought of having union with इंद्र , गौतम cursed her later. And later use of analogy by विश्वामित्र that अहल्या was reunited with गौतम just like रेणुका with जमदग्नि reinforces this view.
5. Continuing further, there is a line which states that इंद्र laughed sarcastically when अहल्या asks him to depart. The words used are “इन्द्रस्तु प्रहसन्” and tells her – “परितुष्ट: अस्मि” meaning “I am satisfied”. if indeed इंद्र had physical union with her, he should have merely departed joyfully but there is no need for a sarcastic response. But sarcasm has come about since he knew that mentally, अहल्या indeed was joyous feeling great that the great इंद्र came all the way to her for having union with her. Now, even though her joy was mental and not physical, for a ऋषि, this is adequate to reduce her तप बल.
6. The general opinion however is that she indeed had sexual union with इंद्र. The words “परितुष्ट: अस्मि” meaning “I am satisfied” can be taken that he is satisfied after having union with her. And she too is satisfied which is why she uses the words “कृतार्थाऽस्मि सुरश्रेष्ठ”.
7. So which aspect is right? This can become a matter of opinion and one must go to a learned गुरु one has conviction in and take their advice. Simply put, one must reflect on why इंद्र came to अहल्या in the first place. He had come to test गौतम. His interest was not sexual union with अहल्या . As is seen in various पुराण, whenever the तप बल of any ऋषि rises significantly, इंद्र comes down to Earth to test such a ऋषि. If the ऋषि passes the test, इंद्र makes an offer to take such a ऋषि to स्वर्ग. If such a ऋषि does not pass the test but takes to anger, the तप बल of the ऋषि reduces. And when the तप बल reduces, such a ऋषि needs to do more तप to attain स्वर्ग. Such accounts keep coming up again and again in the इतिहास and purana texts again and again.
8. One must that इंद्र is not just another person but actually represents a role. And in this role, he is meant to be testing people whose तप बल has reached a critical level that qualifies such a person for taking a position in स्वर्ग. This is his job though often, texts project such tests as if these are being done by an insecure person – that is not so.
9. In this episode, गौतम is unable to pass the test by इंद्र. He takes on to anger and thus इंद्र departs immediately after the event. Having said that, whether we resort to one opinion or other, in either case, it becomes easy to understand that both mental adultery or physical adultery are not “permanent” पाप. Any fall merely reduces our तप बल. This means that we have to work hard all over again to regain our previous बल. And once बल is restored, we are blessed to attain the highest as we will witness below.

विश्वामित्र advices राम to bless अहल्या

तदागच्छ महातेज आश्रमं पुण्यकर्मण:। तारयैनां महाभागामहल्यां देवरूपिणीम्।।

“Most brilliant राम therefore enter the hermitage of the pious (गौतम) and liberate this fortunate अहल्या of divine appearance (from the curse).”

विश्वामित्रवचश्श्रुत्वा राघवस्सहलक्ष्मण:। विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य तमाश्रममथाविशत्।।

In response to the words of विश्वामित्र राम and लक्ष्मण entered the hermitage, विश्वामित्र in front.

ददर्श च महाभागां तपसा द्योतितप्रभाम्। लोकैरपि समागम्य दुर्निरीक्ष्यां सुरासुरै:।।
प्रयत्नान्निर्मितां धात्रा दिव्यां मायामयीमिव। धूमेनाभिपरीताङ्गी दीप्ताम् अग्निशिखाम् इव।।

स तुषारावृतां साभ्रां पूर्णचन्द्रप्रभामिव। मध्येंऽभसो दुराधर्षां दीप्तां सूर्यप्रभामिव।।

राम beheld the highly fortunate अहल्या, shining brilliantly with the power of her asceticism. She could not be seen even by men, suras or asuras joined together. She looked divine and illusory as if created with special efforts by ब्रह्म. Though not clearly visible, she looked like the blazing flame wrapped all over in smoke or like halo of the full moon obscured by a veneer of snow and screened by a cloud again or again like a dazzling bright circle of light round the Sun appearing in the midst of water (meaning existing in clouds).

सा हि गौतमवाक्येन दुर्निरीक्ष्या बभूव ह।त्रयाणामपि लोकानां यावद्रामस्य दर्शनम्। शापस्यान्तमुपागम्य तेषां दर्शनमागता।।

By the words of गौतम, she became invisible to the three worlds till the appearance of राम. With the expiry of the period of the curse, she had come within the range of राघव’s (राम and लक्ष्मण) and she regained her awareness of the world when राम touched her feet.

राघवौ तु ततस्तस्या: पादौ जगृहतुस्तदा। स्मरन्ती गौतमवच: प्रतिजग्राह सा च तौ।।
पाद्यमर्घ्यं तथाऽऽतिथ्यं चकार सुसमाहिता। प्रतिजग्राह काकुत्स्थो विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा।।

Recalling the words of गौतम, she received them with water to wash their feet and offerings made with due devotion राम accepted her hospitality extended in accordance tradition.

पुष्पवृष्टिर्महत्यासीद्देवदुन्दुभिनिस्वनै:। गन्धर्वाप्सरसां चैव महानासीत्समागम:।।

Amidst sounds of celestial kettledrums, देवता’s showered flowers, गन्धर्व’s sang and अप्सरसा danced. There was a great assemblage (of divinities).

साधु साध्विति देवास्तामहल्यां समपूजयन्। तपोबलविशुद्धाङ्गी गौतमस्य वशानुगाम्।।

On seeing अहल्या , her body purified by the power of penance at गौतम’s command, the devatas worshipfully exclaimed, साधु, साधु!

गौतमोऽपि महातेजा अहल्यासहितस्सुखी। रामं सम्पूज्य विधिवत्तपस्तेपे महातपा:।।

Brilliant Gautam, the great ascetic, along with अहल्या , worshipped राम according to tradition, with delight and continued with his austerities.

Comments

This is the best part of the entire episode. Why so?

1. A curse of ऋषि is always for the benefit of the person. It is not to be seen as a mere expression of anger. A ऋषि with his wife hold themselves to a high standard of conduct. If they fall below their self-professed standard, they have to perform more rigorous तपस्या – there is no running away from it. गौतम’s curse thus made अहल्या take on to a rigorous तपस्या. If अहल्या would not have done such तपस्या, she will have to take multiple lives to get rid of her पाप. Thus, गौतम’s curse offered her a way out in this life itself.
2. So what was अहल्या contemplating about? Unlike the popular idea that she was turned into a stone, one can see that वाल्मीकि रामायण has no such nonsense. She became invisible to the world as well as to herself. And she indulged in rigorous तपस्या. And what was she contemplating about? As per learned गुरुs, she was contemplating on the highest परमात्मा Itself. Contemplation on परमात्मा is the highest purifier. Contemplation on the unmanifest is what a ऋषि resorts to at all times and there is no purification for anyone (not just a ऋषि) other than to contemplate on the Highest. So the question is – why should राम’s touch liberate her?
3. It is not राम’s touch alone that liberated her – it is her तपस्या that made her a fit person. Fit for what? Fit to have a दर्शन of the Highest. राम is the Highest. राम is परमात्मा who has taken a साकार रूप . Better still, राम Himself touched her feet. So the Highest that she was contemplating within for many years came right in front of her – DIRECTLY in प्रत्यक्ष रूप. राम coming in front of her was an outcome, was a तप फल – a final fruition of her तपस्या. It is for this reason that देवता showered flowers on her, गन्धर्व sang songs, etc. राम’s touch therefore brought her back into the world – she is purified by the touch of परमात्मा – what else can one ask for?
4. And for someone purified by the touch of राम, गौतम therefore becomes united with her. Her indiscretion is an event of the distant past – all people do indiscretions but if there is तपस्या done with full remorse, one is cleansed. No one carries a guilt forever – after one works hard, one becomes free and pure again – even if one may have indulged in a crime of any sort.
5. And what greater achievement can one work for? अहल्या did तपस्या of the Highest and she achieved it. So she is revered for her act. So her son शतानन्द is truly happy to get his mother back. So the देवता’s are also happy with her arduous तपस्या. So must all of us revere अहल्या for attaining the highest inspite of her previous fall – and this gives us hope to similarly work on our own wrongs (there are crores of them) and working towards attaining परमात्मा – and राम will surely grace us if we work on such a course of action.

ॐ तत् सत्