“...On seeing Janaka’s sacred city, all the sages had words
of commendation and praise for Mithila and worshipped it. Raghava saw that
there was a hermitage in a grove near Mithila. ‘This looks like a beautiful
hermitage. Why has it been abandoned by the sages? O illustrious one! I wish to
hear about it. Whose hermitage was it earlier?’ Hearing the words spoken by
Raghava, the immensely energetic and great sage, Vishvamitra, eloquent in the
use of words, replied. ‘O Raghava! I will tell you with pleasure. Hear the
truth about whose hermitage this was and which great-souled one cursed it in
rage. O best among men! Earlier, it belonged to the great-souled Goutama. This
hermitage was divine and it was worshipped even by the gods. Earlier, he
practised austerities here, together with Ahalya. O prince! The immensely
illustrious one spent innumerable years here. Discerning that there was an
opportunity, the thousand-eyed one, Shachi’s husband, assumed the garb of
a sage. He came to Ahalya and addressed her in these words. “O one who is well
proportioned! Those who seek pleasure do not wait for the time of conception
to arrive. O slender-waisted one! I desire to have intercourse with you.” O
descendant of the Raghu lineage! She knew that it was the one with the one
thousand eyes in the garb of a sage. However, because of her curiosity, the
evil-minded one acceded to what the king of the gods wanted. Satisfied in her
heart of hearts, she told the best of the gods, “O best among the gods! I have
been satiated. O lord! However, leave this spot quickly. O lord of the gods! O
one who shows honours! Always protect me and your own self.” Indra laughed at
these words and told Ahalya, “O one with the excellent hips! I am also
satiated. I will go back to where I have come from.” After the act of
intercourse, he emerged from the cottage. O Rama! He was terrified and scared
that Goutama might return. He saw that the great sage, Goutama, was entering.
He was full of the strength of austerities and the gods and danavas found him
impossible to withstand. He blazed like the fire and was wet with water from
various tirthas. The bull among sages arrived there, after collecting kindling
and kusha grass. On seeing him, the lord of the gods was terrified. His face
bore the marks of distress. Seeing the one with the one thousand eyes, attired
in the garb of a sage, the sage, full of good conduct, became angry. He spoke
these words to the one with evil conduct. “O evil-minded one! You have assumed
my form and have done this. Since you have done what should not have been
done, you will become infertile.” The great-souled sage, Goutama, said this in
rage and instantly, the testicles of the thousand-eyed one fell down on the
ground. Having cursed Shakra, he also cursed his wife. “You will reside here
for many thousands of years. Subsisting on air and without food, you will
torment yourself through austerities. You will sleep on ashes. You will live in
this hermitage, unseen by all creatures. When the invincible Rama, Dasharatha’s
son, arrives in this terrible forest, you will be purified. O one who is evil
in conduct! When he becomes your guest, you will lose your avarice and
confusion. You will then regain your own form and find delight with me.” The
extremely energetic Goutama spoke in this way to the one who was evil in
conduct. He abandoned this hermitage, once frequented by siddhas and charanas.
The great ascetic performed austerities on a beautiful summit in the
Himalayas.’...”
(Chapter 1, 47, ‘Bala Kanda’ , ‘The Valmiki Ramayana Voulme
1’ , Translated by Bibek Debroy)
"... I also
wonder if my readings of Ovid over the last few years have increased my
awareness of the natural world. In his Metamorphoses, human figures get
changed to stones, trees, springs, bears, bats, horses, echoes, swallows,
stars. Sometimes, the transformations come in the form of protection—be a
bay-leafed laurel tree instead of raped by Apollo. And sometimes in the form of
punishment—be a spider and forevermore weave webs for your hubris. A moment
from the sad story of Dryope stays with me...."
Diana and Actaeon from a set of Ovid's Metamorphoses
Actaeon
accidentally stumbles upon Diana, goddess of the hunt, during her bath in the
woods. As her attendants quickly cover her up, Diana angrily points her
powerful finger at Actaeon, turning him into a stag—a male deer—with antlers
sprouting from his head!
Also see another great picture on the subject.
Also see another great picture on the subject.
The Death of Actaeon, c.1559-75
Artist: Titian 1490-1576
Jonathan Jones of The Guardian wrote:
"Actaeon accidentally saw the goddess Diana naked when he was out hunting, in a classical myth that Titian took from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. She punished him by turning him into a stag and he was torn to pieces by his own hounds. Titian paints this moment of transformation and horror as a sensual melancholy feast of autumnal colour. Actaeon is still part-human as the dogs take him. The landscape is equally ambiguous – a dappled yellow and brown woodland given a texture like matted leaves by rich, freely expressive brushwork. Diana is much more clearly formed as if only she was entirely real. The world of mortals is ever-shifting, our knowledge of ourselves and nature unreliable, says Titian in this late, evocatively unfinished masterpiece."
Jonathan Jones of The Guardian wrote:
"Actaeon accidentally saw the goddess Diana naked when he was out hunting, in a classical myth that Titian took from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. She punished him by turning him into a stag and he was torn to pieces by his own hounds. Titian paints this moment of transformation and horror as a sensual melancholy feast of autumnal colour. Actaeon is still part-human as the dogs take him. The landscape is equally ambiguous – a dappled yellow and brown woodland given a texture like matted leaves by rich, freely expressive brushwork. Diana is much more clearly formed as if only she was entirely real. The world of mortals is ever-shifting, our knowledge of ourselves and nature unreliable, says Titian in this late, evocatively unfinished masterpiece."