AHALYA-WIFE OF SAGE GOUTHAMA- COMPILED
Part 2
Epics references
In one instance in the Mahabharata, Indra is said to havebeen cursed by having
his beard turned to gold as he seduces Ahalya, while acurse by Kaushika
(sometimes interpreted as synonymous to Gautama) is cited asthe reason for his
castration.
In the Uttara Kanda,Indra is cursed to lose his throne and endure captivity
and bear half the sinof every bad relationship evercommitted, while the
innocent Ahalya is cursed to lose her status as the mostbeautiful woman, as it
had prompted Indra's seduction. Ahalya claims her innocence (this part is not
found in all manuscripts),but Gautama agrees to accept her only when she is
sanctified by offering Ramahospitality.
Ahalya's defence plea is also found in some of the Puranas.In the Brahma
Purana, Ahalyais cursed to become a dried up stream, but pleads her innocence
andproduces servants, who were also deceived by Indra's disguise, as witnesses.
Gautama reduces the curse on his"faithful wife" and she is redeemed when she
joins the Gautami(Godavari) river as a stream.
Indra is cursed to carry his shame in the form of athousand female sex organ
on his body,but they turn into eyes as he bathes inthe Gautami.
The Brahma Purana is a rare exception where Rama isdropped from the narrative.
Instead, the greatness of the Gautami river isillustrated.
The Padma Purana tells thatas Indra attempts to flee in the form of a cat,
Gautama curses him to lose his sexorgan and to bear a thousand female sexorgan
on his body. The beguiled Ahalya declares herself blameless, but
Gautamaconsiders her impure and curses her to be reduced to a mere skeleton of
skinand bones. He decrees that she will regain her beautiful form when Rama
laughsat seeing her so afflicted, dried out (a reminder of the dried stream
motif),without a body (the Ramayana curse) and lying on the path (an attribute
oftenused to describe a stone). When Rama comes, he proclaims herinnocence and
Indra's guilt, whereupon Ahalya returns to her heavenlyabode and dwells with
Gautama.
According to the BrahmaVaivarta Purana, Gautamacurses Indra to bear a thousand
female organ , which will turn to eyes when heworships the sun-god Surya.Ahalya
is turned to stone for sixty thousand years and destined to be redeemedonly by
Rama's touch. Ahalya accepts the verdict without debate.
The Skanda Purana tellsthat when Gautamaarrives, Ahalya explains the whole tale
truthfully, but is cursed by Gautama tobecome a stone, because he believes that
she acted as a rolling stone, unableto recognise the difference between Indra's
and Gautama's gestures andmovements. The touch of Rama's feet is prophesied to
be her saviour. Theterrified Indra escapes as a cat and is cursed with
castration.
The petrification motif also appears in non-scriptural works.The Raghuvamsa of
Kalidasa(generally dated 4th century CE) notes that the wife of Gautama
(unnamed here)momentarily becomes the wife of Indra. Without explicitly
mentioning thecurse, it relates further that she regains her beautiful form and
casts awayher stony appearance, owing to the grace provided by the dust of
Rama's feet,which redeems her.
The Ramavataram is an example of the Bhakti-era poets whoexalt Rama as a
saviour.
Most of the fifth chapterof the Bala Kanda Book of the Adhyatma Ramayana
(embedded in the Brahmanda Purana, c. 14th century)is dedicated to the Ahalya
episode. Like most other versions of the story,Ahalya is turned into stone and
advised to engross herself in meditation ofRama, "the Supreme Lord". When Rama
touches the stone with his footon Vishvamitra's advice, Ahalya rises as a
beautiful maiden and sings a longpanegyric dedicated to Rama. She describes his
iconographic form and exalts himas an avatar of Vishnu and source of the
universe to whom many divinities paytheir respects. Afterworshipping him, she
returns to Gautama. At the end of the narrative,Ahalya's hymn is prescribed as
an ideal benediction for a devotee to gainRama's favour.
The Awadhi Ramacharitamanasa(16th century) drops the narrative of Indra's
visit to Ahalya.In this epic, Vishvamitra tells Rama that the cursed Ahalya has
assumed theform of a rock and is patiently awaiting the dust from Rama's feet.
Ahalya tells Rama that Gautama was right to pronounce thecurse, and she deems
it as the greatest favour, for as a result, she feastedher eyes on Rama, who
liberated her from her worldly existence.
As in the Adhyatma Ramayana,Ahalya lauds Rama as the great Lord served by
other divinities, asks for theboon of eternal engrossment in his devotion and
afterwards leaves for herhusband's abode. The narrative ends with praise for
Rama's compassion.
Tulsidas alludes to thisepisode numerous times in the Ramacharitamanasa while
highlighting thesignificance of Rama's benevolence.
Stone motifs
In the popular retelling of the legend in later works, aswell as in theatre and
electronic media, Ahalya is turned to stone by Gautama'scurse and returns to
her human form only after being brushed by Rama's foot.
Other variants
In some rare exceptions, the curse is dropped. In an instancein the
Mahabharata, where details of the seduction are absent, anagitated Gautama
orders his son Chirakari to behead his"polluted" mother and leaves the ashram.
However, Chirakari ishesitant to follow the order and later concludes that
Ahalya is innocent.Gautama returns and repents his hasty decision, realising
that Indra is theguilty party.
In the Bhil Ramayana, Gautama attacks and imprisons Indra, who is freedwhen he
promises to shower rain on the crops as the rain god. He must also ensure that
onequarter of the crops is dedicated to Gautama. Here, Ahalya is interpreted
asdry and burnt land, eager for the rains sent by Indra, who is tamed by the
wildcyclonic Gautama.
Modern renditions
Ahalya has been examined in a new light by several modernwriters, most commonly
through short stories or through poetry in variousIndian languages.
AlthoughAhalya is a minor character in all ancient sources, "stigmatised
anddespised by those around her" for violating gender norms, modern
Indianwriters have elevated her to the status of an epic heroine, ratherthan an
insignificant figure in the saga of Rama. However, in modern devotionalRamayana
adaptations where Ramais the hero, the redemption of Ahalya continues to be a
supernatural incidentin his life.
Ahalya's tale lives on in modern-day poetry, including worksby Rabindranath
Tagore in Bengali and English;[ P. T. Narasimhachar's 1940Kannada poetic drama,
Ahalya, which weighs kama against dharma (pleasureagainst duty etc.
It is retold numerous times in stage enactments as well as infilm and
television productions. Ahalya is a popular motif in the Maharitemple-dancer
tradition of Odisha. Other works and genres of performance artthat have been
used to tell her story include the mohiniyattam dance of Kerala; Ahalyamoksham,
a playby Kunchan Nambiar staged in the ottamthullal tradition; and Sati Ahalya,
apadya-natakam drama from Andhra Pradesh.
Early in the 20th century,the old norms were reasserted. Pa. Subramania
Mudaliar in his Tamil poem (1938)describes Ahalya lecturing Indra on chastity,
but Indra's lust compels him to rape her. Gautamaturns Ahalya to stone to free
her from the trauma. The Tamil writer Yogiyarportrays an innocent Ahalya, who
sleeps with the disguised Indra, overcome withguilt and asking for punishment.
Sripada Krishnamurty Sastry's Telugu versionof Ramayana (1947), one of themost
censored versions of the tale, reduces Ahalya's contact with Indra to
ahandshake.
K. B. Sreedevi's Malayalam language work (1990) translated as"Woman of Stone"
focus on Rama's "double standard" from a feminist perspective.They ask why Rama
frees Ahalya from being cursed for adultery, but punishes his wife Sitaover
false accusations of adultery with her kidnapper, Ravana.
In Pudhumaipithan's tale, Ahalya turns back into stone after hearing thatSita
had to undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. Sreedevi portraysher
turning into stone upon learning that Sita was banished from the kingdom
oncharges of adultery even after proving her chastity through the trial.
Pudhumaipithan also narrates how, after the redemption,Ahalya suffers from
"post-trauma repetition syndrome", repeatedlyre-experiencing Indra's seduction
and Gautama's fury, as well as suffering theire of a conservative society that
rejects her.
In another story, Ahalya by Pudhumaipithan, Gautamaforgives both Ahalya and
Indra.
The Marxist critic Kovai Gnani, in his poemKallihai, represents Ahalya as the
oppressed class and Rama as an ideal futurewithout exploitation. Gautama and
Indra represent feudalism and capitalism. Thecharacter of Ahalya played by
Kamala Kotnis in the 1949 movie Sati Ahalya ("chasteAhalya") was described as
still relevant by contemporary film critics dueto its portrayal of the
predicament of a stained woman.
N. S. Madhavan's Malayalam story (April 2006) also retellsAhalya's tale in a
modern setting, wherein Ahalya, accused of adultery, isbeaten by her husband,
leaving her in a coma from which the neurologist, Rama,revives her.
However, the practice of retelling the classical Ahalya–Indra tale in
acontemporary setting is not new.
The Yoga Vasistha (1001–1400) narrates a tale of twoadulterous lovers, Queen
Ahalya and the Brahmin Indra. Here, Ahalya and Indra fall in loveand continue
their affair, despite being punished by Ahalya's jealous husband. After death,
theyreunite in their next birth.
The 2015 short film Ahalya gives afeminist twist to the tale where the
policeman Indra turns into a stonedoll, after visiting Ahalya.
Ahalya’s children
The Ramayana mentions Ahalya's son, Shatananda (Satananda),the family priest
and preceptor of King Janaka of Mithila. In this version, Shatananda
asksVishvamitra anxiously about the well-being of his "renowned" mother.By
contrast, the Mahabharatamentions two sons: Sharadvan, born with arrows in his
hand, and Chirakari,whose extensive brooding over his actions leads to
procrastination.
The Vamana Purana mentions threedaughters: Jaya, Jayanti and Aparaji.
Another legend, generally told in Indian folk tales, statesthat Aruna, the
charioteer ofthe sun-god Surya, once became a woman named Aruni and entered
anassembly of celestial nymphs, where no man except Indra was allowed. Indra
fellin love with Aruni and fathered a son named Vali. The next day, at
Surya'srequest, Aruna again assumed female form, and Surya fathered a son,
Sugriva. Both children weregiven to Ahalya for rearing, but Gautama cursed
them, causing them to turn intomonkeys, as he did not like them.
In the Thai version of the Ramayana,the Ramakien, Vali and Sugriva are
described as Ahalya's children from herliaisons with Indra and Surya. Although
Ahalya initially passes them offas sons of Gautama, her daughter by Gautama –
Anjani – reveals her mother'ssecret to her father. He consequently drives the
brothers away and curses themto become monkeys. Enraged, Ahalya curses Anjani
to give birth to a monkey too. Anjanibears Hanuman, the monkey-god and friend
of Rama.
Tamil castes
Some Tamil castes tracetheir ancestry to Ahalya and Indra's liaison; the castes
are named afterAhalya's children.Gautama finds the three boys and names them
according to their behaviour:Agamudayar (derived from "brave"), who confronts
Gautama, Maravar(derived from "tree"), who climbs a tree and Kallar (derived
from"thief" or "rock"), who hides like a thief behind a largerock. A fourth
child, Vellala, is added in some versions. In another variant, theliaison is
replaced by penance and worship offered by Ahalya to Indra, whogifts her the
children as a reward.
Assessmentand remembrance as one among Panchakanya
A well-known verse about Ahalya runs:
Sanskrit transliteration
ahalyādraupadī Kunti tārā mandodarī tathā ।
pañcakanyāḥsmarennityaṃ mahāpātakanāśinīḥ ॥
English translation
Ahalya,Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari
One shouldforever remember the five virgins who are the destroyers of great sins
Note: A variant of this prayer replaces Sita with Kunti.
Orthodox Hindus, especially Hindu wives, remember thepanchakanya, the five
virgins or maidens, in this daily morning prayer. Oneview considers them
"exemplary chaste women" or mahasatis("great chaste women") as per the Mahari
dance tradition, and worthyas an ideal for "displaying some outstanding
quality".
According to this view, Ahalya isthe "epitome of the chaste wife, unjustly
accused of adultery",while her "proverbial loyalty to her husband" makes her
venerable.
Ahalya is often regarded as theleader of the panchkanya due to the "nobility
of her character, herextraordinary beauty and the fact of her being
chronologically the firstkanya".
Secondary Goddess
In the Devi-Bhagavata Purana,Ahalya is included in a list of secondary
goddesses, who are "auspicious,glorious and much praiseworthy", alongside Tara
and Mandodari as well assome of the pancha-satis("five satis or chaste wives")
Arundhati and Damayanti.
Another view does not regard the panchakanya as ideal womenwho should be
emulated.] Bhattacharya, author of Panch-Kanya: The Five Virginsof Indian Epics
contrasts the panchakanya with the five satis enlisted inanother traditional
prayer: Sati, Sita, Savitri, Damayanti andArundhati.
Ahalya Theertha
The place where Ahalya is held to have practised her penanceand was redeemed
has been celebrated in scriptures as a sacred place called theAhalya-tirtha. A
tirtha is a sacred place with a body of water, where pilgrimsgenerally bathe to
purify themselves. The location of the Ahalya-tirtha is disputed: according
tosome scriptures, it is on the river Godavari, others place it on the
riverNarmada. Two sites are widely held to be the Ahalya-tirtha. One islocated
near Ahalyeshvara Temple in Bhalod, on the banks of the Narmada;another is
located in Darbhanga district, Bihar. The Ahilya Asthan temple in Ahalya-gram
("Ahalya'svillage") in the same district is dedicated to Ahalya.
For those seeking to attract women and be handsome likethe love-god Kamadeva,
the Matsya Purana and the Kurma Purana prescribe theworship of Ahalya at the
Ahalya-tirtha. This is to be done on the day of Kamadeva, in the Hindumonth of
Chaitra. According to the texts, he who bathes in the tirtha willenjoy pleasure
with the celestial nymphs.
Grinding stone
In Hindu Tamil weddings in India and Sri Lanka, Ahalyaappears as a symbolic
black grinding stone, which the bride touches with herfoot while promising not
to be like Ahalya.
New Epics
The sixth-century Tamil epic Manimekalai alludes to her talewarning how the
gods also do not remain untouched by illicit love.
Similar legends exists in Greek mythology also.
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