Sages & Others
Ahalya
अहल्या
Wife of Gautama
Who was Ahalya?
Ahalya (अहल्या): Wife of Gautama, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The famed and spotless wife of the sage Gautama, whom Indra outraged by deceit while her husband lived, an offence the epic cites again and again as the pattern of the king of gods' lawlessness.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | अहल्या |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Wife of Gautama |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Chaste, Wronged, Composed, Generous |
| Notable relationships | Wife: Gautama, Wronged by: Indra, Preceptor's wife of: Utanka |
| Featured in | 2 stories |
About Ahalya
The famed and spotless wife of the sage Gautama, whom Indra outraged by deceit while her husband lived, an offence the epic cites again and again as the pattern of the king of gods' lawlessness. Gautama himself concluded that neither she nor Indra was truly at fault, and blamed only the lapse of his own yoga.
In Their Words
I asked for the earrings without knowing the road ran past a man-eater.
Ahalya
Traits
- Chaste
- Wronged
- Composed
- Generous
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Ahalya
One further tale on this site names Ahalya.
Character Arc
- The GuestIndra comes to the hermitage in a borrowed shape
- The VerdictGautama lays the blame on his own lost vigilance
- The RequestShe sends Utanka after the earrings of Saudasa's queen
Key Relationships
Places in Ahalya's Story
Drawn from the stories Ahalya appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.