Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 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 |
‘नरश्रेष्ठ! यह दिव्य-धाम के समान तेजस्वी और देवताओं द्वारा भी अत्यन्त पूजित आश्रम, पूर्वकाल में महात्मा गौतम का था।’
O Best among men! this hermitage resembling a celestial retreat and well-honoured even by devatas once belonged to illustrious Gautama.
FAQs
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.