Then, at that moment, the virtuous sage Gautama beheld Indra, who had taken on the guise of a sage. Though Gautama was himself righteous, anger flared within him at the wickedness before him, and he addressed the deceitful one with stern words. "Assuming my form, you have committed this wrongful act, O wicked-minded one; therefore, you shall become fruitless." As Gautama, filled with great wrath, pronounced this curse, the thousand-eyed Indra was instantly struck—his testicles fell to the ground. Having thus cursed Indra, Gautama turned his wrath upon his own wife, Ahalyā. "For many thousands of years you shall dwell here," he declared. "Sustained only by air, fasting, scorched by penance, lying on ashes, unseen by all beings, you shall remain in this hermitage." Yet, in his wisdom, Gautama also spoke of her eventual deliverance: "When Rāma, son of Daśaratha, comes to this dreadful forest, then you shall be purified. By receiving him as a guest, O wicked one, free from greed and delusion, you shall, with joy, regain your own form and come to me." Having spoken thus to the sinful Ahalyā, the great sage Gautama, possessed of immense austerity, departed from his hermitage—frequented by Siddhas and Charanas—and went to perform penance upon the beautiful peak of the Himalayas. Now begins the forty-ninth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. Indra, rendered fruitless and filled with fear, approached the assembly of gods, led by Agni, along with the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Charanas. He spoke with downcast eyes, "By causing an obstacle to the penance of the great-souled Gautama, and provoking his anger, I have performed this act for the sake of the gods. Yet, by his wrath, I have been made fruitless, and she has been rejected; by his great curse, I have deprived him of his penance. Therefore, O best of gods, all of you together with the sages and Charanas, should make this act, performed for your sake, fruitful for me." Hearing the words of Shatakratu (Indra), the gods, with Agni at their head, approached the Pitṛs, and, together with the Maruts, spoke thus: "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." The assembled Pitṛs, hearing Agni's words, took the testicles of the ram and implanted them in the thousand-eyed Indra. From that time, O descendant of Kakutstha, the Pitṛs eat fruitless rams, and the fruit of the sacrifice is assigned to them. And from that time onward, O Rāghava, Indra has the testicles of a ram, by the power of Gautama and the strength of his penance. Then, O one of great brilliance, the sage Viśvāmitra said, "Go now 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, with the sage leading them. There, Rāma beheld the highly blessed Ahalyā, her radiance intensified by austerity, so luminous that even the gods and demons together would find her difficult to behold. Created with effort by the Creator, seemingly divine, woven of illusion, her body was enveloped in a smoky haze, like a blazing tongue of fire. She shone like the brilliance of the full moon veiled by frost and clouds, and, as she stood amidst waters, she was as difficult to approach as the radiant sun. By Gautama's words, she had become invisible to all three worlds, until Rāma's arrival brought an end to her curse, and she became visible once more. Then, the two descendants of Raghu, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, joyfully took hold of her feet; remembering Gautama's words, Ahalyā accepted them with humility. Composed and serene, she offered water for washing their feet, hospitality, and gifts; and Rāma, of the Kakutstha line, accepted them according to the prescribed rites. At that moment, a great shower of flowers descended, accompanied by the sound of divine drums, and a grand celebration arose among the Gandharvas and Apsarases. The gods praised Ahalyā, exclaiming, "Excellent, excellent!"—her body now purified by the power of austerity and her obedience to Gautama's will. Gautama, radiant and resplendent, returned and, together with Ahalyā, was filled with happiness. Having properly honored Rāma, the great ascetic resumed his austerities. Rāma, too, having received the highest honor from the great sage Gautama according to proper rites, then departed for Mithilā. Now begins the fiftieth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Bāla Kāṇḍa. Proceeding northeast, Rāma, together with Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa), approached the sacrificial enclosure, led by Viśvāmitra. Rāma spoke to the foremost sage, with Lakṣmaṇa by his side: "Indeed, the sacrificial prosperity of Janaka, the great-souled one, is admirable. Here are thousands of highly fortunate Brāhmaṇas from various regions, devoted to Vedic study. Hermitages of sages are seen, crowded with hundreds of carts; O Brāhmaṇa, designate a place where we may stay." Hearing Rāma's words, Viśvāmitra, the great sage, arranged for their dwelling in a secluded place with water. When news reached King Janaka that Viśvāmitra had arrived, the faultless king, with Śatānanda, the chief priest, leading the way, came to greet him. The great-souled officiating priests quickly took the offering and, with reverence, went forth at once. Janaka, righteous above all, offered the honored gift to Viśvāmitra in accordance with dharma; and Viśvāmitra, having received that homage from the great-souled Janaka, accepted it with grace.