One-line: generous sage who feeds people through famine and curses them after they betray him.
First appears: Book 12, in Book 12 retelling.
Who they are: Gautama is central to Book 12’s explanation of why people drifted away from Gayatri. During a long famine, he feeds desperate Brahmins through Gayatri’s grace. When those guests become jealous and frame him, Gautama’s curse becomes the text’s story for sectarian confusion.
What they do that matters:
- Receives Gayatri’s wish-giving support during famine.
- Feeds guests for years.
- Curses the jealous Brahmins who falsely accuse him.
Other names: None in this storybook layer.
Family / lineage (when relevant): Not central for first-time reading.