SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY'S SRI RAMACHARITRA MANJARI

(Ahalya Shapa Vimochana: Sage Vishwamitra concludes the story of Gauthama, Ahalya and Indra. As requested by him, Sri Rama releases Ahalya from the curse. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

In the case of celestial beings with remote knowledge (Aparoksha Jnani), none of the sins can render them punishable and they do not attract painful, incongruous and negative stains or strain. Persons without such remote knowledge or divine power visualise invisible things cannot attain or long for the status of Indra nor can they secure powers to rule the Heavens. Therefore, Indra, who has the governing authority and power to rule the heavens, invariably possesses the remote power and consequently, it can certainly be perceived that no negative or punitive stain was attracted by him because of his sensuous behaviour with Ahalya. Moreover, deities cannot be said to have committed any sin by enraging the chastity of a woman of lower strata of beings. Going by this norm too, Indra did not attract any blot of sin due to his behaviour with Ahalya. Yet, Indra was distressed and worried for the misery that trustworthy Ahalya had to bear for a very long time because of his deed.

It is not right for devotees of Vishnu to hurt other devotees of Lord Hari. Sage Durvasa, an incarnationof Lord Rudra, tried to deceive King Ambareesha, who was in the lower strata compared to Durvasa, and became a victim of unsavoury situation. Similarly, Lord Indra had committed a great sin of offending Sage Gautama and his wife Ahalya, who were both lesser beings compared to him, because the couple was rank devotees of Lord Vishnu. For this reason too, Indra cursed himself and became worried.

Ahalya too had committed the sin by force and therefore, she had not wilfully done anything wrong. Still, being a highly committed and most loyal wife of Gautama, she assumed the form of a stone idol to get rid of some sin she might have committed in her previous births, for getting her chastity disturbed and for creating an atmosphere of distrust in the mind of her husband. But, she did penance in that form of rocky idol to erase all the stains.

Gautama also realised that Indra had not committed any blunder as he was a higher being. He repented for cursing his innocent wife Ahalya and also Indra, in a fit of sheer rage.

Vishwamitra showed Ahalya in the form of a stone to Rama and told him the circumstances that had led Ahalya to such a sorry state. Vishwamitra told Rama: Oh Ramadeva, please look at this Ahalya Devi, who is your devotee, with sympathy and affection. She has not committed any mistake. She has been doing the penance to rid the negative effects of sins of past births. Please relieve her from all sins. Please fill the heart and mind of your dedicated devotee Gauthama with love towards his wife. Kindly clear their misery and grief. Devendra has been worrying for victimising Ahalya and Gauthama for no fault of theirs and for not being able to resolve the ill-effects of his act. He is a committed devotee of yours. He has been defamed because of his act. Bestow upon him the boon of calmness. Restore his mental peace. Gauthama too deserves to recover calmness. Let Devendra worship you with renewed conviction for clearing the curse that Ahalya has been suffering from because of his misdeed. Please save all of them from the ill-effects of their sin,” Vishwamitra appealed to Sri Rama.

Sri Rama listened the entire story, smiled affectionately with a positive mind-set and touched the stone idol that Ahalya had assumed with a toe end. She came out of the stone form, blazing with renewed charm and inexplicable beauty. Gauthama and Ahalya worshipped Rama with great devotion. Thus, after making everyone happy, Vishwamitra, Rama, Lakshmana and other sages proceeded from that place and arrived at Mithila.