Why Indra is not a rapist
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.”
✨🪷🙏🪷✨
