 Patriarchal society always condemns Ahalya as a fallen woman.In Bhavabhuti's 8th-century play "Mahaviracharita", which alludes to Ahalya's redemption in a verbal spat with Parashurama, Satananda is mocked as the son of Ahalya, the adulteress.Jaya Srinivasan, in her discourses on tales from the Hindu epics, says that though Ahalya's action was "unpardonable", she was redeemed by the divine touch of dust from Rama's feet.