Long ago, there lived a Brahmin in a village. He was a simple and honest man. But his wife was of a bad character. She had developed an illicit relation with a charming youth of the village.

When the Brahmin was away, the youth would visit his wife and make love to her. The Brahmin’s wife would cook delicious dishes for her lover. Then they would talk and enjoy the food together.

Once, while she was cooking a variety of dishes, the Brahmin got suspicious and asked her, “Why are you preparing all these dishes?”

The Brahmin’s wife said cleverly, “I’m going to offer these dishes to the temple of a goddess. It’s situated on the outskirts of the village.”

But the Brahmin was not satisfied with his wife’s answer. When her wife left for the temple of goddess carrying with her all those dishes she had cooked, he too reached the temple taking some other route. He reached the temple before his wife and hid himself behind the statue of the goddess.

After sometime, his wife came to the temple and began to pray to the goddess. “O, mother goddess, please help me in getting rid of my wretched husband. He is an obstacle in my love. I wish to make him blind. Kindly bless me.”

The Brahmin who was hiding behind the statue of goddess, changed his voice to mimic a lady and said, “O! dear lady. I’m very pleased with your worship. You’ve brought so many tasty dishes to offer to me. Now listen to me carefully. Make such delicious dishes daily and serve them to your husband. One day, he will surely go blind.”

She was happy because once her husband, the Brahmin, went blind, there would be no obstacles. She would meet her boyfriend in the presence of the Brahmin and he won’t know anything about it. Her boyfriend won’t have to wait for the Brahmin to go out of the house before coming to make love to her. The Brahmin’s wife was extremely glad to hear the goddess speak thus to her. From that day onwards she prepared delicious dishes daily for her husband to eat.

After months of eating delicious food, the Brahmin, one day, started to stumble on everything that he came across. He pretended to have gone blind and said to his wife, “Look dear, what’s happend to me? I can’t see anything. Perhaps I’ve lost my eyesight.”

Listening to this, his wife began to dance in delight. She informed her lover too of this incident. He quickly reached at her beloved’s house to make love to her. As soon as the youth took the Brahmin’s wife in his arms, the Brahmin came there and opened his eyes. Then he beat the youth with a stick till he died. He chopped off the nose and ears of his wife and kicked her out of the house.

❖ God doesn’t help in sinful acts.