61 - The Shattering of the Pride of Indra through Bali 

Sri Narayana said- О Brahman, I have spoken to you about the shattering of the pride of Indra to some extent. Now you listen to the second incident about him quite carefully. 

In the earlier times Indra, after churning the ocean, consumed the nectar and defeated the demons. As a result of this he was inflated with pride. Thereafter lord Krishna got his pride shattered through Bali. All the gods like Indra and others had been deprived of their glory.  Thereafter with the reciting of the stotra of Bruhaspati and performing of the vratas by Aditi, the lord was pleased and he incarnated himself as the incarnation of Vamana from the womb of Aditi. Thereafter the compassionate lord begged from Bali for his kingdom and restored Mahendra to the gem-studded lion-throne and well established the gods.

О sage, similarly in the first kalpa, Indra again was inflated with pride which was shattered through Durvasa. He was thus deprived of all the glory but the lord who is always graceful to his devotees restored his glory to Indra. Thereafter getting intoxicated with this glory, Indra desecrated the chastity of Ahalya, the wife of Gautama. As a result of the curse of Gautama Indra had a thousand yonis on his body. Indra thus had to face immense pain in his body. 

At the sight of Indra all the sages and the ascetics started laughing aloud. All the gods felt ashamed and Bruhaspati fell down as if dead.  Thereafter Indra meditated on Surya for a thousand years. With the boon of Surya, Indra was turned into a thousand-eyed one as the moon got the blemish because of the abducting of Tara, similarly, the appearing of a large number of eyes on the body of Indra also earned him blemish. 

Narada said- О Brahman, О best among those  well-versed in the Vedas, how was Ahalya the  beloved of Gautama who was immensely chaste,  adorable, quite auspicious in the universe, having  a spotless heart, immensely meritorious, without  blemish and was born of the amsha of Kamala,  how could Indra abduct her you kindly tell me, I  intend to listen to this story. 

Narayana said- О Narada, Indra spotted Ahalya who had come on a pilgrimage to Pushkara-tirtha. 

She had a smiling face, beautiful teeth, peaceful and solid pelvic region, besides the breasts. Finding her there Indra got fainted. The next day on the bank of river Mandakini, Indra again met her where she was alone and smiling and for taking her bath, she getting herself unrobed with shyness. 

At the sight of her developed pelvic region and the breasts, Indra lost his senses. On regaining consciousness, the passionate Indra went to her and started flattering the chaste lady.

Mahendra said- This virtuous beauty and the youthfulness is quite astonishing; your face is putting to shame the full moon of the winter season; your side-glances are attracting the minds of the people. The beauty of your eyes resembles the beauty of the lotus flower. 

Your walking resembles an intoxicated elephant or a wagtail bird, your speech is nectar like and quite sweet which is difficult to get. The developed hips which are the best are quite pleasing, increase passion in a passionate person and attract even the sages as well. 

The thighs resemble the trunk of the banana trees and are quite solid. Both the hips are round like the lunar disc, both your nipples are quite charming and the lips resemble the ripe wood apples and are quite charming. 

The ascetic Gautama must have performed tapas only for your sake to get you in reward; you are such a damsel with beautiful teeth. Did he achieve this beautiful damsel after adoring  lord Vishnu and his illusion the eternal Prakruti  named Durga the lotus-like damsel who  resembles in beauty goddess Lakshmi having very  tender limbs, beautiful face, charming body,  lotus-like face, having spotless and attractive  teeth, having youthful body of sixteen years,  tough breasts, heavy buttocks and thin waist. I am well aware of maintaining you being well versed in the art of making love or otherwise only the god of love or the passionate moon can realise your worth. What can Gautama know about you?

The intellectuals well-versed in the art of making love, praise me always together with Urvashi and other apsaras. О beautiful damsel, I shall make Sachi as your slave and entrust you to her care and by remaining with me you can enjoy the unlimited treasure. Therefore, you should disown Gautama, who is unaware of the scriptures on love, is quite weak, a mendicant, not very practical, having no desires and is devoted to Narayana.

The foolish creator has made an unequal couple comprising of a mendicant and a passionate damsel.

Thus, speaking the passionate Indra delightfully fell on the feet of Ahalya. Thereafter the immensely chaste Ahalya started speaking the words which were quite appropriate and according to the Vedas.

Ahalya said- Because of the misfortune of  Brahma and the mendicant Marichi besides  Kashyapa you happen to be the unfortunate son  born in their race, the person whose mind is  injured by the women; the recitation, tapas, mind, vratas, adoration of the gods and visiting  of the holy places are of no consequence for him.  The damsels were created in the universe to attract the minds of the people. Otherwise there would have been no creation. Therefore, in the earlier times at the command of lord, Brahma resorted to the creation. 

The female is the jackpot of illusion and could be responsible for diverting the attention of the people from the path of righteousness. She is a powerful obstruction in the performing of tapas and is the abode of all the sins. This is the strong bondage for the people who are already indulging in the karmas; she happens to entangle the humans like fish in a net and the humans serve her like the fire flies in burning lamp. 

She has milk in the mouth but inside pitchers of poison are kept in full. She is initially quite sweet but, in the end, she pushes people into hell serving herself as a step for the same. This is the reason why the ascetics like Sanaka and others did not marry. The one who is attracted to the wives of others, his action becomes infructuous. 

О Indra, to enjoy the company of others' wives attracts bad names and hell after death. Thus speaking, the immensely chaste wife of Gautama, leaving Indra quickly went to her abode. 

Reaching there she narrated the entire story to the sage Gautama laughingly denounced Indra very much. Soon thereafter Gautama went to Shiva, in the meantime Indra impersonating himself as Gautama enjoyed the company of Ahalya. 

The all knowledgeable sage came to know about everything and immediately returned to his abode. Gatuama the best of the sages spotted Indra moving out of his hermitage and also found Ahalya having the developed pelvic region and the breasts, lying unrobed there. The sage then pronounced a curse on Indra, "You will have yonis all through your body". In anger he pronounced a curse also on the terrified and crying. Ahalya, "In the thick forest you will be turned into a stone". After getting immensely ashamed Indra went to his abode but the terrified Ahalya with her mind filled with grief spoke sweet words to Gautama.

Ahalya said- О religious one, why are you disowning a sinless person like me. You are well-versed in the Vedas and think it over from the religious angle. Gautama said- I am well aware of the fact that you have a spotless heart, being absolutely chaste and well-disciplined but you have borne the semen of others, that is why I have to disown you. 

The woman who is enjoyed by others is considered to be unchaste, therefore such of the persons as enjoy the company of his wife again, being utterly foolish, has to fall in to hell for a long time. The food touched by a woman who is enjoyed by others, turns into refuse and the water becomes like urine. This is certain therefore one should not touch her and by doing so the entire merit earned in the earlier life is destroyed. 

If a woman enjoys the company of another person unwillingly, she is not desecrated. The one who indulges in the passionate advances other men earns blemish. You have enjoyed the company of Indra taking him to be your husband and you could realise the truth after my appearing before you. 

Therefore, you go to the deep forest and remain there in the form of a rock. Thereafter with the touch of the feet of Rama you will again become sanctified and because of that merit you would again come here and achieve me.  Therefore, О damsel, "you go to the forest".  Thus, speaking Gautama went to the forest for performing tapas.

О sage, I have thus narrated to you the story about the shattering of the pride of Indra in detail but Indra could get back the lost glory and the riches by the grace of the lord.