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Ahalya

Also called: Ahalyā, Akalikai (Tamil)

Wife of the sage Gautama. Indra comes to her in her husband's shape; Gautama curses them both, and Rama's coming releases her. In Valmiki's Bala Kanda she lives unseen on air until she welcomes Rama as a guest; in Kamban's Tamil poem she is a black rock that the dust of Rama's feet turns back into a woman. A Vedic formula already calls Indra 'lover of Ahalya'.

Sources: The Ramayan of Valmiki, tr. R. T. H. Griffith (1870-74); Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation, in The Collected Essays of A. K. Ramanujan (1999); The Satapatha-Brahmana, tr. Julius Eggeling (Sacred Books of the East 12, 41); Wikipedia: Ahalya · see Ahalya's web

Relations 3

Ahalya blessed by

Rama (Avatar) · Ahalya, Indra and Gautama's curse
His coming releases her.

Ahalya consort of

Gautama (Sage)
Wife of the sage Gautama.

Ahalya cursed by

Gautama (Sage) · Ahalya, Indra and Gautama's curse
To live unseen (Valmiki) or as stone (Kamban) until Rama comes.

Stories 1

Ahalya, Indra and Gautama's curse
From the epics · as the sage's wife · 5 tellings

Cited

The Ramayan of Valmiki, tr. R. T. H. Griffith (1870-74) § 1.48-49 Primary text (translation)
Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation, in The Collected Essays of A. K. Ramanujan (1999) § kampan-547-559 Scholarly
The Satapatha-Brahmana, tr. Julius Eggeling (Sacred Books of the East 12, 41) § 3.3.4.18 Primary text (translation)
Wikipedia: Ahalya Encyclopedia