Valmikiramayana-balakanda-episodes of Bhageeratha and ahalya

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Visvamithra told the rshis in Siddhasrama that he was going to Himalayas

through Mithila. The rshis followed him for some disrtance along with

the animals and birds of Siddashrama which showed that all beings show

regard for great sages. Visvamithra walked till the sunset with Rama and

Lakshmana and they reached the SOna river.where they stopped for the

night.Rama asked Visvamithra about that region which was very fertile

and he told them about it.

 

Ramavathara was anushtAnapraDHAna, as Rama showed the right conduct to

the world by his actions. Here, by accepting the words of Visvamithra to

go to Mithila even though he was sent by his father only for the

protection of the yaga, he shows that one should always obey the elders.

 

The region they were staying belonged to Vasu , one of the four sons of

Kusa, mAnasaputhra of Brahma, and the forefather of the vamsa of

Visvamithra, from whom he got the name Kousika. Visvamithra briefly told

Rama about his vamsa and the next day they started to cross the river

and go towards north. Here the seemingly innocent question of Rama and

the reply of Visvamithra have deeper meaning. Rama asked the sage by

which way they will cross the river , meaning at which part of the river

they will go across.

 

The question was 'katharENA paTHA brahman santharishyamahe vayam? "by

which path shall we cross"and Rama calls Visvamithra brahman as he was

brahmarshi. The answer was 'Esha panTHA mayOddhishtO yEna yAnthim

maharshayah,' "I decide on the path followed by the great sages." This

has the implication .'mahAjano yEna ganthah sa panTHA.' The path

followed by the great personages is the one to follow.in order to cross

the ocean of samsara

 

Then they walked for long and reached the Ganges and Rama asked

Visvamithra 'thrylOkyam kaTham Akramya gathA nadha nadheepathim,' about

how the river traversed the three worlds and reached the sea.Visvamithra

started to tell the story of Ganga and Bhagheeratha.He told Rama about

Himaavan and his two daughters,Ganga and Uma. Himavan gave Ganga to the

devas on being requested and she went to heaven. Uma, Dakshayani in her

next birth, became the spouse of Lord Siva.

 

Sagara, the king of Ayodhya was given the boon by the sage Bhrgu that

one of his two wives will get one son who will continue the lineage and

the other will get 60000 sons.Of the two, Kesini chose the first and

Sumathi, the other one, chose the second..Asamanjas, who became

mentally deranged, was born to Kesini and Sumathi had 60000 valiant

sons.Asamanjas was banished from the country and his son Amsuman,

unlike his father, was wise and good.

 

Sagara performed the asvamedha sacrifice and Indra, who is always wary

of anyone doing it as it will give them the power over himself, stole

the sacrificial horse and Sagara sent his sons in search of it. They

looked all over the earth and not finding the horse dug the earth to

reach patala and water filled where they dug and became the seas. That

is why the sea got its name as SAgara.The sons of Sagara went to Patala

and found the horse grazing near the sage Kapila and suspecting him to

be the thief, they advanced on him shouting and Kapila, disturbed from

his penance reduced them all to ashes by his power.

 

Not finding his sons or the horse and not being able to complete the

sacrifice, Sagara sent his grandson Amsuman who found the horse and

brought it back. He was told by Garuda that the souls of his uncles who

were reduced to ashes will attain peace if the river Ganges is brought

to Patala to wash the ashes.

 

Sagara completed the sacrifice but died in grief for the loss of his

sons and his inability to bring the Ganges. Amsuman and his son Dileepa

were also unable to bring down the Ganges by their Tapas and it was left

to Bhagiratha, son of Dileepa to do so.The story of Bhagiratha is an

example of persistence.

 

Bhagiratha pleased Brahma with his thapas and he granted his wish but

told him that the earth cannot stand the force of the river and directed

him to do thapas on Lord Siva. Bhagiratha did so and Siva agreed to

catch the river in his matted locks but Ganga was arrogant and descended

with full force to stagger Siva, who, angered, held the whole river

imprisoned in his locks.Then Bhagiratha had to appease Siva once again

and he let out the river in seven streams, three of which flowed west

and three east and one stream followed Bhagiratha. This was however not

the end of the struggle for Bhagiratha because, on the way to patala

Ganga flooded the hermitage of the sage Jahnu, who took the whole river

in his palm and drank it. Again Bhagiratha had to propitiate the sage ,

who let it thriough his right ear, Thus coming out of Jahnu maharshi

Ganga acquired the name JAhnavi. Finally Bhageeratha achieved his

mission and his forefathers were sanctified by the water of Ganga.Since

Bhageeratha was instrumental in bringing Ganga to the earth, she came to

be called BhAgirathi. Valmiki says,

 

Dhanyam yaSasyam Ayushayam puthryam svargyam atheeva cha

 

yah sravayathi viprEshu kshatriyEshvithareshu cha

 

To the one who makes others, whichever varNa they belongs to, hear this

episode will get wealth, fame,long life, progeny,life in heaven. etc.

 

Yah sruNOthi cha kAkuthsTha sarvAn kAmAn avApnuyAth

 

sarvE papAh praNaSyanthi Ayuh keerthiScha varDhathe

 

To the one who hears this, life and fame are increased. He attains the

fulfilment of all his desires and all his sins are destroyed.

 

After staying for a day in the city of Visala they all set out for

Mithila. They came across a beautiful hermitage on the way whcih was

uninhabited. Rama asked Visvamithra about it and the sage told him the

story of Ahalya.

 

The hermitage belonged to sage Gouthama whose wife was Ahalya , who was

created with all the beauty in the world by Brahma and Indra and

Gouthama wanted to marry her. Brahma stipulatedthat she will be given to

one who goes round the three worlds first and Indra started on his

Airavatha whileGouthama went round Kamadhenu, who was about to deliver a

calf, three times and claimed her hand, saying that it is equivalent to

going round the three worlds. Indra could not conquer his desire for her

and came to the hermitage in the diguise of Gouthama when Gouthama was

away and enjoyed her company. When Gouthama came while they were

together he was enraged and cursed Indra to lose his manhood and Ahalya

to live there for 1000 years invisible to all and having only air as her

food exposed to heat and rain.When she asked for forgiveness he said she

will attain her chastity again when Rama sets foot in the asrama.Then

Visvamithra asked Rama to enter the hermitage to free Ahalya friom her

curse.

 

Here it is interesting to note that Valmiki never mentions that Ahalya

became a stone. It is found to be so in adhyathma Ramayana however and

Kamban also followed the latter version.Then Rama set foot in the

hermitage and Ahalya came back to life and offered hospitality to Rama

and Gouthama appeared and took her back. After their salutations to

Ahalya and Gouthama Rama and Lakshmana started for Mithila with

Visvamithra.

 

Valmiki says that Ahalya knew that it was Indra who came in the guise of

Gouthama but was vain enough to enjoy his company, intoxicated with her

beauty that attracted even the lord of the devas. But the penance done

by her was powerful enought to wash off her sins and the holy feet of

the Lord purified the whole hermitage including her.Here we are reminded

of the words of Krishna 'api chEth sudhurachAro bajathE mAm ananyabhAk;

sadhurEva sa manthavyah,'(BG-9-30)which means that the one who thinks of

the Lord incessantly is to be considered as one with merit even if he

was a worst sinner.Ahalya by thinking constantly on Rama's arrival

became pure.

 

Kamban slightly differs in recounting this episode.According to him

Ahalya was lying there as a stone. and when the feet Rama touched the

stone she came back to life and Rama asked Visvamithra about her and the

sage told him her story.There is a beautiful verse in Kambaramayana

when Visvamithra praises Rama for freeing Ahalya.

 

ivvaNNam nigazndha vaNNam ini indha ulagukkellam

 

uyvaNNam anri mattru Or thuyarvaNNam uruvadhu undO

 

maivaNNatharakki pOril mazaivaNNatthaNNale un

 

kaivaNNam angu kandEn kAl vaNNam ingu kandEn

 

" When such things happen with your grace, where can be any suffering in

this world any more?Oh lord of dark hue like the clouds , I have seen

the power of your arms in the fight with the she-demon(Thataka), who

was black like the night, and the power of your feet here now." Apart

from the poetics (the same word being repeated several times etc.) the

meaning is more beautiful.Kamban uses the words maivaNNam to denote the

dark colour of Thataka and mazai vaNNam to describe the colour of Rama.

The rakshasi was frightening like the darkness that implies thamas, and

hence the word 'maivaNNam' is used. 'Mai ' stands for blackmagic. Mazai

vaNNam on the other hand denotes the mercy of the Lord who is Ardhra,

soaked in krpa, like the dark rain-bearing cloud. Kamban's Visvamithra

tells Gouthama to accept Ahalya saying 'nenjinAl pizaippu ilALai nee

azaitthiduga.' Even though Ahalya did wrong with her body her mind was

not tainted, says Visvamithra whereas Valmiki says 'munivEsham

sahasrAksham vijnAya raghunandhana;mathim chakAra dhurmEdha

dhEvarajakuthoohalAth.' meaning that Ahalya knew it was Indra in the

guise of the sage but still accepted him out of eagerness for Devendra.

 

Then they proceeded towards Mithila.