THE STORY OF GAUTAM RISHI AND AHLIYA

The Story of Gautam Rishi and Ahliya- Translated from Sri Gur Bhagat Mala Steek by Pandit Narain Ji

Since olden days in Bharat India, there have been many ways to worship God. The devotees of God would carry out different practices as how their teacher would have told them to do. But the intentions were always to sing the praises of God. Amongst the devotees, there was one who was called Gautam Rishi. He is also mentioned in Gurbani,

suKdyau prIK´qu gux rvY goqm iriK jsu gwieE ]

Sukhadhaeo Pareekhyath Gun Ravai Gotham Rikh Jas Gaaeiou ||

Sukh Dayv and Preekhyat sing His Praises, and Gautam the rishi sings His Praise.

SGGS: By Guru Arjan Dev Ji on Panna 1390

It means that however Gautam Rishi has sung the praises of Vaheguru, he must have become a beloved devotee of God. In Puranas, one of his story is mentioned and this is how the saints tell the story.

Gautam used to worship Shivling-Shaligram. For many years, he did aggressive meditation. Lord Shiva was very impressed with him and gave him a boon. He said, ‘Oh Gautam, whatever you ask, you shall receive. I shall fulfil your wishes.’

Gautam accepted this offer and was very delighted. He started spending his days in meditation. One day, through his intuitions, he found out that the daughter of Mudgal, whose name was Ahliya was going to get married. She was very beautiful and every man wanted to marry her. Many deities like Lord Indra were also ready to marry her. Many of these deities started fighting with each other over her, and Ahliya’s father didn’t like this as they were having lustful thoughts of her. He pleaded to Lord Brahma to advice the deities and think of a solution.  Brahma listened to his prayers and summoned all the deities to a meeting.

 ‘Look everyone, Ahliya is indeed very beautiful. But she needs a husband now and all of you are more than ready to make her you wife. If this is so, then you will have to follow the code of conduct of a Suambar (an ancient Indian custom of a girl choosing her own spouse in an open assembly or through competition). Any one of you who can go around the whole Earth in 24 minutes, and returns first, shall be the one to marry Ahliya.’

Everyone was shocked to hear this, but eventually accepted the challenge. Brahma’s and Indra’s sons were also very confident that they could win this challenge. This challenge, they thought, was quite an easy one.

On the other hand, Gautam, who had heard about the beauty and grace of Ahliya, also created the desire to marry Ahliya. He said a prayer to Saligram Shivling. In no time, Saligram appeared in front of Gautam, and said, ‘Oh Gautam, if this is your wish then it shall be fulfilled. Just circumambulate me, it is equal to circling the whole Earth in 24 minutes. Everyone including Brahma will be a witness to this.’

The race began. Gautam circled around the Saligram stone. Deities like Indra were circling at a higher speed then wind itself, but everytime they looked, Gautam were at the same pace as them. Everyone was shocked. Some even tried to kill him, but it was to no avail.

When they help of Saligram, Gautam was the first to reach Brahma. Brahma was pleased and decided to wed him to Ahliya. Upon hearing this, the deities were upset and jealous with Gautam. Some even decided to steal Ahliya away with their magical powers and strength. But no one could do anything in front of Brahma. They left in dismay.

Gautam brought Ahliya to his ashram which was situated at the banks of the Ganges River. He continued his meditation. The story of winning the race spread fast and people were praising Gautam.

Suddenly, a disaster struck upon the town. Lord Indra was very angry, and so it didn’t rain for many days. The Earth beneath dried up. The saints, scholars and the villages were all in distress due to lack of food. Gautam, upon witnessing this, felt sad and compassion filled his heart.

He prayed to Saligram and pleaded for strength so he could start free kitchen to serve food to these people.  Saligram fulfilled his wish and soon enough, Gautam served food to everyone. There was so much blessings that they never ran out of food. Everyone ate as much as they wanted. Everyone was singing the praises of Gautam.

Indra’s rage grew such that he used his power to create a cow, such that when Gautam touches it, it would die. That cow reached Gautam’s ashram. On one side, Gautam was approaching his ashram. Gautam saw the cow and signalled for the cow to return back, but when he touched the cow, the cow dies there and then. The Brahmins saw this and started shouting, ‘Gautam has killed a cow! He must repent!’ Killing a cow is considered one of the greatest sin as a Hindu as cows are sacred in the religion.

Gautam found out that this was all done by Lord Indra. Gautam cursed the Brahmin, ‘Go now! Your hunger will never be quenched. You shall remain hungry for many ages!’ The Brahmins went home in dismay. Gautam stopped serving food to them.

After this incident, Gautam continued living his life with Ahliya. Ahliya gave birth to a baby girl who was not only beautiful but strong as well. She grew up in the ashram.

Lord Indra still didn’t give up on Ahliya. He was determined to obtain her, and all kinds of lustful thoughts were running in his mind. This state of Indra was mentioned by Bhai Gurdas Ji,

18 : Aih`ilAw Aqy goqm

Ahalya and Gautam

goqm nwir AihilAw iqsno dyiK ieMdRR loBwxw[

Ahalya was wife of Gautam. But when she set eyes Indhar, the king of gods, lust overpowered her.

pr Gir jwie srwpu lY hoie shs Bg pCoqwxw[

He entered their house, got curse of being with thousands of pudendums and repented.

suM\w hoAw ieMdRR loku luikAw srvr min srmwxw[

The Indralok (abode of Indr) became desolate and getting ashamed of himself he hid in a pond.

shs Bghu loiex shs lYNdoeI ieMd purI isDwxw[

On revocation of the curse when all those holes became eyes, only then he returned to his habitat.

sqI sqhu til islw hoie ndI iknwrY bwJu prwxw[

Ahalya who could not remain steadfast in her chastity became stone and remained lying on the river bank

rGupiq crx CuhMidAW clI surg puir bxy ibbwxw[

Touching the (holy) feet of Ram she was lifted to the heavens.

Bgq vCl BilAweIAhuM piqq auDwrxu pwp kmwxw[

Because of His benevolence He is mother-like to the devotees and being forgiver of the sinners He is called redeemer of the fallen ones.

gux no gux sB ko krY Aaugux kIqy gux iqsu jwxw[

Doing good is returned by good gestures always, but he who does good to the evil is known as virtuous.

Aibgiq giq ikAw AwiK vKwxw ]18]

How can I explain the greatness of that unmanifest (Lord). 18. 

Indra was engrossed in lustful thoughts of Ahliya. Many wise people advised him and said, ‘It is sinful to have physical relationship with a wife of another. One suffers the worst of hell for this. One should not even imagine being with another wife. You have many wives of your own. Do not deceive them.’

But one of the shrewd ministers advised Indra, ‘Gautam goes to the river during the time of morning prayers. During this time, one should not indulge in sexual behaviour. One sings the praises of God during this time. It will be good to ask help from the rooster and the moon.’

‘What kind of help?’, Indra asked hurriedly.

‘From the call of the rooster, Gautam wakes up and when the moon comes out, he goes to the Ganges river to take a bath. If the rooster call and the rising of the moon happens at the same time, then Gautam would awake and go to the river. This will be a good time for you.’

‘This is a great idea! I will seek help from the rooster and the moon now. I shall speak to them. They will surely help me.’

Indra told everything to them and they agreed to help him.

Night fall came. In the middle of the night, the rooster began to call and the moon came out. Gautam got up and went towards the river. Actually, it was not the time to take a bath in the river, but he still went. While bathing, the river spoke to him,

‘Hey Gautam, you have come so early to take a bath, while there is a thief in your house. You have been cheated. Go home and check if everything is alright. This doesn’t seem right.’

While Gautam was gone, Lord Indra took the form of a cat and went to Gautam’s house. The reason he took the form of a cat was because Gautam does not trust Ahliya as he knows many deities are after her. Whenever he used to go to the river, he would ask his daughter, Anjani, to sit in front of the house door.

When Lord Indra came, he saw Anjani at the front door, he changed into a cat and went inside the house. Anjani didn’t pay any heed to the cat. Upon entering, Indra transformed himself into Gautam.

Ahliya didn’t know a single thing. He started making love to Ahliya.

On the other hand, Gautam came home. He asked Anjani, ‘Who is inside?’ Gautam was angry and he was feeling uneasy.

‘Majaar!’ Anjani said. Majaar has two meanings, one means mother’s lover, and the other a cat.

Gautam went inside and saw Indra, looking like Gautam, lying down naked next to Ahliya.

Gautam was enraged. He remembered Saligram, and cursed Indra.

‘Indra, you have committed sin due to momentary pleasure, your body shall be covered with thousands of vulvae! You shall suffer and pay for your sins!’

Indra was afraid, his body started changing and vulvae started to appear on his body. With shame he started to hide his body.

Gautam then cursed the moon, ‘You were religious. You gave light to the world. You helped this sinner; therefore, you shall not be a full moon all the time. You shall go through waning and waxing and you shall be a full moon only once a month!’

Gautam looked at the rooster and cursed it, ‘In Kalyug, you shall make you calls late in the morning, and no one will trust you!’

Once he had cursed everyone, now he looked at Ahliya. He cursed her.

‘Ahliya, you were a faithful wife. But now you have lost your intellect. You couldn’t differentiate between your own husband and another man. You just lied there like a stone. Go, you shall take the form of a stone and shall never be liberated. In Kalyug, womanhood will be weak.’

When Ahliya heard this, she pleaded with folded hands,

‘Oh husband, this is not my fault. He took your form and I only saw you. I was cheated. I am faithful to you. Please..’

Gautam then said, ‘You will be a stone for some time until Ram Chandr takes birth in this world. When his feet touch you, you will transform back into a woman and will be liberated.’

Ahliya left the ashram and went to the river bank. She transformed into a stone. Many ages she was a stone, until one day Ram Chandr Ji, came to the river bank and stepped on her. She was liberated.

Lord Indra came back to Gautam to seek for forgiveness and pleaded to take the curse away from him. He promised to never look at another woman. Gautam then forgave him.

Anjani was cursed to be a mother while being a virgin. She gave birth to Hanuman.

This was the story of Gautam Rishi and Ahliya.

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