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Ahalya

© Harsh Nevatia

Ahalya was the creation of Brahma. She was a claimant to the most beautiful woman in the world. Se was one of the Krittika sisters, the Indian equivalent of the constellation Pleiades. Ahalya was married to the celestial sage Gautam, who too was a creation of Brahma's divine powers. In fact each of the Krittika sisters was married to a celestial sage, but that's another story.

Ahalya's beauty attracted the roving eye of Indra, the King of Gods. However sage Gautam would always be somewhere near and he never got a chance to press his case. At last he could control his lust no more and decided to use devious means to attain his objective. He approached the Sun God and asked him to locate an opportune moment when Ahalya would be alone. But the Sun did not want to get involved and diplomatically extricated himself. However the Moon God was not as lucky. Under pressure he revealed that sage Gautam went to the river to bathe early each morning. He was normally away for a time sufficient for Indra to ravish Ahalya.

The Moon's duty was not yet over. Indra forced him to imitate the rooster's call in the middle of the night. Sage Gautam mechanically went down to the river Ganga that graced his hermitage. Indra took on the appearance of the sage and knocked on Ahalya's door. Ahalya immediately saw through the disguise but the vanity in her took control. Here was the King of Gods himself, charmed by her beauty and asking for her favours. How could she refuse him? Throwing propriety to the winds, she continued with the masquerade. "What brings you back so soon, my Lord?" she said coyly. "I felt the need to be with you," replied Indra and went in.

Meanwhile the sage had reached the river and as he stepped in Ganga informed him of the unholy alliance taking place in his hut. The sage furiously stormed back to find the moon in the guise of a cock sheepishly guarding the door. Angrily he smote the cock with his wet towel. That left a permanent black mark which the Moon bears to this day. Their love making completed, Ahalya was hurrying Indra through the door. The King of the Gods bumped into the angry sage. Indra received a befitting punishment. His testicles fell of and a thousand vaginas appeared on his body. He got what he lusted for but was deprived of the means of using it.