Valmiki Ramayana 1.49.3: Bala Kanda, Sarga 49, Shloka 3

अहल्याशापमोक्षः · The Release of Ahalya and Indra’s Restoration

Spoken by IndraSetting: Svarga / deva-assembly context (implied)Places named: Svarga (implied)

Devanagari script

अफलोऽस्मि कृतस्तेन क्रोधात्सा च निराकृता ।

शापमोक्षेण महता तपोऽस्यापहृतं मया ॥३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.49.3

Transliteration

aphalo 'smi kṛtas tena krodhāt sā ca nirākṛtā |

śāpamokṣeṇa mahatā tapo 'syāpahṛtaṃ mayā ||3||

Translation

„Durch seinen Zorn bin ich meiner Manneskraft beraubt worden, und auch sie wurde verstoßen. Durch diesen mächtigen Fluch und die Bedingung seiner Lösung habe ich seine Kraft der Askese gemindert.“

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Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थ (therefore/from that reason)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• सुरवराः: best of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—वराः सुराः (कर्मधारय)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सुरवराः)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• सर्षिसङ्घाः: hosts along with ṛṣis
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + ऋषि + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—ऋषिभिः सह सङ्घाः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सचारणाः: along with Cāraṇas
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + चारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—चारणैः सह (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सुरसाह्यकरम्: beneficial to the gods
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + साह्य + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सुराणां साह्यं करोति इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद) विशेषणम् (qualifying कर्म)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सर्वे: all (of you)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-सम्बोधनार्थ/समूह-निर्देश
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• सफलम्: (make me) with restored fruit/testicles
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्मविशेषण (object-complement)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कर्तुम्: to do, to make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose)
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• अर्हथ: you ought (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; विधिलेश (ought)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• तस्मात् + सुरवराः → तस्मात्सुरवराः
• कर्तुम् + अर्हथ → कर्तुमर्हथ

Context

'By his (Gautama's) wrath I have been deprived of my testicles. She (Ahalya) has been deserted by him. He has lost his ascetic energy through the pronouncement of this great curse'.

The teaching

Violating tapas harms both victim and violator; spiritual power is not a tool to be trifled with, and consequences ripple outward.

Duties in tension

• Desire/expediency vs restraint
• Deva-interest vs ṛṣi-dharma and household dharma

Ethical theme

Karma-phala, ahiṃsā toward spiritual life

How it resolves

Acknowledgment of karmic consequence; seeking restoration through proper authority

For your practice

Guard brahmacarya/tejas and respect sacred disciplines; accept consequences and seek rectification without denial.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Penitent, wounded, grave

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Karma and consequences
• Tapas
• Repentance/realization
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Gautama
• Ahalya

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma teaches that wrongdoing rebounds upon the doer: harm inflicted on the righteous (a tapasvin) produces painful consequences, and recognition of fault is the first step toward moral repair.

What is the narrative situation?

Indra describes the curse’s effect on himself and Ahalya, acknowledging that Gautama’s ascetic power was adversely affected due to Indra’s misconduct.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truth-facing accountability (accepting the results of one’s actions) is foregrounded, even though it arises from a fall; Gautama’s moral authority is also implicit.