When the great sage Gautama beheld the sinful woman before him, he spoke with calm resolve, “By welcoming him as a guest, O misguided one—if you are free from greed and delusion—you shall, with joy, regain your own form and come back to me.” Having thus addressed her, Gautama, steadfast in his austerity, departed from his hermitage—a place frequented by Siddhas and celestial singers—and journeyed to the beautiful peaks of the Himalayas to continue his penance. Now, listen to the next episode in the glorious Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki. Indra, rendered fruitless by Gautama’s curse and filled with fear, approached the assembly of gods, with Agni at their head, as well as the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Charanas. He confessed, “By causing an obstacle to the penance of the great-souled Gautama and provoking his wrath, I have committed this act for the sake of the gods. Because of his anger, I have lost my manhood, and she has been cast out. Through his mighty curse, I have been deprived of my vigor. Therefore, O best of gods, together with the sages and Charanas, please make this act, performed for the gods, yield some fruit for me.” The gods, hearing Indra’s plea, approached the Pitṛs, accompanied by the Maruts, and spoke, “This ram is intact, while Indra has been rendered fruitless. Take the testicles of the ram and quickly bestow them upon Indra. The ram, made fruitless, will bring supreme satisfaction, and for your joy, those men who offer rams will obtain inexhaustible rewards, and you shall grant them abundant blessings.” Accepting Agni’s words, the assembled Pitṛs took the ram’s testicles and implanted them in Indra, the thousand-eyed one. From that time onward, O descendant of Kakutstha, the Pitṛs consume fruitless rams, and the merit is assigned to them. And ever since, O Rāghava, Indra bears the testicles of a ram, by the power of Gautama’s great penance. Then, O one of great brilliance, you are now to go to the hermitage of the virtuous sage and deliver the highly fortunate Ahalyā, divine in form. Hearing Viśvāmitra’s instructions, Rāma, with Lakṣmaṇa by his side and Viśvāmitra leading, entered the sacred hermitage. There, Rāma beheld the highly blessed Ahalyā, her radiance intensified by austerity, difficult to gaze upon even for the gods and demons together. She seemed divinely wrought by the Creator, woven of illusion, her form shrouded in a mist like a blazing tongue of fire. Like the brilliance of the full moon veiled by frost and clouds, she shone while surrounded by waters, difficult to approach, like the resplendent sun. By Gautama’s words, she had remained hidden from all three worlds, but when Rāma’s gaze fell upon her, the curse was lifted, and she became visible once more. Then, the two descendants of Raghu joyfully touched her feet; remembering Gautama’s words, Ahalyā accepted their homage. With composure, she offered water for washing their feet, hospitality, and gifts; Rāma accepted these according to sacred rites. At that moment, a great shower of flowers rained down, accompanied by the sound of celestial drums, and the Gandharvas and Apsarases celebrated joyfully. The gods praised Ahalyā, exclaiming “Excellent, excellent!”—her body purified by the power of penance and her obedience to Gautama’s will. Gautama, radiant and serene, was united with Ahalyā in happiness; after properly honoring Rāma, the great ascetic returned to his penance. Rāma, having received the highest honor from Gautama according to proper rites, then continued on his journey toward Mithilā. Now, hear the next chapter of this sacred tale. Proceeding northeast, Rāma and Saumitri, led by Viśvāmitra, approached the sacrificial grounds. Rāma said to the foremost sage, with Lakṣmaṇa beside him, “Truly, the sacrificial prosperity of the great-souled Janaka is admirable. Here are thousands of highly fortunate Brāhmaṇas from many regions, devoted to Vedic study. Hermitages of sages are everywhere, crowded with hundreds of carts. O Brāhmaṇa, please designate a place where we may stay.” Hearing Rāma’s words, Viśvāmitra, the great sage, arranged their dwelling in a secluded, well-watered spot. When news of Viśvāmitra’s arrival reached King Janaka, the virtuous monarch, accompanied by his chief priest Śatānanda, came forth to meet him. The officiating priests, too, quickly brought their offerings and approached with reverence. Janaka, righteous in all things, honored Viśvāmitra with gifts as prescribed by dharma. Viśvāmitra, receiving this homage from the noble king, inquired after Janaka’s welfare and the flawless progress of the sacrifice. He also greeted the assembled sages, their teachers, and priests with proper respect, and joyfully met with them all. The venerable sage then sat upon his seat, surrounded by the eminent sages, having heard Janaka’s words. The priests, officiants, and king with his counselors all took their seats in due order. Seeing Viśvāmitra present, King Janaka spoke, “Today, the success of my sacrifice has been fulfilled by the gods. Today, I have attained the fruit of my sacrifice by the sight of the revered one; blessed and favored am I, for the eminent sage has come to me.