22-Who is at Fault?
A
faulty man is he whose behavior encourages the crime
Vikram
was walking fast. Vaitaal said - "Vikram, Walk slowly. There is still
time, till then I tell you another story, just to
pass time.
In
ancient times, there lived a Braahman in Chedi Desh. He was very healthy
but he was very ugly. His complexion was dark and that is why he was not getting
married. He was growing older and older day by day but nobody was ready to
marry him, so he was very sad. He did not like to do his Karm. His name
was Dharmdatt. Although he was not able to perform his work properly,
still being a Braahman, he could get some work.
Once
he got a job of performing a marriage. He performed many ceremonies of the
marriage, but when the girl came carrying Varmaalaa in her hands, he just
continued to look at her. Dharmdatt got attracted to her. When the
marriage was over then he told the boy that the girl had Mangal Dosh, that
is why he should not take her to his house immediately. The boy's parents
agreed to this.
He
performed some special fake ceremonies to remove Mangal Dosh of the girl
and said to her parents that the girl will stay with him alone at Yagya Vedee for
the whole night. He will perform some other ceremonies which will last for
the whole night and in the morning she will be free from Mangal Dosh. So
Vikram, trusting the Braahman, that girl was handed over to that Braahman.
Braahman pretending that it was a ceremony, misbehaved with her. Thinking
that it was a part of the ceremony, the girl did not speak anything. Next
day that girl went to her in-law's house.
After
some time that girl gave birth to a son. He was the son of Dharmdatt -
bearing the same complexion and ugliness. Her husband got very surprised
to see this. His wife told him everything. At this her husband expelled
her. She went to the king with her complaint.
Vaitaal
said - "Now tell me, Vikram, What justice that king should have done?
why did that girl make noise? Why did she tell everything on asking by her
husband? Who should be punished? Her husband? Dharmdatt? or the parents of
the girl?"
When
Vikram didn't speak anything, Vaitaal said - "Speak Vikram, You know
that if you did not speak in spite of knowing, your head will split up and
will be scattered around." Vikram said - "Listen, First that
girl didn't speak, nor she opposed, nor she cried, but she told everything to her
husband after the birth of the child; that is why the girl is not at fault
at all. She must have been very innocent girl. The sinful Braahman did
whatever with her, she considered it a part of the ceremonies." Vaitaal
asked - "Then who was the culprit?" "Dharmdatt Braahman is
also not at fault for this."
Vaitaal
asked - "What about the parents of the girl?" "Yes, Parents of the girl,
because first believing that the girl had Mangal Dosh, then to hand over
her to that Braahman for the whole night, all are the wrongs of the girl's
parents. They must be punished."
Vaitaal
again laughed loudly and escaped Vikram's strong hold. He ran and hung on
the same tree. Vikram ran after him, lifted from the tree, put him on his
shoulder and again started walking. After a while Vaitaal said - "You
were right Vikram, but the king punished that Braahman and he was hanged.
The girl was considered innocent. The king asked her husband to accept
her, but he refused to accept her, so he employed her as his queen's maid.
But tell me, O Vikram, why that Braahman did so with her?"
"Because he wanted to marry and no girl was marrying him."
Vikram was
walking fast, he was really in hurry.
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