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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.