अहल्या, द्रौपदी, कुंती, थारा, मंदोदरी थाथा,
पंचकन्या स्मारेंनित्यम महापथक नासनम
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Ahalya Draupadi Kunti Tara Mandodari thatha
Panchakanya smaranityam mahapataka nasnam
Translation: Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari
constantly revering these five virgins, destroyers of great sins.
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Here is the story of Ahalya.
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| Raja Ravi Varma's Ahalya Indravalokan |
Ahalya is an ayonijasambhava, one not born of a woman. She was created from water by Brahma as the most beautiful woman, to break the pride of Urvashi, a celestial apsara. She was married to sage Gautama Maharishi and stayed in his hermitage. They have a son and named him Sharadvana.
Indra, the god of thunder and war, king of heaven, believed that the best women were meant for him. He resented the marriage of Ahalya to this forest-dwelling sage. Every morning Gautama would go to river Mandakini to take his bath and do his morning prayers. Observing this pattern, one day Indra took the form of her husband and entered the hut when he was out for his morning ritual. Ahalya thinking that her husband has returned, touched his feet and embraced him. Gautama incidentally returned early that day and hearing his approaching footsteps Indra hurriedly tried to run away. Indra was caught by the sage stepping out of the hut in the guise of the sage himself.
Sage Gautama in his anger cursed Indra to carry his shame by not being a man anymore, and his body was covered with a thousand sores. The sage considered his wife Ahalya impure of infidelity and cursed her. Ahilya was to lose her beautiful body as she attracted the lust of another man and turn into a stone. She claimed her innocence, and then Gautama modified the curse that she would get her old self if only lord Rama sanctify her. Ahalya started her penance. Sage Gautama also left his hermitage and went to the Himalayas taking his son along.
Years later, a young lord Rama accompanied by his guru Vishwamitra and brother Lakshman were passing by the desolate hermitage of sage Gautama. Vishwamitra told the tale of Ahalya and instructed Rama to release her of her curse. Rama bowed to the stone proclaiming her innocence and Indra's guilt, whereupon Ahalya regain her form. Ahalya gave her oblation to Rama, her savior, and returned to her heavenly abode.
Sharadvana, son of Ahalya, was the head priest in the kingdom of Maithili. He conducted the marriage of Prince Rama and Princes Sita.
The word Ahalya has two meanings in Sanskrit - one without deformity or one who is not plowed.
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