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Saturday 10 May 2014

A Living Stone - Ahalya

            In our Vedic Land India, everything has its own history and has life too. They speak about the truth of our existence today. I have picked up a very such beautiful story to put front and also to show that even a stone have life here. It’s the story of beautiful women, Ahalya. This story is revealed in the Baala Kand of Ramayana. The story began when Lord Brahma the creator of universe decides to give life to a being with no defects. He wants to clarify his wife goddess Saraswati that fate cannot be changed. He creates the most beautiful and charming lady on earth from his mind, names her as Ahalya. Everyone was attracted to her beauty and wished to marry her. Lord Brahma as a father decides to make her marriage with the person who can come back first, after revolving around the earth.



            Sage Narada knew with his yogic powers that the great saint Gowtham is suitable for her. Gowthama Maharshi is one among the Saptarishis and one among the vedic times who discovered Mantras. In Narada Purana it was described that Gautama fed all the rishis for 12 years famine and saved them. Maharshi Gautama was also the author of Gautama Dharma Shastra. Almost every aspect of Hindu Dharam including the rules of four ashramas, the forty sanskaras, the four varnas, kingly duties, punishments of various offences, dharmas of women, rules for prayaschitta(atonement for sins) were described in his shastras. He is the descendant of Lord Shiva as Triambakeshwar constituting the source of Jyotirlinga happened for sake of Gautama.



            Narada brings in Sage gowtham into the race. Sage Gowtham easily wins the race by simply doing Pradakshina around a Dwamukhi cow ( Dwamukhi means cow in the stage of giving birth to calf). Narada explains that doing pradakshina to Dwamukhi is equal to pradakshina(revolving) around earth. 



Lord Brahma agrees with Narada and gave the hand of Ahalya to Sage Gowtham. Ahalya proudly accepts his husbands intelligence and walks away with him.

            Indra who is the king of gods becomes humiliated and had lecherous dreams about her.One day he took the form of a rooster and at midnight imitates the rooster’s call. Sage Gowtham wakes up thinking its early morning and went to near by river to perform Surya Namaskar. When Sage Gowtham is away, Indra takes the form of Gowtham approaches Ahalya and satisfied his lust. Sage Gowtham returns back with a sense of doubt on the wrong call of rooster(thinking ahalya is in deep trouble) and finds Indra in his form.  Gautama stares at his wife in defeating silence and in anger, He curses Indra to have female sexual organs( Vagina ) all over his body and loose his manliness. Ahalya to become a stone.

                                       


            Ahalya explains her innocence to husband when pleased gowtham excuses her by telling the remedy to restore her form. He says her that she can restore into original form only when the most sacred person Shri Raam touches with his feet. Saying so he left the hermitage. Indra did severe penance towards shiva and got the boon to convert the mark of female organ to that of eye. Hence Indra is also known as Sahasraksha(One with thousand eyes).


                                          GOD INDRA
            
         After several thousands of years, Brahmarshi Vishwamitra along with Shri Ram and Lakshmana is moving towards seta Swayamwara walked through Gowtham’s hermitage. Lord Shri raam sees a tulasi plant growing out of the stone and asks his guru  about the amazing thing. He was explained with the story of Gowtama and Ahalya. Shri Raam considers the innocence of Ahalya as a women cursed by a man and deceived by another man touched his feet to the rock, it changed to Ahalya again. Gowtham who is waiting for shri raam’s arrival for years says she has become pure with his touch and accepts her again as wife.




            Ahalya says  “ O Lord.. Shri Raam, I thought my husband has cursed me but it turned out as a blessing in seeing you god, after these many years. I have made Japa all these years wishing to see you and for transforming me back to human. I would have died with insult if my husband didn’t curse me. I have regained my husbands love back with your sacred touch. I am very much grateful to you.”




                          *** OM SHRI RAAM***

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