Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 51: King Viśvāmitra Arrives at Vasiṣṭha’s Āśrama
Text 1.51.4
अपि ते मुनिशार्दूल मम माता यशस्विनी।
दर्शिता राजपूत्राय तपो दीर्घमुपागता॥
api te muni-śārdūla mama mātā yaśasvinī
darśitā rāja-pūtrāya tapo dīrgham upāgatā
api te = have you; muni-śārdūla = O tiger among sages; mama = my; mātā = mother; yaśasvinī = illustrious; darśitā = shown; rāja-pūtrāya = to the king’s son; tapaḥ = austerities; dīrgham = for a very long time; upāgatā = who has performed.
O tiger among sages, have you shown my illustrious mother, who has performed austerities for a very long time, to the king’s son?
1 That happened in an earlier day of Lord Brahmā.
Astonished upon hearing about Lord Rāma’s mercy upon his mother, Śatānanda once again asks about those events. For a very long time, Ahalyā had performed austerities—lying on ashes and so on. From this it is clear that the sage Vālmīki does not speak of her becoming a stone.1