Page 181 - Courage Redifined

The shepherdess’s story :

She stared right from the beginning,

“I was a Brahmin’s wife. I left my 2-year old son and went
to fill water but the angry king kidnapped me… I became
a prostitute and my son came to me as a customer. Not
recognizing him till the end, I had physical relations with
him. While he was going, I asked him his life story and when
he narrated his story, I recognized him. I was shocked that,
“He was my own son!” But I was so ashamed and to avoid
giving him a shock, I did not reveal my true identity.” Now the
scholar was sure that this was his own mother. She was driven
to such a miserable state wherein she ended up becoming a
prostitute and he had also got attracted towards her.

He repented greatly for this actions. He considered his precious
human birth futile wherein he committed such a grave sin
suitable for an animal! Scriptures considered having relations
with other women or prostitutes to be extremely condemnable.
He had gone a step lower and ended up having relations with
his own mother ? How could he face himself !
Kamlata’s story had still not ended and hence, the scholar
suppressed his sorrow in his heart. She continued her sad
tale by narrating the incident wherein she decided to burn
herself alive, the unexpected rain, the fire getting extinguished,
getting dragged away in strong water currents, getting saved
by the shepherd and then finally becoming his wife. She
then addressed him by saying, “Tell me Gentleman, amidst
all these grave sins and sorrow, how much will be sorrow
of a pot of curd getting broken ? The sorrow of losing the
clay pot or curd is nothing, but being burdened by such
dreadful sins, where will I go in the next birth ? “Saying this
she could not control her tears and started sobbing heavily.
She continued saying, “Now it seems that I have crossed
Secret Revealed 171