Rāma in the Empty Hermitage

Then Indra, castrated, his face full of fear, spoke to the gods led by Agni, the god of fire, and to the hosts of seers and the cāraṇas, the singers of heaven, Viśvāmitra said. The great Gautama has castrated me, he said, and in his anger he cast off his wife Ahalyā. So all of you, best of the gods, with the hosts of seers and the cāraṇas, must make me whole again.

When they heard Indra's words, the gods with Agni at their head went with the hosts of the Maruts, the gods of the winds, to the ancestors, the divine fathers who receive the offerings made to the dead, and said to them, Here is a ram with its testicles, and Indra has been made without testicles. Take the ram's testicles and give them to Indra quickly. A ram without testicles will please you greatly, and to the men who offer such rams for your pleasure you will give a rich reward that never fails.

The ancestors heard Agni's words and gathered together, and they tore out the ram's testicles and set them on Indra. From that time, Rāma, the ancestors, when they gather, eat rams without testicles, and they give the reward to those who offer them. And from that time Indra has had a ram's testicles, through the power of the great Gautama's austerity.

Now, mighty one, Viśvāmitra said to Rāma, go into the hermitage of the holy sage, and release the fortunate Ahalyā, who has a divine form.

So Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa went into the hermitage, with Viśvāmitra before them, and Rāma saw the lady, shining with the power of her austerity. No god or demon could look at her. She was like a divine illusion that the Creator had fashioned with care, like the full moon behind mist and cloud, like the light of the sun, like a flame wrapped in smoke, hidden from the three worlds by Gautama's word until she should see Rāma. Now the curse had reached its end, and she came into their sight.

The two princes touched her feet, and remembering Gautama's words, she welcomed them, and offered them water for their feet and the gifts of a host, and Rāma accepted them as the scriptures direct. Flowers fell from the sky and the drums of the gods sounded, gandharvas and apsaras came, and the gods praised Ahalyā, made pure by the power of her austerity and faithful to Gautama.

And Gautama too, full of power, came back, and was joined again with Ahalyā in gladness. He honoured Rāma as was due, and Rāma, honoured by the sage, went on towards Mithilā. And Gautama took up his austerity again.