Priest Kamdev is a resident of Kashipur village. Being the father of two daughters, he is always saddened by the lack of a son.
Once, the priest of the nearby village of Kodanpur, Bamadev, came to his village on the occasion of a wedding. He was staying at Kamdev’s house. Kamdev expressed his sorrow to him at that time.
Bamadev gave him a piece of advice and said, “The village goddess of our village is Maa Ambika. During festivals, whoever visits her temple by walking on her feet, holding a bowl on his forehead, on top of the fire, the goddess grants him the child of his choice. For this, permission must first be obtained from the temple’s worshippers. Of course, if a person is a true devotee of the goddess, there is no problem in getting permission. This festival is celebrated on the tenth day after Gokulashtami. I also had two daughters. Now, by the grace of Maa Ambika, by walking on the fire, I have a son.”
After listening to her, Kamadeva decided that he too would go to Kodanpur and seek the blessings of his mother. If the mother took pity on him by giving him a son, he would be spared from the torments of hell.
A few weeks later, Gokalushtami fell. On this day, he worshipped Lord Krishna and set out for the village of Kodanpur. By sunset, he had reached Chitrapur, a village on the border of Kodanpur. At that time, the sky was cloudy. So Kamadeva decided that he would spend the night in this village and set out for Kodanpur the next day. Since he introduced himself as a priest, a man dropped him off at the house of the priest of that village.
The priest of Chitrapur village welcomed him with great respect. When Kamdev said that he was going to walk on the fire pit during the festival of the Kodanpur village goddess, he was astonished and said, “Sir, despite being a scholar of the Vedas, you are still immersed in such ignorance. You have two daughters. By the grace of your mother, if you get a son, your wish will be fulfilled. But if a daughter is born instead of a son, then you will face a lot of trouble in arranging the marriages of your three daughters.”
Kamdev went to express his attitude and said, “Everything is in the hands of God. The one who sent us to this world will take care of it. To find peace with our ancestors after death, I need a son to give birth to.” The priest of Chitrapur village smiled a little and said nothing more. The time for dinner came and went. The priest’s daughter Rama served dinner to the two of them. Kamdev asked the priest, “How many children are you the father of?”
