# Bāla Kāṇḍa 47 — Story of Indra & Ahalyā: Indra’s disguise and Gautama’s curses *Indra takes Gautama’s form and unites with Ahalyā, Gautama curses him to lose his testicles and her to remain invisible until Rāma’s arrival* Portion: Stories of Indra · Verses: 32 · Ref format: 1.47. ## Sequence - Sumati asks who the two splendid, armed youths are and why they have come on foot along this difficult route (47.1–6) - Viśvāmitra recounts Siddhāśrama and the defeat of the rākṣasas → Sumati honors Daśaratha's sons, who stay overnight before continuing toward Mithilā (47.7–9) - near Janaka's city, Rāma notices a beautiful but deserted hermitage and asks about it (47.10–13) - Viśvāmitra identifies it as Gautama's former home with Ahalyā and begins their story (47.14–16). During Gautama's absence, Indra takes his appearance and asks Ahalyā for union, saying that desire does not wait for the fertile season (47.17–18) - Ahalyā recognizes Indra despite the disguise and agrees out of curiosity about the King of the Devas (47.19) - afterward she urges him to leave quickly and protect them both → he says he is satisfied and hurries out, afraid of Gautama (47.20–22) - Gautama returns wet from his sacred bath, blazing like fire, carrying fuel and kuśa grass → seeing him, Indra grows terrified (47.23–24) - Gautama recognizes the impersonation and curses him to lose his potency → Indra's testicles immediately fall to the ground (47.25–27). Gautama also curses Ahalyā to remain in the hermitage for thousands of years, living on air, fasting, lying in ashes, and invisible to living beings (47.28–29) - he declares that Rāma's arrival and her hospitality to him will bring purification, recovery of her form, and reunion with himself (47.30–31) - Gautama leaves for austerity on a Himalayan peak (47.32). ## Verses **1.47.1** pṛṣṭvā tu kuśalaṃ tatra parasparasamāgame kathānte sumatir vākyaṃ vyājahāra mahāmunim Having inquired after (one another's) welfare there at their meeting, at the close of the talk Sumati addressed these words to the great sage: **1.47.2** imau kumārau bhadraṃ te devatulyaparākramau gajasiṃhagatī vīrau śārdūlavṛṣabhopamau “These two youths — blessings on you — of prowess equal to the gods, with the gait of elephant and lion, heroes like tiger and bull, **1.47.3** padmapatraviśālākṣau khaḍgatūṇīdhanurdharau aśvināv iva rūpeṇa samupasthitayauvanau with eyes wide as lotus-petals, bearing sword, quiver, and bow, in form like the two Aśvins, in the bloom of youth, **1.47.4** yadṛcchayaiva gāṃ prāptau devalokād ivāmarau kathaṃ padbhyām iha prāptau kimarthaṃ kasya vā mune come to earth as if by mere chance, like two immortals from the world of the gods — how have they come here on foot, for what purpose, and whose (sons) are they, O sage? **1.47.5** bhūṣayantāv imaṃ deśaṃ candrasūryāv ivāmbaram parasparasya sadṛśau pramāṇeṅgitaceṣṭitaiḥ adorning this land as the moon and sun adorn the sky, resembling each other in stature, gesture, and movement? **1.47.6** kimarthaṃ ca naraśreṣṭhau saṃprāptau durgame pathi varāyudhadharau vīrau śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ And for what purpose have these two best of men, heroes bearing excellent weapons, come by this difficult path? I wish to hear the truth.” **1.47.7** tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā yathāvṛtthaṃ nyavedayat siddhāśramanivāsaṃ ca rākṣasānāṃ vadhaṃ tathā Hearing that speech of his, he (Viśvāmitra) related it just as it had happened — the sojourn at Siddhāśrama and likewise the slaying of the rākṣasas. **1.47.8** viśvāmitravacaḥ śrutvā rājā paramaharṣitaḥ atithī paramau prāptau putrau daśarathasya tau pūjayām āsa vidhivat satkārārhau mahābalau Hearing Viśvāmitra's words, the king, greatly delighted, honoured according to rule those two mighty sons of Daśaratha, come as supreme guests, worthy of hospitality. **1.47.9** tataḥ paramasatkāraṃ sumateḥ prāpya rāghavau uṣya tatra niśām ekāṃ jagmatur mithilāṃ tataḥ Then the two Rāghavas, having received supreme hospitality from Sumati and spent one night there, went thence to Mithilā. **1.47.10** tāṃ dṛṣṭvā munayaḥ sarve janakasya purīṃ śubhām sādhu sādhv iti śaṃsanto mithilāṃ samapūjayan Seeing that lovely city of Janaka, all the sages, exclaiming 'Excellent! Excellent!', extolled Mithilā. **1.47.11** mithilopavane tatra āśramaṃ dṛśya rāghavaḥ purāṇaṃ nirjanaṃ ramyaṃ papraccha munipuṃgavam There in a grove near Mithilā, Rāghava, seeing an ancient hermitage, deserted yet lovely, asked the bull among sages: **1.47.12** śrīmadāśramasaṃkāśaṃ kiṃ nv idaṃ munivarjitam śrotum icchāmi bhagavan kasyāyaṃ pūrva āśramaḥ “Resembling a glorious hermitage, yet devoid of any sage — what then is this? I wish to hear, O venerable one, whose hermitage this was of old.” **1.47.13** tac chrutā rāghaveṇoktaṃ vākyaṃ vākya viśāradaḥ pratyuvāca mahātejā viśvamitro mahāmuniḥ Hearing those words spoken by Rāghava, the mighty and eloquent great sage Viśvāmitra, skilled in speech, replied: **1.47.14** hanta te kathayiṣyāmi śṛṇu tattvena rāghava yasyaitad āśramapadaṃ śaptaṃ kopān mahātmanā “Come, I shall tell you; listen truly, Rāghava, to whom this hermitage-ground belonged — cursed in wrath by that great soul. **1.47.15** gautamasya naraśreṣṭha pūrvam āsīn mahātmanaḥ āśramo divyasaṃkāśaḥ surair api supūjitaḥ O best of men, of old this was the hermitage of the great-souled Gautama, resembling heaven, well honoured even by the gods. **1.47.16** sa ceha tapa ātiṣṭhad ahalyāsahitaḥ purā varṣapūgāny anekāni rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ And here of old he practised austerity, together with Ahalyā, for many a series of years, O illustrious prince. **1.47.17** tasyāntaraṃ viditvā tu sahasrākṣaḥ śacīpatiḥ muniveṣadharo 'halyām idaṃ vacanam abravīt Learning of his absence, the thousand-eyed lord of Śacī (Indra), in the guise of the sage, spoke these words to Ahalyā: **1.47.18** ṛtukālaṃ pratīkṣante nārthinaḥ susamāhite saṃgamaṃ tv aham icchāmi tvayā saha sumadhyame “Those who desire (a woman) do not wait for the fertile season, O well-composed one; and I desire union with you, O slender-waisted one.” **1.47.19** muniveṣaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ vijñāya raghunandana matiṃ cakāra durmedhā devarājakutūhalāt Recognizing the thousand-eyed one in the sage's garb, O delight of the Raghus, the foolish woman made up her mind, out of curiosity about the king of the gods. **1.47.20** athābravīt suraśreṣṭhaṃ kṛtārthenāntarātmanā kṛtārtho 'si suraśreṣṭha gaccha śīghram itaḥ prabho ātmānaṃ māṃ ca deveśa sarvadā rakṣa mānadaḥ Then, satisfied in her inmost heart, she said to the best of gods: “You have had your way, O best of gods; go quickly from here, O lord; O lord of gods, bestower of honour, protect yourself and me always.” **1.47.21** indras tu prahasan vākyam ahalyām idam abravīt suśroṇi parituṣṭo 'smi gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam But Indra, laughing, spoke these words to Ahalyā: “O fair-hipped one, I am well satisfied; I shall go as I came.” **1.47.22** evaṃ saṃgamya tu tayā niścakrāmoṭajāt tataḥ sa saṃbhramāt tvaran rāma śaṅkito gautamaṃ prati Having thus united with her, he then came forth from the hut; hurrying in his agitation, O Rāma, fearful of Gautama — **1.47.23** gautamaṃ sa dadarśātha praviśanti mahāmunim devadānavadurdharṣaṃ tapobalasamanvitam tīrthodakapariklinnaṃ dīpyamānam ivānalam gṛhītasamidhaṃ tatra sakuśaṃ munipuṅgavam Then he saw the great sage Gautama entering — unassailable by gods and demons, endowed with the power of austerity, wet with the water of a sacred bathing-place, blazing like fire, the bull among sages, holding firewood and kuśa-grass — **1.47.24** dṛṣṭvā surapatis trasto viṣaṇṇavadano 'bhavat seeing whom, the lord of the gods became terrified, his face downcast. **1.47.25** atha dṛṣṭvā sahasrākṣaṃ muniveṣadharaṃ muniḥ durvṛttaṃ vṛttasaṃpanno roṣād vacanam abravīt Then the sage, endowed with good conduct, seeing the thousand-eyed one in the sage's garb — the ill-behaved one — spoke these words in wrath: **1.47.26** mama rūpaṃ samāsthāya kṛtavān asi durmate akartavyam idaṃ yasmād viphalas tvaṃ bhaviṣyati “Having assumed my form, you have done, O evil-minded one, this that ought never to be done; therefore you shall become impotent.” **1.47.27** gautamenaivam uktasya saroṣeṇa mahātmanā petatur vṛṣaṇau bhūmau sahasrākṣasya tatkṣaṇāt When he had been thus addressed by the wrathful great-souled Gautama, the two testicles of the thousand-eyed one fell to the ground that very instant. **1.47.28** tathā śaptvā sa vai śakraṃ bhāryām api ca śaptavān iha varṣasahasrāṇi bahūni tvaṃ nivatsyasi Having thus cursed Śakra, he cursed his wife as well: “For many thousands of years you shall dwell here, **1.47.29** vāyubhakṣā nirāhārā tapyantī bhasmaśāyinī adṛśyā sarvabhūtānām āśrame 'smin nivatsyasi feeding on air, without food, doing penance, lying in ashes, invisible to all beings — in this hermitage you shall dwell. **1.47.30** yadā caitad vanaṃ ghoraṃ rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ āgamiṣyati durdharṣas tadā pūtā bhaviṣyasi And when Rāma, the unassailable son of Daśaratha, shall come to this terrible forest, then you shall become purified. **1.47.31** tasyātithyena durvṛtte lobhamohavivarjitā matsakāśe mudā yuktā svaṃ vapur dhārayiṣyasi By showing him hospitality, O ill-behaved one, freed from greed and delusion, and full of joy in my presence, you shall regain your own form.” **1.47.32** evam uktvā mahātejā gautamo duṣṭacāriṇīm imam āśramam utsṛjya siddhacāraṇasevite himavacchikhare ramye tapas tepe mahātapāḥ Having spoken thus to the ill-behaved woman, the mighty Gautama abandoned this hermitage and, on a lovely peak of the Himālaya frequented by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, the great ascetic performed his austerity.