The Deliverance of Ahalya

Shloka 1 (bala.49.1)

अफलस्तु ततः शक्रो देवानग्निपुरोगमान्। अब्रवीत् त्रस्तनयनः सिद्धगन्धर्वचारणान् ॥ १-४९-१ ॥

aphalastu tataḥ śakro devānagnipurogamān| abravīt trastanayanaḥ siddhagandharvacāraṇān || 1-49-1 ||

Then Shakra, thus rendered impotent, his eyes wide with fear, spoke to the gods — with Agni at their head — and to the siddhas, gandharvas, and charanas.

Shloka 2 (bala.49.2)

कुर्वता तपसो विघ्नं गौतमस्य महात्मनः। क्रोधमुत्पाद्य हि मया सुरकार्यमिदं कृतम् ॥ १-४९-२ ॥

kurvatā tapaso vighnaṃ gautamasya mahātmanaḥ| krodhamutpādya hi mayā surakāryamidaṃ kṛtam || 1-49-2 ||

"By hindering the austerity of the great-souled Gautama and provoking his wrath, I have in truth accomplished a task for the good of the gods."

Shloka 3 (bala.49.3)

अफलोऽस्मि कृतस्तेन क्रोधात् सा च निराकृता। शापमोक्षेण महता तपोऽस्यापहृतं मया ॥ १-४९-३ ॥

aphalo'smi kṛtastena krodhāt sā ca nirākṛtā| śāpamokṣeṇa mahatā tapo'syāpahṛtaṃ mayā || 1-49-3 ||

"By his wrath I have been made impotent, and his wife too has been rejected by him; by this great curse-loosing, I have indeed robbed him of his austerity."

Shloka 4 (bala.49.4)

तन्मां सुरवराः सर्वे सर्षिसंघाः सचारणाः। सुरकार्यकरं यूयं सफलं कर्तुमर्हथ ॥ १-४९-४ ॥

tanmāṃ suravarāḥ sarve sarṣisaṃghāḥ sacāraṇāḥ| surakāryakaraṃ yūyaṃ saphalaṃ kartumarhatha || 1-49-4 ||

"Therefore, O best of gods, together with the hosts of sages and the charanas, it behoves you to restore virility to me, who have acted for the gods' own cause."

Shloka 5 (bala.49.5)

शतक्रतोर्वचः श्रुत्वा देवाः साग्निपुरोगमाः। पितृदेवानुपेत्याहुः सह सर्वैः मरुद्गणैः ॥ १-४९-५ ॥

śatakratorvacaḥ śrutvā devāḥ sāgnipurogamāḥ| pitṛdevānupetyāhuḥ saha sarvaiḥ marudgaṇaiḥ || 1-49-5 ||

Hearing the words of Shatakratu, the gods, with Agni at their head, together with all the host of Marutas, approached the ancestral gods and spoke thus.

Shloka 6 (bala.49.6)

अयं मेषः सवृषणः शक्रो ह्यवृषणः कृतः। मेषस्य वृषणौ गृह्य शक्रायाशु प्रयच्छत ॥ १-४९-६ ॥

ayaṃ meṣaḥ savṛṣaṇaḥ śakro hyavṛṣaṇaḥ kṛtaḥ| meṣasya vṛṣaṇau gṛhya śakrāyāśu prayacchata || 1-49-6 ||

"This ram is possessed of testicles, while Shakra has been deprived of his; therefore, take this ram's testicles and give them at once to Shakra."

Shloka 7 (bala.49.7)

अफलस्तु कृतो मेषः परां तुष्टिं प्रदास्यति। भवतां हर्षणार्थाय ये च दास्यन्ति मानवाः। अक्षयं हि फलं तेषां यूयं दास्यथ पुष्कलम् ॥ १-४९-७ ॥

aphalastu kṛto meṣaḥ parāṃ tuṣṭiṃ pradāsyati| bhavatāṃ harṣaṇārthāya ye ca dāsyanti mānavāḥ| akṣayaṃ hi phalaṃ teṣāṃ yūyaṃ dāsyatha puṣkalam || 1-49-7 ||

"This ram, though deprived of its testicles, shall yet give you the fullest satisfaction; and to those men who hereafter offer such a ram for your delight, you in turn shall grant imperishable and abundant reward."

Shloka 8 (bala.49.8)

अग्नेस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा पितृदेवाः समागताः। उत्पाट्य मेषवृषणौ सहस्राक्षे न्यवेशयन् ॥ १-४९-८ ॥

agnestu vacanaṃ śrutvā pitṛdevāḥ samāgatāḥ| utpāṭya meṣavṛṣaṇau sahasrākṣe nyaveśayan || 1-49-8 ||

Hearing Agni's words, the assembled ancestral gods tore out the ram's testicles and set them upon the Thousand-eyed one.

Shloka 9 (bala.49.9)

तदा प्रभृति काकुत्स्थ पितृदेवाः समागताः। अफलान् भुंजते मेषान् फलैस्तेषामयोजयन् ॥ १-४९-९ ॥

tadā prabhṛti kākutstha pitṛdevāḥ samāgatāḥ| aphalān bhuṃjate meṣān phalaisteṣāmayojayan || 1-49-9 ||

O scion of Kakutstha, from that time onward the ancestral gods, when they assemble, accept rams so gelded, and bestow their full reward upon those who offer them.

Shloka 10 (bala.49.10)

इन्द्रस्तु मेषवृषणस्तदा प्रभृति राघव। गौतमस्य प्रभावेन तपसा च महात्मनः ॥ १-४९-१० ॥

indrastu meṣavṛṣaṇastadā prabhṛti rāghava| gautamasya prabhāvena tapasā ca mahātmanaḥ || 1-49-10 ||

O Raghava, from that time, by the power and austerity of the great-souled Gautama, Indra has borne the testicles of a ram.

Shloka 11 (bala.49.11)

तदागच्छ महातेज आश्रमं पुण्यकर्मणः। तारयैनां महाभागामहल्यां देवरूपिणीम् ॥ १-४९-११ ॥

tadāgaccha mahāteja āśramaṃ puṇyakarmaṇaḥ| tārayaināṃ mahābhāgāmahalyāṃ devarūpiṇīm || 1-49-11 ||

"Therefore, O greatly resplendent one, come now to the hermitage of that righteous sage, and deliver the most blessed, divinely radiant Ahalya." So Vishvamitra said to Rama.

Shloka 12 (bala.49.12)

विश्वामित्रवचः श्रुत्वा राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः। विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य आश्रमं प्रविवेश ह ॥ १-४९-१२ ॥

viśvāmitravacaḥ śrutvā rāghavaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ| viśvāmitraṃ puraskṛtya āśramaṃ praviveśa ha || 1-49-12 ||

Hearing Vishvamitra's words, Raghava, with Lakshmana, placing Vishvamitra before them, entered that hermitage.

Shloka 13 (bala.49.13)

ददर्श च महाभागां तपसा द्योतितप्रभाम्। लोकैरपि समागम्य दुर्निरीक्ष्यां सुरासुरैः ॥ १-४९-१३ ॥

dadarśa ca mahābhāgāṃ tapasā dyotitaprabhām| lokairapi samāgamya durnirīkṣyāṃ surāsuraiḥ || 1-49-13 ||

There he beheld that most blessed lady, her splendour ablaze with the power of her austerity, one whom even gods and demons together could scarcely bear to gaze upon.

Shloka 14 (bala.49.14)

प्रयत्नान्निर्मितां धात्रा दिव्यां मायामयीमिव। धूमेनाभिपरीताङ्गीं दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव ॥ १-४९-१४ ॥

prayatnānnirmitāṃ dhātrā divyāṃ māyāmayīmiva| dhūmenābhiparītāṅgīṃ dīptāmagniśikhāmiva || 1-49-14 ||

She seemed a divine and wondrous form, wrought by the Creator with the utmost care, her body as though a blazing flame of fire wreathed about in smoke.

Shloka 15 (bala.49.15)

सतुषारावृतां साभ्रां पूर्णचन्द्रप्रभामिव। मध्येऽम्भसो दुराधर्षां दीप्तां सूर्यप्रभामिव ॥ १-४९-१५ ॥

satuṣārāvṛtāṃ sābhrāṃ pūrṇacandraprabhāmiva| madhye'mbhaso durādharṣāṃ dīptāṃ sūryaprabhāmiva || 1-49-15 ||

She was as the light of the full moon veiled in mist and cloud, or as the dazzling, unassailable brilliance of the sun glimpsed from the midst of water — such was the Ahalya that Rama beheld.

Shloka 16 (bala.49.16)

सा हि गौतमवाक्येन दुर्निरीक्ष्या बभूव ह। त्रयाणामपि लोकानां यावद्रामस्य दर्शनम् ॥ १-४९-१६ ॥

sā hi gautamavākyena durnirīkṣyā babhūva ha| trayāṇāmapi lokānāṃ yāvadrāmasya darśanam || 1-49-16 ||

By Gautama's very word she had become invisible to all the three worlds, and so she remained until the coming of Rama's sight.

Shloka 17 (bala.49.17)

शापस्यान्तमुपागम्य तेषां दर्शनमागता। राघवौ तु ततस्तस्याः पादौ जगृहतुर्मुदा ॥ १-४९-१७ ॥

śāpasyāntamupāgamya teṣāṃ darśanamāgatā| rāghavau tu tatastasyāḥ pādau jagṛhaturmudā || 1-49-17 ||

As the curse reached its end, she came within their sight; and thereupon the two Raghavas, with gladness, clasped her feet.

Shloka 18 (bala.49.18)

स्मरन्ती गौतमवचः प्रतिजग्राह सा च तौ। पाद्यमर्घ्यं तथातिथ्यं चकार सुसमाहिता। प्रतिजग्राह काकुत्स्थो विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥ १-४९-१८ ॥

smarantī gautamavacaḥ pratijagrāha sā ca tau| pādyamarghyaṃ tathātithyaṃ cakāra susamāhitā| pratijagrāha kākutstho vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā || 1-49-18 ||

Remembering Gautama's word, she received the two brothers, and with a composed mind offered them water for the feet and hands, and all due hospitality; and Rama of Kakutstha's line accepted her welcome according to proper rite.

Shloka 19 (bala.49.19)

पुष्पवृष्टिर्महत्यासीद्देवदुंदुभिनिस्वनैः। गन्धर्वाप्सरसां चैव महानासीत् समुत्सवः ॥ १-४९-१९ ॥

puṣpavṛṣṭirmahatyāsīddevaduṃdubhinisvanaiḥ| gandharvāpsarasāṃ caiva mahānāsīt samutsavaḥ || 1-49-19 ||

Then there fell a mighty shower of flowers, to the sound of the gods' own drums, and there was great celebration among the gandharvas and apsaras.

Shloka 20 (bala.49.20)

साधु साध्विति देवास्तामहल्यां समपूजयन्। तपोबलविशुद्धाङ्गीं गौतमस्य वशानुगाम् ॥ १-४९-२० ॥

sādhu sādhviti devāstāmahalyāṃ samapūjayan| tapobalaviśuddhāṅgīṃ gautamasya vaśānugām || 1-49-20 ||

Crying 'excellent, excellent!' the gods honoured that Ahalya, her being purified by the power of her austerity, ever obedient to Gautama's will.

Shloka 21 (bala.49.21)

गौतमोऽपि महातेजा अहल्यासहितः सुखी। रामं संपूज्य विधिवत्तपस्तेपे महातपाः ॥ १-४९-२१ ॥

gautamo'pi mahātejā ahalyāsahitaḥ sukhī| rāmaṃ saṃpūjya vidhivattapastepe mahātapāḥ || 1-49-21 ||

The greatly resplendent Gautama, that great ascetic, now happily reunited with Ahalya, duly honoured Rama and returned once more to his austerities.

Shloka 22 (bala.49.22)

रामोऽपि परमां पूजां गौतमस्य महामुनेः। सकाशाद्विधिवत्प्राप्य जगाम मिथिलां ततः ॥ १-४९-२२ ॥

rāmo'pi paramāṃ pūjāṃ gautamasya mahāmuneḥ| sakāśādvidhivatprāpya jagāma mithilāṃ tataḥ || 1-49-22 ||

Rama too, having duly received the highest honour from the great sage Gautama, then set out from there for Mithila.