Ahalya's vimochana

            Krishna declares in Bhagavad Gita (न हि कश्चित् क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् - Na hi kashchit kshanamapi jaatu tishthatyakarmakrit – BG 3-5) that no one can remain even for a split second without doing some Karma. Because there is a sense of doership involved, the fruits of the Karma, Karmaphala accrues to the doer. If the result is beneficial, such karmas are called Punya and if harmful to self or others, they are called Papa. The rough translation for the latter is Sin. Just as in the world around, bad actions get punishment or a chance to repent, dharmashastras prescribe atonement, Prayaschita, in proportion to the act. Sanatana dharma, at least in its pristine glory, focused on the actions and not the person. If the person’s background was considered, it usually meant more severity for the more knowledgeable and powerful.

            Apart from the big sins like murder or stealing, the ancient wisdom of India deemed lying on par with them. No one is a sinner forever in time, across janmas, let alone be born as a sinner like some backward thinking Abrahamic mindset. Papa is a mistake, whether deliberate or accidental, it is rooted in ignorance. The question is what kind of sinner are we? 

            Ratnakar, a robber who committed many classic sins, could not even qualify to utter the name “Rama”, could only say it in reverse as “mara”. But once the transformation happened from deep within, a Valmiki was born, who is venerated for bringing Ramakatha. Prayaschita accompanied with tapasya cleanses from deep within and is a good purgatory process as demonstrated by many in the past to overcome either their prarabdha or agamya karma. Once a person is roasted by Prayaschita and the same becomes a tapasya, the fruit of such purifying act is highly worshipful. Ahalya is the best illustration that fits this definition.

Storytime:

            Ahalya is the first name in the list of PanchaKanya, the five virgins whose thought itself is purifying our sins. After killing Tataka, Rama and Lakshmana successfully defended Siddhashrama from the rakshasa hordes led by Maricha and Subahu. Vishwamitra wanting to gift Rama more than all the weapons he had taught wanted to be instrumental in connecting HIM with Sita. As they travelled towards Mithila, he educated them with wondrous events of the past. As they reached the outskirts of this auspicious city, Rama found a deserted ashram that radiated serenity. Vishwamitra delighted with the enquiry, narrated the history at length. Gautama, a very renowned Rishi used to live there with his wife Ahalya. Pleased with his tapasya, Brahma himself gave his daughter, whose name means blemishless, Ahalya though Indra wanted to marry her too. Once when Gautama was not present in the Ashram, Indra took the form of Gautama.  He approached her lustfully at an awkward time to have intercourse. Ramayana merely says she agreed immediately due to bad buddhi - मतिं चकार दुर्मेधा (VR 1-48-19). One can only guess she was secretly happy at her paramour being Devendra. One must note at this point, we know Valmiki informs she has an eldest son, Shatananada, who was the chief priest of Janaka. (Other texts add the list of children, but cannot be validated from the same source.)

            Not only is she delighted with the act, she warns Indra to remain safe from Gautama and also wants to be safe.  आत्मानं मां च देवेश सर्वदा रक्ष गौतमात् | (VR 1-48-21). At this point there is no defense that it was not consensual. As he rushed out, Gautama came there unexpectedly to see his doppelganger. Immediately understanding the crime perpetuated by Indra, he cursed him as विफलस्त्वं, means he will be devoid of fruits. This translated to Indra losing his testicles immediately. Note this is the state of fall even for an Indra, who has qualified for the post, conquering his senses through a hundred Aswamedha yajna. 

            Gautama being fair cursed Ahalya as well. But it is interesting, if it was a curse or purgation or atonement or even a boon. He cursed her to undergo tapas for thousands of years unseen in the ashram.

वायुभक्षा निराहारा तप्यन्ती भस्मशायिनी| अदृश्या सर्वभूतानामाश्रमेऽस्मिन् निवत्स्यसि || (VR 1-48-30)

It translates as living on air, without food, covered in ashes, unseen by others in the ashrama, she needs to do penance.  He also said when Rama’s presence sanctifies the ashrama, welcoming HIM; she will be completely devoid of lobha (greed) and moha (delusion). After this, Ahalya can come happily to stay with Gautama, assuming her own body. The living emotionless and unseen aspect coupled with regaining vapu (body) has been popularly translated as Ahalya turning into stone, which is nothing more than euphemism for her tapasya. Having cursed them, Gautama departed for the peaks of Himalayas for more penance.

            Indra goes to other devas and declares that due to the act, Gautama’s asceticism has been hindered and that he will not be aiming for Indratva. It is not clear if it was a poor comeback story seeking virility or the original intent of Indra, who seems to suffer from a poor track record. On praying to the Pitrudevta, the god of the ancestors (manes), Indra was given a pair of ram’s testicles as replacement.

            Vishwamitra asks Rama to do this noble act and meet Ahalya who is divine (देवरूपिणीम् VR 1-49-11). Rama sees her radiant with her tapas - तपसा द्योतितप्रभाम् (VR 1-49-13).  The usual narration is Rama’s feet touched the stone which sprang back to life. Valmiki informs us differently. Having become visible at the end of the curse and her tapasya, the two Raghavas were delighted to touch her feet in reverence - राघवौ तु ततस्तस्याः पादौ जगृहतुर्मुदा (VR 1-49-17).  Realizing the import of Gautama’s words, she offered padhyam, arghyam and athiteyam - पाद्यमर्घ्यं तथातिथ्यं  (VR 1-49-18).  What an honor to host Rama as a guest, who came not merely to inform the culmination of her tapasya, but the very fruit of existence is fulfilled. Gautama appeared there and reunited with Ahalya happily and also venerated Rama together. Together the couple indulged in greater tapasya.  Rama headed to Mithila, having the received the traditional veneration.

            Janaka is thrilled to greet Vishamitra and his entourage along with his chief purohit, Shatananada. Curious to know about the bright boys with weapons, they are delighted to know about the events that happened. Shatananada is anxious to know more about his parents and Rama’s grace. Vishwamitra informed tersely that he has not left any task incomplete in this regard and his parents are reunited like Jamadagni and Renuka.  

Few truths to retain:

• Though Indra initiated, Ahalya, a mother, was an active participant.

• Gautama’s curse was actually a boon, a forced tapasya that rocketed Ahalya to great piety.

• Gautama did not harbor anger and is evident from the sentences right after his curse that he was more than willing to live happily with Ahalya and he kept his word.

• Shatananada, their son and the society was able to overlook her one small flaw which Ahalya was successfully able to amend.

Variations:

            This story is very popularly retold in Mahabharata and other puranas. The retelling is fraught with nuances like Ahalya being seduced or tricked by Indra. There is also a variation of the curse that Indra gets a thousand feminine parts all over his body as a reminder of the grave sin he committed so brazenly. He later gets a boon to have them changed as a thousand eyes. In fact, it appears the later society could not digest such an open infidelity that it made the curse of Gautama into Ahalya as stone. Though Valmiki Ramayana is what is contemporaneous, the other renditions, including later Ramayanas provide a window of how society viewed this incident through its altering view.

Feminazis in trouble – Usually feminazis twist and be Hinduphobic, have only one aspect to whine on. They want their level of immorality as a choice for a married mother to sleep with anyone of choice. Unless that loose infidelity logic is applied, Gautama sets very high standards even through his curse and Ahalya elevates herself through intense tapasya which is sanctified by Rama’s presence.

 

What can we learn?

• Be wary: Just because one is occupying Indra position by virtue of a hundred Aswamedha Yagna or is progeny of Brahma, they can still succumb to sensory pressures. The fall can happen to any of us.  Valmiki refers to her state of mind as durmedha, akin to stupefied. We get the answer in Gautama’s curse that she was stupefied by lobha and moha, two modifications of desire. Even the most virtuous can succumb to their senses and we must be on guard.

• Is forgiving overrated? – The individual rooted in dharma is taught to be a Sthitaprajna, be unaffected by both pleasures and pain. It does not mean silently tolerate violence/crime and allow it to be perpetuated. From that elevated state, which most of us lack today, we have come to a state where we feel the severe pain of others act only. To add insult to injury, we also lack the backbone to go after Adharmic acts, which means we are left with only pent up anger. This anger is like toxic only to the mind of the bearer. To act like a pressure release valve, forgiveness will play a limited role. Forgiving hardened criminals or motivated Adharmic perpetrators without their change of hearts, repentance and flexing their dharmic minds is the insane idea of today’s forgiveness.

            Forgiveness, at the individual level, is a good quality, but definitely only the first step of the atma on the ascent. Forgiving at society level is useless unless the person has already initiated their own prayaschita, danda neeti ensures that appropriate danda offers not only justice but also protection from Adharmic actors overrunning the place. One must be careful not to read too much into how it affects the individual who does papakarma, their impact and society.

 

• Satsanga always brings good fruits: Gautama is a very highly evolved mahatma through his tapas.  Curse is not a curse if from a mahatma. Ahalya‘s curse was to intensely do focused tapas, which is more like a prescriptive remedy for her papakarma. Gautama granted that her tapas will be blessed through Rama’s personal grace.

• Prayaschita is not enough, tapasya is the key: Christianity believes all of us sinners (because God was so kind to curse humanity for one person’s mistake) and if they subscribe to a dead man rising again myth, all sins will be washed. Modern society believes punishment for a wrong deed brings justice to the victim. In neither case the bad karma or karmaphala is nullified. The person who does the papakarma has not exhausted its effects. This individual cannot get it over by mere repenting or doing amends. In many cases they are part of the process to help the victims of this bad karma. Yet this negative can be turned on its head if used as an opportunity to do tapasya. Valmiki is perhaps the best example. Instead of pondering Prayaschita for all the sins he had committed, he chose the shortcut of meditating on Rama nama. Ahalya is the other emulator of this wondrous technique.

• Rama’s love for each one of us: The biggest lesson from Ahalya’s episode is Rama’s love. One Ahalya is cursed to do tapasya, but for that personally approving it and bringing the fruits of this act, Rama walks thousands of steps from Ayodhya to bless. Each one of us doing Sadhana, Rama is willing to take a thousand or million steps towards us, provided we commence our first step. This compassion is unequal like Rama himself and Rama Nama.

            May we take Ahalya’s story in the right spirit and begin our baby steps to purify our antahkarana to realize the Rama doesn’t have to even take a thousand steps, but is already there enlivening every single action of ours. Jai Shri Ram.

ॐ तत् सत