Introduction
Ahalya is the wife of the sage Gautama and one of the most remembered women of the Ramayana. She is known as a figure of penance and liberation. Her story is told in the Bala Kanda.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
Family
- Husband: Gautama
- Son: Shatananda
The curse
In Valmiki's account, Indra came to Ahalya in the form of her husband when Gautama was away. Gautama returned and found them, and cursed both. Ahalya was doomed to live unseen in the hermitage, eating only air and lying in ashes, until Rama came.
Liberation
When Vishwamitra brought Rama and Lakshmana to the empty hermitage, Ahalya became visible again as they arrived, and was freed. She and Gautama were reunited.
Stone in later tradition
In many later retellings, Ahalya is turned to stone and is brought back to life when Rama's foot touches her. This version is not in Valmiki's Bala Kanda.
Her son
She was the mother of Shatananda, the priest of King Janaka.