Gunanidhi - The power of Shiva Worship

Gunanidhi  - Power of Shiva worship

#Shiva Puranam

It was the middle of the night. The house was dark. Everyone was fast asleep. Gunanidhi, a teenage boy, got up. He made his way in the dark. He moved around the house in a familiar fashion despite the darkness. Gunanidhi went to the room where his mother kept her jewellery. He picked out a couple of earrings and tied it in his lower cloth. He came back to his place and slept.

Next day morning. Gunanidhi’s father, Dikshita Yagnadatta, a learned man was doing his morning puja. Gunanidhi pretended to help his dad do the daily rituals. After finishing the morning ritual and the offering, his dad left for the court where he was an advisor to the king on dharmic matters.

Gunanidhi quickly went to his mother and said, “Give me food. I am hungry.” His mother quietly gave him some food. When he was about to leave the house, she said “I know you took my earring yesterday. I looked for it this morning and could not find it. Do you think what you are doing is the right thing?”

Gunanidhi looked angrily at her and said “You have enough jewellery. How does one set of earrings matter?” His mother looked at him with tears in her eyes and said “It is not about the jewellery. It is about you. You have stooped so low that you are stealing in your own house. Your father is a learned man. He is well respected across the kingdom. What will happen to his reputation when people know that his son is a gambler and a thief.”

Gunanidhi was unmoved. He looked at his mother angrily and said “I don’t care about his reputation. I am born in this family which has wealth and influence. I want to live my life the way I choose. It is your responsibility to take care of my needs. After all you are my parents.”

Gunanidhi stormed out of the house after saying such harsh words to his mother. His mother, out of affection for her only son, kept weeping and praying for a better tomorrow. She was also unsure how she should tackle the problem.

After his duties at the court, Yagnadatta, father of Gunanidhi returned home. He asked his wife “Where is Gunanidhi? Has he done his studies and religious duties for the day?”

Afraid that her husband might get angry with their son, the lady said “Yes, of course. He was studying the scriptures and other texts till mid- morning. Then he went to meet with some of his friends for further discussions on some texts that he did not understand.” Hearing this and thinking it to be true, Yagnadatta was happy that his son was shaping up to be a good vedic pundit. He hoped that one day his son will succeed him in the king’s court as an advisor.

Things kept going on in this fashion for a few years. Gunanidhi’s interest in gambling, having fun with his friends and wasting his time on useless activities never subsided. He cajoled, threatened or forced his mother to give him money or jewellery to feed his insatiable appetite for gambling. When she refused, he started stealing things from the house and selling it in the market to get money for his bad habits.

Gunanidhi’s mother, out of love for her son and fear of her husband became an unwilling party to this charade. She pleaded with her son, reasoned with him, threatened to tell his father, ask other friends to talk to her son. Nothing worked. The lady hoped and prayed that her son would somehow mend his ways.

One day, Gunannidhi’s dad, Yagnadatta went to the market. He happened to see a ring on a person standing next to him. He recognised the ring as his own. Yagnadatta asked the stranger “Where did you get this ring?”. The stranger is at first reluctant to tell Yagnadatta anything as he was aware that Gunanidhi was gambling without his father’s knowledge.

Yagnadatta persisted. He said “Either you tell me how you got that ring or I will report you to the king.”. The stranger was now worried as he knew Yagnadatta was the king’s advisor. To save himself, he told Yagnadatta the truth. He said “Oh Dikshitar, you think you are so learned and smart that you can advise the king. But you do not know what is happening within your own house. Your son is the biggest gambler in town. The whole town knows about it. Everyday he loses many jewels and gold coins that he gets with him. The jewels that he loses are then sold by the people who win them. I bought this ring from the person who won it from your son. Instead of questioning me, why don’t you question your wife and son.” The stranger then rudely walked away.

Yagnadatta was shattered. He realized that he has been duped by his son and misled by his wife. He left the market and went home. He called his wife and confronted her. The lady started crying and told Yagnadatta the truth about Gunanidhi and how despite repeated advice and entreatments, he was unwilling to change his ways. She begged for forgiveness for hiding their son’s behaviour from her husband.

Yagnadatta was ashamed and furious. He told his wife “If your son is behaving in an inappropriate way, instead of correcting him and being open, you have cheated me and made him worse. Gunanidhi is no longer my son and you are no longer my wife.” Yagnadatta left the house angrily. In a few months, he remarried another lady.

Gunanidhi and his mother were left alone in the house. There was no income as Yagnadatta was no longer living with them. Gunanidhi’s mother was distraught as she had lost her husband and was unable to correct her son. She blamed herself for the situation and was becoming sad and weak.

Unable to take the guilt of seeing his mother sad and also not being used to poverty, Gunanidhi set out looking for food and money. He kept wandering the whole day. He was tired and dejected. Gunanidhi thought to himself “Despite my mother pleading with me, I did not focus on my life and was bent on enjoying. Now I do not have any knowledge or skill to get a job. Nor do I have any money. How am I going to survive? Serves me right for cheating my father, neglecting my duties and ignoring my mother and being rude to her.” Tired and crestfallen, he was lying below a tree.

Just then he saw the villagers of that village going towards the Shiva temple with a lot of offerings of food, flowers and other puja stuff. The aroma from the food made Gunanidhi miss home and his mother even further. He thought to himself “After they finish the puja, they will surely distribute the food. I can atleast get something to eat. Then I will think what I should do next.”

Unfortunately for him, that was the day of Shivarathri. The villagers had decided to offer the food, stay the night in the temple and partake the prashad the following morning. So after they finished the puja, the villagers were doing some chanting and bhajans, but eventually slept off as were tired as they had been fasting the whole day.

Gunanidhi, who was hiding and watching the whole seen could not control his hunger any longer. He decided to steal the food kept in the altar. As it was dark, he could not see properly. He tore a piece of his dhoti and tried to increase the flame inside the garba griha (sanctum sanctorum). He picked up the sweets and came out of the sanctum.

In his hunger and impatience,  he tripped on a villager and fell down This woke up the crowd. They got very angry that someone is trying to steal the prashad, They beat up Gunanidhi and he died.

The Yamadhutas (messengers of Yama, the God of death) were ready to take a sinner like Gunanidhi who did not do his duty, cheated and abused his parents and lived a life of sin to Yamalok and judge him. Their path was suddenly obstructed by the Shiva Ganas. They were surprised to see the Shiva Ganas. They bowed and said “We have come to take this sinner for judgement. He led a selfish life and lied and cheated his parents. Did not do his duty. He even offended Shiva by stealing the prashad”

The Shiva Ganas said “Oh messengers of Dharmaraja. Listen to why this man should go to Shiivalok. He lit the lamp of the sanctum in Shiva’s temple with his angavastra. He fasted all day during Shivarathri, though unintentionally. He heard the Shiva stothra chanted by the villagers and also witnessed the Shiva puja. Just these few deeds, however unintended will earn him a place in Shivalok. He will be reborn as the king of Kalinga and atone for this birth.”

Hearing these words, the Yamadhutas, respectfully moved aside and allowed the ShivaGanas to take Gunanidhi’s athma to Shivalok. Yamadhutas went back to their universe and narrated what happened to their Lord, Dharmaraja.

Dharmaraja smiled and then told them the instructions he had received from Lord Shiva himself about how to treat his devotees.

Dharmaraja said, “

ü  Gaṇas, you shall avoid those persons who bear on their forehead the mark of Tripuṇḍra besmeared with white ashes. Never shall they be brought here.

ü  Gaṇas, you shall avoid those persons who regularly dust their body with white ashes. Never shall they be brought here.

ü  You shall avoid all those persons who assume the garb and features of Śiva whatever their reason may be. Never shall they be brought here.

ü  You shall avoid those persons who wear Rudrākṣas and keep matted hair. Never shall they be brought here.

ü  You shall avoid those persons who imitate the dress or the features of Śiva, even for their livelihood. Never shall they be brought here.

ü  You shall avoid those persons who imitate the dress and features of Śiva even for the purpose of deception. Never shall they be brought here.”

ü  Yama thus commanded his servants. They too agreed to follow his command and remained silent with a flickering smile on their lips.

This story was narrated by Lord Brahma to Sage Narada in the Shiva purana.

This story is intended to bring out the benefits that a person gets when he does/ listens to a Shivapuja and lights a lamp in a Shiva temple. Despite living a life of sin where he troubled others, Gunanidhi was blessed by Shiva due to his good deeds at the last minute.