Who’s the Father of Sin?

How One Story Revealed the True Source of Every Sin...

Yesterday evening, my wife suddenly asked me a very strange question:

“Paap ka baap kaun? Who is the father of sin?”

For a moment I froze.

Why such a question… and why now?

I looked at her in confusion and asked,

“Where did this come from?”

She simply smiled and said,

“Bas… aise hi. Like that only ”

Within a second, the answer slipped out of my mouth:

“Greed. Greed is the father of sin.”

She smiled again.

“Correct. But how did you know?”

I said, “If my answer is correct, now it’s your turn—where did this come from?”

She said she had heard a story from a wise person that left her thinking deeply.

And that story reminded me of one my own grandmother had once told me…

A story that quietly settled inside me like a seed waiting to sprout.

Let me take you to that story.

Connected Story: The Wise Man, the Dancer, and the Price of Greed

I was a child, visiting my grandparents in our village.

My grandfather would leave before sunrise for his farm, and my grandmother would walk later with kaleva—his morning meal.

One such morning, she held my hand as we walked through the long, lonely village pathways.

And like all grandmothers do… she gifted me wisdom wrapped in a story.

A wise man once entered a town. Tired and hungry, he sat near a well.

A kind-hearted woman saw him and asked softly,

“Baba, do you need food?”

He nodded gratefully.

“Come to my home,” she said. “I will cook fresh food for you.”

The wise man agreed—but the moment he reached her house, he hesitated.

She was a Nartaki—a dancer.

In those days, performers were respected on stage but judged in society.

Fear gripped him.

“What will people think if they see me here?

My reputation… my respect… everything will be ruined.”

The lady gently understood his worry.

She said,

“You may stay in the inside room. No one will see you. Please eat before you leave.”

He remained silent—torn between hunger and hesitation.

To comfort him, she offered,

“If you eat here, I will give you five gold coins.”

The man, still reluctant, finally agreed.

He went inside.

A few minutes later, she said,

“If you come out and eat in the open, I will give you ten gold coins.”

Now greed whispered in his ear.

He stepped out.

Then she added,

“If you allow me to feed you with my own hands, I will give you fifteen gold coins.”

This time, he agreed happily.

He convinced himself that maybe this was respect, not a loss of dignity.

But the moment she brought the food close,

she did not feed him—she slapped him.

A loud, painful, awakening slap.

She said…

“You, who call yourself wise… a man of truth and honour…

You hesitated to even step into my house because of your ‘reputation.’

But the same you agreed to let me feed you for a few extra coins.

So tell me—

Who destroyed your principles?

Me?

Or your Greed?”

The wise man stood speechless.

He had no answer.

Reflections

• Most wrong actions do not happen suddenly.

         They begin silently.

         Softly.

         Conveniently.

• A small desire…

         a small temptation

         a small compromise…

         and slowly, greed becomes the father of sin.

• Greed makes a wise man foolish, a good person dishonest, and a respected person collapse from within.

• Our values crumble not because of others but because of what we allow in ourselves.

Takeaways

• Greed is subtle. It enters like a whisper and becomes a storm.

• Values are tested not in comfort but in temptation.

• Every sin has a starting point—and that point is often greed.

• Greed makes you forget who you are; wisdom reminds you who you were meant to be.

• Protection of character is greater than protection of reputation.

From the Desk of the Author

This story stayed with me for years.

And when my wife asked that simple yet powerful question -

“Who is the father of sin?”-

I realised how deeply these childhood lessons shape us.

Sometimes the universe sends questions…

not for answers,

but for awakening.

In mathematics, even a tiny error at the beginning can change the entire answer.

In life, greed is that tiny error that destroys the whole equation of character.

A Final Question for You

Think honestly-

When was the last time greed made you compromise a value, a principle, or even a moment of truth?

And what would you do differently today?

With reflections, real stories, and respect,

Rakesh Kushwaha

Founder – Mathivation HUB

Stories that teach. Thoughts that stay. Hearts that grow.