Beauty pays a price – the story of Ahalya

Everyone loves to admire beauty. Even a small thing of beauty is of great joy to the heart. However, beauty has a price to pay. A flower which is the most beautiful one withers in a day, the rainbow which gives joy to the heart is only for few mins, and the things of beauty are short lived. However, when beauty is for a purpose, then although the price it pays is high, the result is always a beautiful story to mankind to remember. A beautiful story depicting the same is that of Ahalya, the most beautiful creation of Brahma ji.

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Once Rishi Narad came visiting Brahma Ji and asked him to create the most beautiful and ideal woman on Earth. Brahma Ji created Ahalya as his daughter without any flaws in her. Brahma Ji feels proud of his creation but Goddess Saraswathi who was watching them mentions that everything beautiful has a price to pay and even the Gods were not exempted from this.

Captivated by Ahalya’s beauty, Devraj Indr starts pressurising Brahma to give Ahalya in marriage. Rishi Narad understands this problem and takes up the challenge of finding the perfect match for Ahalya. He knew that Rishi Gautam is the perfect match for the virtues of Ahalya who was living in a secluded forest away from the devas as he did not want anybody to disturb his penance. Listening to the description of the beauty and virtues of Ahalya through Rishi Narad, Rishi Gautam agrees to marry Ahalya by subduing the devas through his intellect.

Meanwhile, Devraj Indr demands Brahma for marriage with Ahalya. Being in a dilemma, Brahma puts up a competition to all saying that whoever would circle the Earth three times first, he would win Ahalya’ hand in marriage. Rishi Gautam thinks for some time and then goes to the divine cow Kapila, and circles her three times as circling the cow is as equal to circling he Earth, and wins the competition.

Brahma is mighty pleased with Rishi Gautam’s answer and declares him the suitor for Ahalya. Devraj Indr feels insulted and waits for a chance to seek revenge. Once, he goes to their ashram in the form of a cock, and makes Rishi Gautam leave for the river. Then he goes in the form of Rishi Gautam to Ahalya. Rishi Gautam comes to know about this and curses Ahalya to become a stone for the deceit of Devraj Indr. Ahalya pays the biggest price for her beauty and turns into a stone for no fault of hers. But it is because of her virtues, that she gets liberated form Shri Ram and her wait for the ALmighy to redeem her becomes a purposeful one.

Shri Ram understanding the virtues of Ahalya and accepting her for her chastity liberates her with the touch of his lotus feet. Ahalya becomes even more pure and radiant with his touch. Ahalya had beauty as her asset, but it was her virtue and belief in her goodness that made her being remembered forever as Shri Ram proves that being beautiful from inside is what matters.