There lived a poor brahmin named Vedsar in Laxmitilak town with his wife Kamalaxmi and son Vedavichakshana. The neighbouring king attacked Laxmitilak town. At that time, Kamalaxmi was out of the town to fetch water.
Due to attack, the main doors of the town were closed and Kamalaxmi was forced to remain outside.
A soldier took her to his king who was fascinated by her beauty and made her his queen. Later on when Vedavichakshana grew up, the brahmin Vedsar handed over the responsibilities to him and went in search of his wife.
Kamalaxmi held feelings for her first husband and therefore began charity everyday, with the hope of meeting him. Once Vedsar came to take donation. Kamalaxmi recognized him and introducing herself, made a plot to escape and said, “On 7th day from today, I will come in the temple of deity Chandi at night. You too come there and we’ll escape to our native place.”
In the palace, she pretended to have a stomach ache. Many doctors tried to cure her but in vain. Kamalaxmi told king that, “During your sickness, I had taken a oath that if you were cured, we would worship devi Chandi on the 14th of the dark half of lunar month. At that time, you recovered from illness but I forgot to worship her. Hence, we should worship her at the earliest.” She pretended of getting cured, after the king agreed to come with her. They went to the temple riding on horse back.
No sooner did the king keep his sword outside the temple and bowed his head while entering the temple, then Kamalaxmi took the sword and with a single blow, cut off his head. Inside the temple, she found that her husband Vedsar had died due to snake bite. She thought that if she returned to the palace, she will be charged with the king’s murder. Hence, she went to forest on horse back and reached near a gardener’s house in another town. She entered a temple, where musical instruments were played. Seeing her ornated, one of the women asked her to introduce herself and where did she belonged to. She falsely replied that, “During our journey through the forest, some thieves killed my husband and I managed to escape from there. Now, I don’t have anyone and I am helpless.” She fascinated Kamalaxmi by sympathetic talks and took to her house. She was a prostitute and joined her in prostitution after teaching music and singing.
On the other side, Vedvichakshana thought that his father had been in search of his mother and he didn’t return. What could he do now? He too left in search of his parents. Moving places, he happened to be near those prostitutes and stayed there. After some days, he prepared to leave from there as he had no money.
On being asked by Kamalaxmi, he disclosed his identity. Hearing him, she felt pain and regret. Vedvichakshana left away but Kamalaxmi thought, “Oh! I have committed a great sin with my son. Burning myself alive in fire could be the only repentance for this.”
The chief prostitute tried to console her, but Kamalaxmi didn’t listen to her words and jumped into a blazing fire. At that time, it rained and there was flood within no time. She was being dragged away in the flood, when a cowman rescued her. He nursed her back to health and accepted her as his wife.
Once, Kamalaxmi went to sell curd, filled in an earthen pot. Another lady accompanied her with a pot of water. On the way, an elephant chased them. Hence, both of them walked fast and their pots broke. The other women was troubled and unhappy, while Kamlaxmi laughed aloud, although she lost the pot of curd.
On the way, a purohit asked her the reason for laughing. She said that, “Why should I grieve at such trivial matters, as I have faced greater miseries in life. One doesn’t bother about small debts when he is under a greater liability.” Kamalaxmi narrated her life story to the purohit, who was none but her own son Vedvichakshana. By hearing this, he also felt regret and pain for the sin committed in ignorance. Both of them confessed at the feet of Lord Mahavira, a divine personality of mercy and sympathy, and attaining omniscience achieved salvation. Without any hesitation in heart, they innocently confessed and attained salvation. Hence, we should confess without any shy and hesitation.
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