Once, in the ancient forest of austerities, a divine agreement was made between a mother and her son: her sons, radiant and godlike in form, were granted the freedom to roam as they pleased. Having fulfilled their purpose through great penance, it is said that both mother and son ascended to heaven. This very place, O Rāma, descendant of Kakutstha, was once inhabited by Mahendra, the king of the gods. Here, Diti, accomplished in her austerities, once moved about. And, O Rāma, tiger among men, the supremely righteous son of Ikṣvāku—born of Alambuṣā—became renowned as Viśāla. In this very land, Viśāla founded the city that bears his name, Viśālā. The lineage continued: Viśāla’s son was the mighty Hemacandra; Hemacandra’s famous son was Sucandra; Sucandra’s illustrious son was Dhūmrāśva; Dhūmrāśva’s son was Sṛñjaya; Sṛñjaya’s son was the glorious and powerful Sahadeva; Sahadeva’s son was Kuśāśva, known for his supreme righteousness; Kuśāśva’s son was the great and powerful Somadatta; and Somadatta’s son was renowned as Kākutstha. Kākutstha’s own son, endowed with great brilliance, now dwells in this city—his name is Sumati, famed and unconquerable. By the grace of Ikṣvāku, all the kings of Vaiśālī have been long-lived, noble, valiant, and highly righteous. “O Rāma,” said Viśvāmitra, “here we shall rest comfortably tonight. Tomorrow morning, O best of men, you should go to see Janaka.” When Sumati, the splendid and illustrious king, heard of Viśvāmitra’s arrival, he returned at once, filled with renown. Together with his teachers and relatives, he offered the highest honors to Viśvāmitra, greeting him respectfully with joined palms and inquiring about his welfare. With great joy, Sumati declared, “Blessed am I, O sage, that you have entered my land! Having seen you, I am the most fortunate of men.” Now, listen, Rāma, to the continuation of this tale as told in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. After exchanging warm inquiries and greetings, Sumati turned to Viśvāmitra and spoke: “May you be blessed, O sage! Who are these two youths with you, so equal to the gods in valor? Their gait is like that of elephants and lions, their heroism like tigers and bulls. With eyes wide as lotus petals, bearing swords, quivers, and bows, they stand in the fullness of youth, as beautiful as the divine Aśvins. Arrived here by chance, like immortals from the world of the gods, how have they come here on foot, for what purpose, and whose sons are they, O sage?” Sumati continued, “They adorn this land like the moon and sun adorn the sky, alike in stature, bearing, and movement. For what reason have these best of men come upon this difficult path, bearing excellent weapons? I wish to hear the truth.” Hearing these earnest questions, Viśvāmitra recounted all that had transpired: their stay at Siddhāśrama, the slaying of the Rākṣasas, and the valor of the two princes. Upon hearing this, King Sumati was filled with astonishment. He received Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the mighty sons of Daśaratha, with the highest honors, treating them as honored guests according to custom. After enjoying Sumati’s noble hospitality for the night, the two Raghavas continued on their journey toward Mithilā. As they approached the auspicious city of Janaka, all the sages praised Mithilā, exclaiming, “Excellent, excellent!” and honored her greatly. Near the city, Rāghava beheld an ancient, deserted, and charming hermitage. Curious, he turned to the foremost of sages and asked, “O venerable one, this place resembles a hermitage, yet it is devoid of ascetics. Whose hermitage was this? I wish to know.” Viśvāmitra, skilled in speech, replied, “Indeed, Rāghava, I will tell you whose hermitage this is. Listen well, for this place was cursed in anger by a great soul. This was once the hermitage of the illustrious Gautama, O best of men, resplendent as the divine and highly revered even by the gods. Here, long ago, Gautama and his wife Ahalyā practiced austerities for many thousands of years.” “Knowing the absence of Gautama, Indra, the lord of Śacī, took on the guise of a sage and approached Ahalyā. He said, ‘Those who desire union, O slender-waisted one, wait for the proper season with composure; but I desire union with you now.’” “Ahalyā, recognizing Indra in the guise of a sage yet lacking good judgment, consented out of curiosity for the king of the gods. When their union was complete, she said to Indra, ‘I am satisfied, O lord of gods; go quickly from here, O master. By all means, protect both yourself and me from Gautama.’ Indra, laughing, replied, ‘O beautiful-hipped one, I am satisfied and will depart as I came.’ Thus, after their union, he left the hut at once.” “But in his haste and fear of Gautama, Indra hurried away—only to see the great sage Gautama entering. Gautama, difficult to approach for gods and demons alike, endowed with the power of austerity, was radiant like blazing fire, having just bathed with sacred waters. As Indra saw the sage carrying sacred fuel and kuśa grass, his heart filled with fear and his face grew pale.” Thus, Viśvāmitra revealed to Rāma the history of the hermitage, its sanctity, and the events that led to its desolation.