Shloka 1.49.18
अहल्याशापमोक्षः — The Release of Ahalya and Indra’s Restoration
स्मरन्ती गौतमवच: प्रतिजग्राह सा च तौ।।1.49.17।।पाद्यमर्घ्यं तथाऽऽतिथ्यं चकार सुसमाहिता।प्रतिजग्राह काकुत्स्थो विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा।।1.49.18।।
aphalo 'smi kṛtas tena krodhāt sā ca nirākṛtā |
śāpamokṣeṇa mahatā tapo 'syāpahṛtaṃ mayā ||
“By his wrath I have been made bereft of my virility, and she too has been cast off. Through this mighty curse and its condition of release, his ascetic power has been diminished because of me.”
Recalling the words of Gautama, she received them with water to wash their feet and offerings made with due devotion Rama accepted her hospitality extended in accordance tradition.
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.
Indra describes the curse’s effect on himself and Ahalya, acknowledging that Gautama’s ascetic power was adversely affected due to Indra’s misconduct.
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.