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The prostitute was very wise. She said, "Panditji, today I am lucky to entertain a learned guest like you at my house. Please go ahead only after taking mid-day meals at my house today. I shall prepare food for you with my own hands. Till then please take bath and say your morning prayers and perform worship." Hearing this Panditji was in a fix. After a short pause Panditji asked the prostitute, "Who are you and what is your profession?"
Prostitute - I am a human being. I earn my bread and butter through prostitution. Panditji - Curse it. O God! What a great sinner I am! I have slept in the house of an unholy prostitute. I will have to repent for this sin. Prostitute - O dignified Brahman! I am also a human being like you. You consider me mean and hateful only for being a prostitute. Once I was also a young damsel of a dignified family, but the oppressions of your human society have forced me to resort to this sinful life. Today you are my guest, I shall not let you go without taking meals. Panditji - O wretched lady! What do you say? I am a holy Brahman - a Pandit. How can I take meals at your house? Prostitute - No, No, Panditji! Meals you must take at my house. See there is a well in the compound of my house. Draw the water and prepare food yourself and then take meals. You are a Brahman, so after meals I shall give you a present of five hundred rupees as well.
As soon as Panditji came to know about a present of five hundred rupees, he was overpowered with greed. He at once got ready to prepare the food himself. When the prostitute saw that the food was ready, she came down and prayed to Panditji with folded hands - "O supreme Panditji! I have committed great sins in my life. I pray to you to purify me as well."
Panditji - How is that possible? Prostitute - If you accept two morsels of food from my hands, I shall be purified. Panditji - Curse it. Why do you say this? How can I, a Brahman, eat two morsels from the hands of a prostitute? Prostitute - Panditji, Please be merciful and do so. I shall offer you five hundred rupees more. At least accept one morsel from my hands and make me chaste.
Panditji agreed to take food from the hands of the prostitute out of greed for money. As soon as she brought her hand forward with a morsel to feed it to Panditji, the prostitute at once dropped the morsel on the ground and slapped the Brahman severely in the face saying, "O fool! You are going to Kashi to solve a quite simple problem. I have answered your question. The greed with which you easily got ready to give up your religious faith and vows has overpowered you and is the root cause of all sins."
Someone has rightly observed:
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