Gautam

Role: sage · First appears: Book I, Canto 48 · Indra And Ahalyá

In Book I, Canto 48, Gautam was with his wife Ahalyá when Indra came to her in Gautam’s form. Gautam cursed Indra to become sexless, then cursed Ahalyá to live alone and unseen in the grove until Ráma came. In Book I, Canto 49, Ráma’s arrival restored her, and she was reconciled with Gautam.

In Book I, Canto 51, Gautam and Ahalyá’s reconciliation after her penance was recalled by Viśvámitra. Their son was Śatánanda, Gautam’s eldest son.

Relationship record

Life events

• Gautam cursed Indra to become sexless for assuming his form and committing adultery.(Book I, Canto 48 · Indra And Ahalyá)
  • With: Indra
  • “Because my form thou hast assumed, And wrought this folly, thou art doomed, For this my curse to thee shall cling, Henceforth a sad and sexless thing.”
• Gautam cursed Ahalyá to live alone in the grove, unseen, until Ráma came and restored her.(Book I, Canto 48 · Indra And Ahalyá)
  • With: Ahalyá
  • “For countless years, disloyal spouse, Devoted to severest vows, Thy bed the ashes, air thy food, Here shalt thou live in solitude. This lonely grove thy home shall be, And not an eye thy form shall see. When Ráma, Daśaratha’s child, Shall seek these shades then drear and wild, His coming shall remove thy stain, And make the sinner pure again.”
• Ahalyá was reconciled with Gautam and became his consort again.(Book I, Canto 49 · Ahalyá Freed)
  • With: Ahalyá
  • “Through fervid rites no more defiled, But with thy husband reconciled.”
• Gautam and Ahalyá were reconciled after her penance, as Reṇuká and Jamadagni had once been.(Book I, Canto 51 · Visvámitra)
  • With: Viśvámitra
  • “As Reṇuká and Bhrigu’s child, The saint and dame were reconciled.”

Book I, Canto 48 · Indra And Ahalyá

• married with Ahalyá “Here with Ahalyá at his side His fervid task the ascetic plied.”
• enemies with Indra “When Town-destroying Indra came, And saw the beauty of the dame.”
• child: Ahalyá (No parent relationship is stated; omitted.) “Then on his wife his fury burst, And thus the guilty dame he cursed:”
• with Ahalyá (Gautam curses and condemns Ahalyá to live in solitude.) “Then on his wife his fury burst, And thus the guilty dame he cursed: “For countless years, disloyal spouse, Devoted to severest vows, Thy bed the ashes, air thy food, Here shalt thou live in solitude.”
• enemies with Ahalyá “Then on his wife his fury burst, And thus the guilty dame he cursed: “For countless years, disloyal spouse, Devoted to severest vows, Thy bed the ashes, air thy food, Here shalt thou live in solitude.”

Book I, Canto 49 · Ahalyá Freed

• married with Ahalyá (Ahalyá is reconciled with her husband, Gautam.) “Through fervid rites no more defiled, But with thy husband reconciled.”
• protégé: Ráma (Gautam welcomes and honours Ráma.) “Then Ráma, pride of Raghu’s race, Welcomed by Gautam, face to face, Who every highest honour showed,”

Book I, Canto 50 · Janak

• child: Ahalyá (The passage calls Gautam her lord, not her father; no parent relation is established.) “Ahalyá seen and freed from taint; Their meeting with her lord the saint;”

Book I, Canto 51 · Visvámitra

• child: Śatánanda “Then sainted Gautam’s eldest son, Great Śatánanda, far-renowned,”
• married with Ahalyá “Again to him, my sire and lord?”

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Extracted from the original text of The Rámáyan of Válmíki. Made with Rho MD.