In a parvatam (hill) known as Brahmagiri there used to live a hunter who was very kruri (cruel). He not only killed pakshis (birds) and praanis (animals), but also brahmanas and rushis as well.The hunter once went on a hunt. He killed many praanis / animals and pakshis / birds and some he put in his panjaram (cage). He had penetrated so far inside the forest / aranyam that he was far from his gruham / home. It became raatri / night and also started to varsham / rain. Hungry and thirsty, the hunter lost his way. He climbed up a vruksham / tree and decided to spend the raatri / night there. But his mind kept going back to his ardhangini (wife) and shishus (children) at his gruham (home).For many years a Kapota / dove bird and its kutumbam / family had lived happily on that vruksham / tree. Both the purusha / male and the stree / female pakshis / birds had gone out to look for aahaaram / food. But although the purusha / male dove had returned to the nest, the stree / female dove had not. In fact, the stree / female had been captured by the hunter and was now inside a panjaram / cage. The male did not know this. He mourned for his wife.These words of mourning were heard by the stree / female dove inside the panjaram / cage and she made her presence felt. The purusha / male dove came down and discovered his wife inside the panjaram / cage. The hunter is in nidram (sleeping) now, he said. Now is the time for me to free you.No, replied the stree / female dove. You know how it is with jeevitam praani (living beings). One jeevitam praani (living being) lives on another. I can find no dosham / mistake with the hunter, he is merely collecting his aahaaram / food. He is like a atithi / guest to us. And it is our kartavyam / duty to offer up our bodies for the sake of an atithi / guest.You are quite right, said the male dove. I lost my sense of propriety. We have to serve our atithi / guest. But how do we serve our guest? We have nothing that we can call our own.At the moment the hunter is suffering most from the shitam (cold), replied the stree / female dove. We have to light a fire to warm him up. Go and find a fire and bring plenty of dead leaves and branches so that the fire may burn.The purusha / male dove found a flaming branch. He also brought many dry leaves and branches so that the fire could burn. The rain had stopped and the fire warmed the hunter.Now , said the stree / female dove, 'free me so that I may do sajeeva dahanam (Incineration) myself in the agni / fire. My roasted maamsam (meat) can be served as aahaaram / food for the hunter.Never, replied the purusha / male dove. It is my right to serve the atithi / guest first.Saying this, the purusha / male dove hurled himself into the agni / fire. The hunter had heard the entire sambhashanam (conversation) and got aishcharyam (surprised) that two doves could be so paropakaari (philanthropist). The stree / female dove now requested the hunter to free her from the panjaram / cage. And as soon as he did this, the female dove also hurled herself into the agni / fire.This nishswarta buddhi (unselfish wit) of the two doves was so adhbhutam / great that a vimaanam / divine aeroplane came down to take the two doves straight to swargam. The cruel hunter was also impressed and repented with pashchataapam / regret. He told the doves, you are indeed poojyam / really great. Before you go to swargam, please tell me how I may perform tapasya for my kruratvam / cruelty.Go to Goutami Ganga (Godaavari river) and take snanam / bath there for fifteen days, replied the doves. Your paapam will also be forgiven.The hunter did as he had been asked to. The place where the doves immolated themselves became a holy tirtha known as kapota tirtham, since the word kapota means dove. (This story is taken from Brahma Purana).