 Gautama then returns to his ashram and accepts her.In one instance in the "Mahabharata", Indra is said to have been cursed by having his beard turned to gold as he seduces Ahalya, while a curse by Kaushika (sometimes interpreted as synonymous to Gautama) is cited as the reason for his castration.In the "Uttara Kanda", Indra is cursed to lose his throne and endure captivity and bear half the sin of every rape ever committed, while the innocent Ahalya is cursed to lose her status as the most beautiful woman, as it had prompted Indra's seduction.