After Indra’s union with Ahalyā, the lord of gods turned to her and, with a laugh, said, “O lady, protect both yourself and me from Gautama by all means.” Satisfied, Indra prepared to depart, leaving the hut just as he had entered. But fear and haste seized him, for he dreaded the wrath of the sage. As he hurried away, Indra saw the great Gautama entering the hermitage. Gautama, radiant from his sacred bath, was difficult to approach even for gods and demons, endowed with the power of intense austerity and shining like blazing fire. He carried sacred fuel and kuśa grass, and his presence struck fear into Indra, whose face grew pale. Seeing Indra disguised as a sage, Gautama—righteous and virtuous though he was—spoke in anger to the wicked one: “Assuming my form, you have committed this wrongful act, O wicked-minded one. Therefore, you shall become fruitless.” As Gautama’s wrathful words fell, Indra’s testicles dropped to the ground. Gautama then turned to his wife and cursed her: “For many thousands of years you shall dwell here, sustained only by air, fasting, scorched by penance, lying on ashes, unseen by all beings, remaining in this hermitage. When Rāma, the son of Dasharatha, comes to this dreadful forest, then you shall be purified. By receiving him as a guest, free from greed and delusion, you shall joyfully regain your own form and come to me.” Having pronounced these curses, Gautama, possessed of great austerity, left the hermitage—frequented by Siddhas and Charanas—and performed penance on the beautiful peak of the Himalaya. Now begins the forty-ninth chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. Indra, rendered fruitless and fearful, spoke to the gods led by Agni, and to the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Charanas: “By causing an obstacle to the penance of the great-souled Gautama, and provoking his anger, I performed this act for the sake of the gods. By his wrath, I have been made fruitless and she has been rejected; his great curse has deprived him of his penance. Therefore, O best of gods, all of you, together with sages and Charanas, should make this act—performed for the sake of the gods—fruitful for me.” Hearing Indra’s plea, the gods, with Agni at their head, approached the Pitṛs, accompanied by the Maruts, and spoke: “This ram is intact, while Indra has been rendered without testicles. Take the testicles of the ram and quickly give them to Indra. The ram, made fruitless, will bring supreme satisfaction, and for the joy of you all, those men who offer rams will obtain inexhaustible fruit, and you shall grant them abundant rewards.” Hearing Agni’s words, the assembled Pitṛs took the ram’s testicles and implanted them in Indra, the thousand-eyed one. From that time, O descendant of Kakutstha, the Pitṛs eat fruitless rams, and the fruit is assigned to them. And from then on, O Rāghava, Indra has the testicles of a ram, by the power of Gautama and his great penance. Then Viśvāmitra said, “O one of great brilliance, go to the hermitage of the virtuous one; deliver this highly fortunate Ahalyā, who is divine in form.” Hearing Viśvāmitra’s words, Rāma, together with Lakṣmaṇa, entered the hermitage, led by Viśvāmitra. There, Rāma saw the highly blessed Ahalyā, her radiance intensified by austerity—so dazzling that even gods and demons found her difficult to behold. Created with effort by the Creator, seemingly woven of illusion, her body was enveloped in smoke, like a blazing tongue of fire. Like the full moon’s brilliance veiled by frost and clouds, she shone amidst waters, difficult to approach, like the radiant sun. By Gautama’s words, she had become invisible to all three worlds, until Rāma’s sight brought an end to the curse, making her visible once more. The two descendants of Raghu, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, joyfully took hold of her feet; remembering Gautama’s words, she accepted them. With composure, she offered water for washing feet, hospitality, and gifts, and Rāma accepted them according to prescribed rites. A great shower of flowers rained down, accompanied by the sound of divine drums, and there was a grand celebration among Gandharvas and Apsarases. The gods praised Ahalyā, saying “Excellent, excellent!” Her body was purified by the power of austerity, and she obeyed Gautama’s will. Gautama, radiant and brilliant, together with Ahalyā, was happy. Having properly honored Rāma, the great ascetic resumed his austerities. Rāma, too, having received the highest honor from Gautama according to proper rites, then departed for Mithilā. Now begins the fiftieth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa. Proceeding northeast, Rāma, together with Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa), approached the sacrificial enclosure, led by Viśvāmitra. Rāma spoke to the foremost sage, together with Lakṣmaṇa: “Indeed, the sacrificial prosperity of Janaka, the great-souled one, is admirable.” There, thousands of highly fortunate Brāhmaṇas from various regions were gathered, devoted to Vedic study.