Shloka 1.48.15
अहल्याशापवर्णनम् (The Account of Ahalyā’s Curse and the Deserted Hermitage near Mithilā)
गौतमस्य नरश्रेष्ठ पूर्वमासीन्महात्मन:।।।।आश्रमो दिव्यसङ्काशस्सुरैरपि सुपूजित:।
gautamasya naraśreṣṭha pūrvam āsīn mahātmanaḥ || āśramo divyasaṅkāśaḥ surair api supūjitaḥ |
“Best of men, this hermitage—radiant like a celestial abode and honored even by the gods—once belonged to the great sage Gautama.”
O Best among men! this hermitage resembling a celestial retreat and well-honoured even by devatas once belonged to illustrious Gautama.
Honor is shown to tapas and sanctity: a hermitage becomes ‘divine’ through righteous practice, and even devas respect such dharmic power.
Viśvāmitra identifies the deserted place as Gautama’s former āśrama, setting up the Ahalyā-Gautama-Indra account.
Gautama’s spiritual stature (mahātman) and the reverence it commands, implying the value of disciplined ascetic dharma.