Sarga 49: Ahalya Freed
Ahalya Shapa Mokshana
Indra regains virility through a ram-testicle graft, establishing the custom of gelded-ram sacrifice; Rama and Lakshmana enter Gautama's hermitage, and Ahalya, freed from her curse, is reunited with Gautama before Rama departs for Mithila.
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अफलस्तु ततश्शक्रो देवानग्निपुरोगमान्। अब्रवीत्त्रस्तवदनस्सर्षिस्सङ्घान् सचारणान्।।1.49.1।।
Meaning
Then, deprived of his virility, Shakra, his face full of fear, spoke to the gods headed by Agni, together with the assemblies of sages and Charanas.
कुर्वता तपसो विघ्नं गौतमस्य महात्मन:। क्रोधमुत्पाद्य हि मया सुरकार्यमिदं कृतम्।।1.49.2।।
Meaning
By causing an obstacle to the austerity of the great-souled Gautama, having provoked his wrath, I have thereby accomplished this deed for the gods' benefit.
अफलोऽस्मि कृतस्तेन क्रोधात्सा च निराकृता। शापमोक्षेण महता तपोऽस्यापहृतं मया।।1.49.3।।
Meaning
By that I have been rendered fruitless, and she was rejected in his anger; by his great release of curse his own austerity was also taken from him by me.
तस्मात्सुरवरास्सर्वे सर्षिस्सङ्घास्सचारणा:। सुरसाह्यकरं सर्वे सफलं कर्तुमर्हथ।।1.49.4।।
Meaning
Therefore, best of gods, all of you, together with the assemblies of sages and Charanas, who have aided the gods' cause, ought to make me fruitful again.
शतक्रतोर्वचश्श्रुत्वा देवास्साग्निपुरोगमा:। पितृदेवानुपेत्याहु स्सह सर्वैर्मरुद्गणै:।।1.49.5।।
Meaning
Hearing the words of the wielder of a hundred sacrifices, the gods headed by Agni approached the ancestral deities together with all the Marut hosts and spoke.
अयं मेषस्सवृषणश्शक्रो ह्यवृषण: कृत:। मेषस्य वृषणौ गृह्य शक्रायाऽशु प्रयच्छथ।।1.49.6।।
Meaning
This ram possesses testicles, while Shakra has been rendered without them; take the ram's testicles and quickly bestow them upon Shakra.
अफलस्तु कृतो मेष: परां तुष्टिं प्रदास्यति। भवतां हर्षणार्थाय ये च दास्यन्ति मानवा:।।1.49.7।।
Meaning
The ram, though thus rendered fruitless, shall still grant the highest satisfaction, for your delight, to those humans who offer it hereafter.
अग्नेस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा पितृदेवास्समागता:। उत्पाट्य मेषवृषणौ सहस्राक्षे न्यवेशयन्।।1.49.8।।
Meaning
Hearing Agni's words, the ancestral deities gathered, extracted the ram's testicles, and grafted them onto the thousand-eyed Indra.
तदा प्रभृति काकुत्स्थ पितृदेवास्समागता:। अफलान् भुञ्जते मेषान् फलैस्तेषामयोजयन्।।1.49.9।।
Meaning
From that time onward, Kakutstha, the ancestral deities have accepted rams without testicles as offerings, granting the benefit as though they still had them.
इन्द्रस्तु मेषवृषणस्तदाप्रभृति राघव। गौतमस्य प्रभावेन तपसश्च महात्मन:।।1.49.10।।
Meaning
And Indra, Raghava, has since then possessed a ram's testicles, by the power of the great-souled Gautama's austerity.