[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Stories from the Shiva Purana - 3 (Gunanidhi’s Salvation)

[Bhaskar YR]

Thanks for sharing this story.  Never knew such a story was there.  The parallel with Ajamila is very well brought out.

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Yes stories like this would boost our bhakti, shraddha, chittaikaagrata etc.  But stories like this should not motivate us in such a way that ‘do whatever you want just visit temple once in a while without any certain intention’.  Here guNanidhi is a habitual offender, he had an aversion to do any vaidika karma and he was openly indulged in the blasphemous  acts.  And when he was in the temple and increasing the light by using his cloth his intention was just to ‘steal’ not even an iota of bhakti, not even an iota of shiva naama smaraNaM in his mind.  If it is just because of his ‘external’ activities brought him the kaivalyaM then hardly any importance can be given to internal purity.

The parallel to this story, I heard one story in which paramount importance given to the internal purity / thought process even though physical body engaged in noble or questionable activities.   A priest and a flesh trading ( prostitute) woman who constantly thinking about each other’s activities.  The priest even though he was in temple and physically doing the daily pooja to deity, chanting Stotra/mantra etc. he was constantly thinking/observing about that jarred woman’s beauty, activities, her visitors etc whereas that woman even though physically engaged in sexual activities constantly thinking about the nobility of priest, serene atmosphere of temple and focusing her ears on mantra and Stotra-s recited at temple.  After their death woman got the nArAyaNa lOka and that priest got the naraka vAsa 😊

Even the second story also should not prompt us to think :  ‘externally do whatever you want but mentally keep divine thoughts’ !!??  These stories are just arthavAda, eulogizes some acts to cultivate bhakti but should not be taken and followed literally.  Just my opinion.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar