The Ahilya Saga

Ahilya was a very beautiful and intelligent woman. She was devoted to her husband Maharishi Gautam, who loved her back in equal measure. They were living very happily in their ashram. But Ahilya’s incomparable beauty turned out to be her downfall as it attracted the attention of Indradev, the King of Devas. Knowing well that he could not counter the wisdom and strength of Maharishi Gautam’s tapobal, he waited for the right opportunity to approach Ahilya.

Rishi Gautam generally went to the river to take bath every morning. One day, Indradev seized the opportunity, took the form of Gautam Maharishi and came to Ahilya’s kutir when Gautam rishi had left for his bath. Ahilya was stunned to see her husband back again. But when he told her that her love and beauty had drawn him back, she was very happy. Indradev understood that she had not recognized him and was presuming that he was her beloved husband, Gautam Maharishi. He took advantage of her innocence and seduced her. He was just leaving the ashram when Gautam Maharishi returned.

Rishi was surprised and anguished to see another man who was just like him in appearance coming out from the hut. But with his divine sight, he recognized Indradev and his lust for Ahilya. Meanwhile, Ahilya was stunned to see two Gautam Maharishis. She was distraught. She realized that she had been tricked. She fell at the feet of her husband and recounted the events. But anger and frustration made Rishi Gautam accuse her of infidelity and curse her to turn into a stone, feed on air and live amidst ashes to atone for her mistake. She wept and begged for forgiveness saying that she was innocent and had been taken advantage of by Indradev without her knowledge and that she had always been true to her husband in her thoughts.

Gautam Maharishi realized that there was some truth in what she said, but a curse was a curse and it had to take effect. However, he told her that during the Tretayug the touch of Mahavishnu’s foot during the Rama Avatar would relieve her from her curse. She accepted the curse and waited for thousands of years for the arrival of Lord Rama.

Rama and Lakshman were on their way to Mithila with Vishwamitra Maharishi, when they came to the place where amidst dust and mud, they saw a lone stone on which a green Tulsi plant was the only indication of life. Sage Vishwamitra recounted the story of Ahilya and the curse of Gautam Maharishi and urged Rama to place his foot on the stone. On the touch of Lord Rama’s foot on the stone, miraculously Ahilya regained her form and with tears of happiness and gratitude left for her heavenly abode.