“Swami, was I blessed by the Lord’s feet like Ahalya?”, continued Thirukolur Pen Pillai as Swami Ramanuja gently coaxed her to go on. Who is Ahalya and why was she blessed by the feet of the Lord?
Ahalya was the beautiful creation of Lord Brahma. Her stunning form attracted both Indra and Gauttama Muni who both wanted her hand in marriage. There was a competition held between the two suitors to select the best match for Ahalya. The rule of this competition was that, the one who could traverse around the world and get back first would be the one to marry Ahalya. The ever fervent Indra immediately set off to make a trip around the world. Poor Gauttama felt disappointed as he was not equipped to achieve this task.
