| SKAND PURAN Book 5 - Avantya-khand
Section 3 - Reva Khand
Chapter 136 - The Greatness of Ahalya Tirth
Note : Here the Ahalya episode is the same as in Valmiki Ramayan (VR), Sargas 48-49. But Ahalya’s penance and installation of a Linga on Narmada is a new feature.
Sri
Markandeya said :
There was a Brahman named Gautam who was like another Brahma. He was endowed with truthfulness and piety. He was engrossed in the Vanprasth stage of life.
His blessed wife named Ahalya was very famous in all the three worlds as a woman endowed with beauty and prime of youth.
Satakratu, the king of Devs, was infatuated by the exceptional beauty of Ahalya. The Slayer of Bala, therefore, tempted her.
“O beautiful lady of uncensured features, resort to me, the king of Devs. Sport about with me. You shall be one honoured in all the three worlds. What will you do with this Brahman who has become lean and emaciated due to his over-zealous-ness for purity and conventional rites and austerities and Vedic studies! O lady of beautiful eyes, you must be rather undergoing sufferings now.”
On being told thus, the beautiful lady, very fickle by nature as all women are, became confused and defiled by the god of Love. Mentally she became overwhelmed by Sakra.
8-16. Sensing her emotional upheaval the Lord who slew Paka was so overcome by wicked intentions that he deceived Gautam.
Getting an opportunity, he assumed the excellent guise of the sage and carnally delighted Ahalya who believed (that he was Gautam) in the inner apartment.
Within a moment thereafter, O descendant of Bharat, the excellent sage hurriedly entered the apartment.
On seeing Gautam come Purandar became terrified and he went out. Seeing him he thought (knew) that it was Sakra. So Gautam became highly enraged and he cursed Devendra: “Since you could not control your senses, be one with a thousand vaginal apertures.” On being cursed thus, Devendra was instantly covered with a thousand vaginal apertures. He became bereft of all glory. He left the kingdom and the Suras too. He performed elaborate penance on the earth.
Ahalya too was cursed by Gautam : “Since you have been caught red-handed in your wicked actions, since you have carnally delighted Sakra within my view, you shall be turned into a rock. At the end of a thousand years you will see Ram, the renowned one, who would be coming here during his pilgrimage. Thereby you shall be rid of your sins.”
17-24. As the stipulated period of time elapsed she was seen by the intelligent Ram in the company of Visvamitra. She absolved herself of her rocky form and adored Ram duly. Thereby she became free of sins and malignant features. She came to the Tirth on the banks of Narmada and duly took her holy bath.
For a month she performed the Candrayan rites and thereafter the Krcchra rites for another month. Mahadev became pleased and granted her excellent boons. Umapati vanished and sported about for a long time.
When the Lord went away, Ahalya installed the preceptor of the universe by the name Ahalyesvar and went back to her abode.
He who takes his holy bath there in the Tirth and adores Parameshvar, shall obtain heaven after death. He will sport about in the place where Lord Maheshvar is present in that Loka.
The performer of great penance, at the end of a thousand years, will be reborn in human form endowed with wealth and food-grain in plenty and be accompanied by sons and grandsons. He will be born in a pure family and be the receptacle of Vedic lore. Intelligent and handsome; he will be very fortunate. He will live for more than a hundred years afflicted with no ailments as a result of his resorting to Ahalya Tirth.
Source :
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