#ahalya

now, the version of the tale that has been fed to the general public through media for decades, and has been the subject of much discourse is this one:

- indra desires ahalya who is married to sage gautama

- he assumes gautama's disguise and tricks the unassuming ahalya into sleeping with him

- gautama finds out, gets angry and curses ahalya to turn into a stone statue and she is later freed when ram visits the hermitage and touches her

this version has two men - one a rapist and the other a petty, unsympathetic husband who punished his wife unfairly - and a woman who has no role of her own save for being the victim of two men and be rescued by another.

now, the version that valmiki wrote is different in the following ways:

- indra does disguise himself as gautama but ahalya sees through the disguise. she knew who he exactly was before laying with him. she wasn't violated.

- ahalya enjoyed having sex with indra and told him to leave quickly before gautama arrived.

this isn't a clueless, hapless victim but a woman who knowingly commits infidelity.

- then you have the curses that the two of them receive when gautama discovers what happened. the harsher punishment is meted out to indra who had intended to trick ahalya and he loses his testicles.

- as for ahalya, contrary to what the popular version peddles, she isn't literally turned into a stone statue and but cursed to remain alone in the hermitage and perform penance.

- also, here, ram doesn't touch her statue with his feet. rather both he and lakshman, upon arriving at the hermitage, come face to face with her and touch her feet instead.

then she receives them, provides them with hospitality and reunites with gautama.

so, what do we have in valmiki ramayana?

a god who seeks to abuse his authority unaware that his desire is reciprocated, a betrayed husband who has valid reasons to be upset and angry but, even then, doesn't go overboard and a woman who had a mind of her own, who had desires, who made mistakes and the mistake in question was not that she sought pleasure but because she betrayed someone, who atones for the said mistake and emerges so glorious that divinity itself has to bow down before her.

valmiki treats ahalya as a person, a human, and not as a plot device. the same goes for gautama here where you may not support his action but you do understand where his feelings of hurt were coming from.

this tale has been out there for years and, yet, people have collectively gaslit themselves into believing that other version. I wonder why? is it perhaps that valmiki gives ahalya a personality with thoughts and desires of her own, as well as enough to agency to decide her course of action, even if it results in a mistake, because, guess what? humans make mistakes. or is it that this woman who makes a mistake isn't doomed for eternity or punished excessively but attempts to rectify it and is lauded by the narrative for it instead of being demonized?

Namaskar ✨✨✨

So we have come across many posts on social media, claiming that Indra, king of gods, is a rapist, since he "raped" Ahilya. A popular retelling of the tale of Ahilya tells that Indra came under the guise of Rishi Gautam and tricked Ahilya into sleeping with him. She got cursed for adultery by her husband, and since this case involves dubious consent, Indra is a rapist. Many people also claim this story to be sexist, since Ahilya, the innocent, got cursed, while Indra, the culprit, went unpunished.

This is not the case.

First and foremost, Gautam was very well warranted to curse Ahilya. While Indra did come to Ahilya in disguise, she saw through it, and very well knew it was Indra, and not her husband. She willingly slept with Indra, making both of them guilty of adultery. Rishi Gautam cursed both Ahilya AND Indra for their act. Ahilya was fully guilty of what she did, and she was not tricked into sleeping with Indra. In this case, he is a cheater, yes, but he is NOT a rapist.

And before anyone comes at us, here is the part from the Valmiki Ramayana:


Earlier,
 it
 belonged
 to
 the
bgreat-souled
 Goutama.
 This
 hermitage
 was
 divine
 and
 it
 was
 worshipped
 even 
by
 the
 gods.
Earlier,
 he
 practised
 austerities
 here,
 together
 with Ahalya. 
O
 prince!
 The
immensely
 illustrious
 one
 spent 
inumerable
 years
 here.
 Discerning
 that
 there
 was 
a 
opportunity, 360
 the
thousand-eyed
 one,
 Shachi’s
 husband, 361
 assumed
 the
 garb
 of
 a 
sage.
 He
 came 
to
 Ahalya
 and
 addressed
 her
 in 
 these
 words.
“O
 one
 who
 is
 well 
proportioned! 
Those
 who
 seek 
pleasure 362
 do
 not
 wait
 for
 the
 time of
 conception 
to
 arrive.
 O
 slender-waisted
 one! 
I
 desire
 to 
have 
intercourse
 with
 you.”
 O
 descendant
 of 
the
 Raghu lineage!
 She
 knew
 that
 it
 was
the
 one
 with
 the
 one 
thousand 
eyes
 in 
the
 garb
 of
 a
 sage. 
However,
 because 
of 
her curiosity,
 the
 evil-minded
 one
 acceded
 to
 what
 the
 king
 of
 the
 gods 
wanted.
 Satisfied
 in 
her
 heart
 of
 hearts, 
she 
told the
 best 
of 
the
 gods,
 “O
 best 
among
 the
 gods!
 I
 have
 been 
satiated.
 O
lord!
 However,
 leave
 this
 spot
 quickly.
 O lord
 of
 the
ngods!
 O
 one
 who
 shows
 honours!
 Always 
protect
 me
 and
 your
own self.”
 Indra
 laughed
 at 
these
 words and
told
 Ahalya,
“O
 one
 with 
the
 excellent 
hips!
 I
 am
 also
 satiated. 
I
 will
 go
 back
 to
 where
 I
 have
 come
 from.” After
 the
 act
 of 
intercourse,
 he
 emerged 
from
 the
 cottage. 
O
 Rama!
 He
 was 
terrified
 and
 scared
 that
 Goutama might 
return. He
 saw
 that
 the 
great
 sage,
Goutama,
 was
 entering.
 He
 was
 full
 of
 the 
strength
 of
 austerities 
and
 the gods
 and
 danavas 
found
 him
 impossible 
to
 withstand.
 He
 blazed
 like 
the
 fire
 and
was
 wet
 with
 water
 from
 various tirthas.
 The
 bull
 among
 sages 
arrived 
there,
 after 
collecting
 kindling
 and
 kusha 
grass.
 On 
seeing 
him, 
the 
lord 
of the
 gods
 was
 terrified.
 His
 face 
bore
 the 
marks
 of
 distress.
 Seeing
 the
 one
 with
 the
 one 
thousand
 eyes, 
attired
 in 
the garb 
of
 a 
sage,
 the 
sage,
 full
 of
 good 
conduct,
 became
 angry.
 He
 spoke
 these 
words
 to
 the
 one
 with
 evil
 conduct. “O
 evil-minded
 one! 
You
 have
 assumed 
my
 form 363
 and
 have
 done 
this.
 Since 
you 
have
 done
 what
 should
 not
 have been done,
 you
 will 
become
 infertile.”
 The
 great-souled
 sage, 
Goutama,
 said
 this
 in 
rage
 and
 instantly,
 the 
testicles of
 the 
thousand-eyed
 one 
fell
 down 
on 
the
 ground.
 Having
 cursed
 Shakra, 
he
 also
 cursed
 his
 wife.
“You
 will
 reside here
 for 
many
 thousands
 of
 years.
Subsisting
 on 
air 
and
 without
 food,
 you
will 
torment
 yourself
 through
 austerities. 
You
 will
 sleep
 on 
ashes.
You
 will
 live 
in
 this 
hermitage, 
unseen 
by
 all 
creatures.
When
 the 
invincible
 Rama, Dasharatha’s
son,
 arrives
 in 
this
 terrible 
forest,
 you 
will 
be
 purified.
 O 
one
 who
 is 
evil
 in
 conduct!
When 
he
 becomes
 your
 guest,
 you
 will 
lose 
your
 avarice
 and 
confusion. You 
will 
then 
regain 
your
 own 
form
 and 
find 
delight with
 me.”

Rama releasing Ahalya from curse Artist: Anand Sonar. Medium used in this painting are watercolor and acrylic.

Ahalya emerges from her stone form after being touched by Rama’s foot. she was seduced by Indra, cursed by her husband the sage Gautama Maharishi to become a stone for infidelity.

This is an addition to my earlier post, cause I am only human and I can fit only so much of awesome ladies in one post.

RAMAYANA : 

1. Ahilyaa : Daughter of the Creator god Brahma, Ahilya literally means “the perfect woman”. She was married to the sage Gautam, and was the foster mother of the Monkey Emperor Vali and his brother Sugreeva. One day, Indra (indian zeus) took on the form of Gautam and approached Ahilya because he lusted after her. Now, some people say Ahilya knew it was Indra and readily had sex with him (which is used by conservatives to call women sluts and by feminists for sexual liberation of women), while some say Indra revealed his true form after Ahilya accepted him into her home and then raped her (this version is more common). When Gautam got to know of this, he cursed Indra to be infected with a hundred festering sores, and cursed Ahilya to turn into stone. Afterwards, he modified the curse, stating that these sores would become Indra’s eyes when he truly repented, while Ahilya would turn back into a woman after Ram touches her (Ram accidentally stepped over Ahilya in the forest, turning her into a woman). A feminist icon, Ahilya is etched forever into history.

2. Taraka : Ravan’s maternal grandmother, Taraka was the daughter of the Yaksha king Suketu (yakshas are the hindu equivalent of dwarfs, but crossed with elves). Her husband Sumali was killed by the sages when he tried to reclaim the forest they had occupied. To avenge him, Taraka went there with her elder son Subahu and her army, but the sages instead cursed her to go insane and lose her divinity, turning her into a monster. She and her elder son were later killed by Ram on Vishwamitra’s orders in the Dandaka forest.

3. Gaargi : A female scholar, she was a fearless woman. She openly voiced her opinions, criticized men for their misogyny, and even challenged regressive traditions and rituals. Her rivals often used to taunt her by saying she might lose her head if she talked that much, to  which she replied “Yes. I would rather lose a head and grow ten more, one head alone won’t suffice me.” She was responsible for Sita’s education.

4. Shabari : A tribal woman, Ram and Lakshman had rested at her house in their search for Sita. She proposed to feed them berries, but tasted all of them beforehand, so that she could only serve the sweet ones. This angered Lakshman, but Ram ate them with pleasure. She has become a symbol of motherly devotion today. However, there is no mention of her in the Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana.

5. Swarnapuchha : Literally meaning “the golden tailed one”, she was the Queen of Mermaids and protector of Lanka’s waters. She was convinced by Hanuman to oppose Ravan and join Ram. She’s mentioned in the Thai Ramayana.

MAHABHARATA : 

1. Shakuntala : Daughter of Vishwamitra and the apsara Menaka, Shakuntala was abandoned as a baby and raised by the sage Kanva. Her name means “she found below doves”. The King of Hastinapur, Dushyant, had fallen in love with her and they had married secretly. However, following a curse, Dushyant forgot Shakuntala. Shakuntala thus raised her son Bharat as a single mom, and the day Bharat asked about his father, she took him to Dushyant. The version mentioned in the Mahabharata says Dushyant remembered everything when he saw Shakuntala, but refused to accept her or her son. Only when the gods intervene did he recognize Shakuntala, but Shakuntala left her son with him and left to live in the forest. The more popular version in the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa’s Abhijnanam Shaakuntalam (think of it as early fanfiction) says that the curse was still in effect, and only when Shakuntala show Dushyant the ring he had given her did he remember her. He then readily accepted her and her son.

2. Chitrangada : The androgynous/non-binary warrior Queen of Manipur (present day Manipur, northeast India), she was Arjuna’s wife. Once Arjun had visited Manipur, and Chitrangada wanted to be with him, but she assumed he was straight and bigoted and thus asked Shiva to make her a feminine woman. However, on meeting her, Arjuna said he only wanted to meet with Chitrangada the warrior queen, for he loved her. Shiva then returned Chitrangada’s androgynous nature and her badass warrior skills. Arjuna and Chitrangada were then married and they had a son called Babruvahana (REALLY weird name). Chitrangada had strategically kept out of the Mahabharata war and thus saved her entire queendom. But as a result of a curse by the river goddess Ganga, her son ended up killing Arjun (his father) and then later committed suicide. They were both revived by the Naga princess Uloopi.

3. Uloopi : The daughter of the snake king Vasuki, Uloopi was a Naga princess who fell in love with Arjuna. One day, she dragged an unsuspecting Arjuna underwater to Nagaloka, where she professed her love to him, and Arjuna agreed to marry her. Her father however was unhappy with the alliance since Arjuna already had many wives and moreover, Arjuna had destroyed his brother Takshaka’s kingdom in the Khandava forest. Arjuna left her after they were married, and the Nagas then kicked her out. She was given refuge by Chitrangada. Her son Iravan was used as a human sacrifice in the Mahabharat war to guarantee success. After Babruvahana killed Arjuna, she revived both of them by using the mythical Nagamani (kind of like the Indian Philosopher’s Stone).

4. Subhadra : Krishna’s sister, Subhadra is said to be the incarnation of Yogamaya, Vishnu’s female essence. She kidnapped Arjuna on her wedding day, and eloped with him. She was his favourite wife, and also the mother of Abhimanyu.

5. Hidimbaa : The rakshasa princess, Hidimba was Bheema’s first wife before Draupadi. The story goes that both she and her brother Hidimba had initially wanted to eat the Pandavas in the forest, but Hidimbaa and Bheema fell in love with each other. Her brother got angry when he learnt his sister was with his food (humans), and so he proceeded to kill Bhima. It is said that Hidimbaa aided Bhima with her magic, so that he could kill her brother and marry her. She stayed behind to take care of her queendom while the Pandavas carried on. Her son Ghatotkacha helped Abhimanyu with his first marriage, and later turned out to be the fiercest warrior in the Mahabharata. He was so powerful that Karna had to use the weapon given to him by Indra to kill him.

6. Rukmani : Princess of Vidarbha (modern day Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh region) and Krishna’s first wife, Rukmani had called on Krishna to elope with her on the day of her marriage (she was being married off to some random dick). So she eloped with Krishna. She was the mother of Pradyumna.

7. Satyabhama : Third wife of Krishna, Satyabhama was the daughter of a noble (he had a fight with Krishna about this divine gem). She was proud and feisty and accompanied Krishna to all of his battles, most famously where she helped him kill the demon Narakasur. Her pride bordered on arrogance, with her repeatedly taunting Rukmani on how she ran away, demanding the gods that they give up the divine Parijata tree as payment for her husband helping them, and even once trying to measure and then give away gold equal to Krishna’s weight to prove that she is greater in status than Rukmani (surprisingly, she kept piling on gold but it never equaled Krishna’s weight but the moment Rukmani placed a leaf from her garden on it, it became heavier than Krishna.

8. Sulakshana : Balarama’s daughter, Sulakshana was initially betrothed to Duryodhana’s son Lakshman. However, she loved Abhimanyu (her first cousin. WHAT’S UP WITH PEOPLE FUCKING THEIR COUSINS Y’ALL jeez). Ghatotkacha helped her and Abhimanyu get married by rescuing her, and the union was blessed by Krishna.

9. Uttara : Daughter of Chief Virata with whom the Pandavas had sought refuge, Uttara was Abhimanyu’s second wife. She was the mother of the only surviving Pandava descendant Parikshit.

10. Lakshmanaa : Duryodhana’s daughter, Lakshamanaa was married to Krishna’s younger son Samba. The story goes that Samba had molested/raped her, so to save face Krishna had the two married. However, Lakshmanaa only agreed to the marriage once both Balaram and Krishna laid down beside her feet and begged her to marry Samba.

11. Bhanumati : Princess of Kalinga (present day Orissa, India), Bhanumati was Duryodhana’s wife. Her marriage with Duryodhana is described as a blissful one, with Duryodhana being described as a good husband and partner, despite being a bad person.