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Tales from Indian Mythology
quickened his pace and followed short-cuts along dark, narrow, untrodden jungle paths.
At last, he reached the ashram and at once rushed in. Bul alas, he was shocked to find Ahalya in Indra's arms! In the presence of Gautama, the King of the Gods could not hide his identity. So he stood before the great sage in his original forni and implored Gautama's forgiveness with folded hands. Ahalya was stupefied at what she saw-Indra beside her looking abjectly apologetic; her husband in front of her trembling with rage, and the whole universe covering itself with darkness as though averse to seeing her face. She fell at Gautama's feet and invoked his mercy. But, no, the offence committed by her against him was much too heinous, and there could be no pardon for her. She must prepare herself for whatever punishment he would inflict on her. He kicked her aside and, ignoring her for the moment, thundered at Indra thus: "Do you understand what you have done? No, you are too conceited and, morally, too depraved to judge your own actions."
Finding Indra in no mood to reply, Gautama continued: "You have nothing to say; you have never said anything worth saying, nor done anything worth doing. You are worse than a drone. Oh, I do not know when you will grow up. May your body, your only asset, be split into a thousand revoltingly uncouth, unseemly segments!" At once, Indra found himself disfigured and he now looked like an ugly, dripping net. He fell down unconscious.
Turning to Ahalya, Gautama began: "What did I tell you this morning? Indeed the time has come for our parting. I
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