Valmiki Ramayana 1.48.19: Bala Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 19

अहल्याशापवर्णनम्

The Account of Ahalyā’s Curse and the Deserted Hermitage near Mithilā

Spoken by Viśvāmitra to RamaSetting: Gautama’s hermitage (Ahalyā episode locale)

Devanagari script

मुनिवेषं सहस्राक्षं विज्ञाय रघुनन्दन ॥१९॥

मतिं चकार दुर्मेधा देवराजकुतूहलात् ॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.48.19

Transliteration

muniveṣaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ vijñāya raghunandana ||19||

matiṃ cakāra durmedhā devarājakutūhalāt ||

Translation

अहल्या ने देखा कि यह रिशि नहीं है, इंद्र है। रिशि के कपड़े पहने थे, लेकिन असली में इंद्र था। देवताओं के राजा के लिए उसका मन मोह गया। इसलिए उसने हाँ कर दिया। यह गलती थी उसकी।

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Word by Word

• मुनिवेषम्: sage’s guise
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनिवेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः मुनि + वेष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'of a sage')
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सहस्राक्षम्: Indra (thousand-eyed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• विज्ञाय: having recognized
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावे (gerund/absolutive): 'having known/recognized'
• Role: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)

• रघुनन्दन: O descendant/joy of Raghu (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघुनन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः रघु + नन्दन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• मतिम्: intention/decision
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• चकार: made/formed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• दुर्मेधा: the evil-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (दुष्टा मेधा यस्य)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• देवराजकुतूहलात्: from curiosity about the king of gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवराजकुतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः देवराज + कुतूहल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• Role: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• देवराजकुतूहलात् = देवराज-कुतूहलात्
• दुर्मेधा (बहुव्रीहि-प्रातिपदिक)

Context

O Delight of the Raghus! the evil-intentioned Ahalya, inclined towards the king of thecelestials and knowing him to be the thousand-eyed Indra in the guise of the ascetic, consented for the union.

The teaching

Knowing the right yet choosing the wrong is the sharpest form of delusion; fascination with power (aiśvarya) can defeat discernment.

Duties in tension

• Ahalyā’s pativratā-dharma vs. fascination with devarāja and desire
• Respect for āśrama sanctity vs. personal impulse

Ethical theme

Moha-janita adharma (delusion-born wrongdoing)

How it resolves

Punitive consequence followed by eventual grace

For your practice

Invites self-audit: where fascination overrides values; encourages confession, restraint, and seeking sattva through japa and niyama.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bibhatsa (disgust)

Mood

Fateful, regret-tinged, morally fraught

Themes

• Dharma
• Adharma
• Satya (violated)
• Moral causality
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rāma
• Ahalyā
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

FAQs

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

Dharma teaching here is accountability of choice: even when temptation is powerful, knowingly consenting to wrongdoing is portrayed as a failure of discernment and truth-alignment (satya).

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra states that Ahalyā recognized Indra despite the disguise and still consented, motivated by fascination with his status.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is viveka (moral discernment). The verse marks its absence (durmedhā) as the critical inner lapse leading to later consequences.