Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 49: Lord Rāmacandra Delivers Ahalyā
Text 1.49.1
अफलस्तु ततः शक्रो देवान् अग्निपुरोधसः।
अब्रवीत्त्रस्तवदनः सर्षिसङ्घान्सचारणान्॥
aphalas tu tataḥ śakro devān agni-purodhasaḥ
abravīt trasta-vadanaḥ sarṣi-saṅghān sacāraṇān
aphalaḥ tu tataḥ śakraḥ = then, Indra who was now sexually impotent; devān agni-purodhasaḥ = to the demigods headed by Agni; abravīt = spoke; trasta-vadanaḥ = his face exhibiting fear; sa-rṣi-saṅghān = as well as the ṛṣis; sa-cāraṇān = and cāraṇas.
Then, Indra who was now sexually impotent, his face exhibiting fear, spoke to the demigods headed by Agni as well as the ṛṣis and cāraṇas.
Two persons had been cursed by the sage Gautama. Indra was cursed at first, [Ahalyā next]. Viśvāmitra requested Lord Rāma to deliver Ahalyā from her curse. This is described in this chapter.
That Indra was afraid indicates the degraded nature of the [sinful] activity he had committed.