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

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

I remember reading the Gunanidhi story in the Amar Chitra Katha animated
book series with the title
https://amzn.in/d/2v5nGeY

But in that version in ACK, Gunanidhi does not die ; he is reformed and
becomes as sort of born-again Shiva Bhakta a lá Ajamila’s post NDE reformed
life.


On Mon, 10 Mar 2025 at 10:27 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Thanks for sharing this story.  Never knew such a story was there.  The
> parallel with Ajamila is very well brought out.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
> On Mon, Mar 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM 'S Jayanarayanan' via advaitin <
> advaitin at googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> > (Continued from the previous post. This mirrors the life of Ajamila in
> the
> > Srimad Bhagavatam, where an incessant sinner is saved
> > by a small prayer-like action near the end of his life — which in
> > Ajamila's case was uttering the name of his son, “Narayana”.
> >
> >
> https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226015.html
> > Section 2.1, Chapter 17)
> >
> >
> > In the city of Kampilya, there was a sacrificer named Yajnadatta. He knew
> > Vedas and Vedangas. He was honoured by the king.
> > He was a liberal-minded donor and as such his fame had spread far and
> > wide. His son, Gunanidhi, was of a very handsome
> > complexion and shone like the moon’s disc. After the investiture with the
> > sacred thread, he learned all the eight lores over
> > and over again. Yet, unknown to his father he indulged in gambling. He
> > eschewed all Brahminical ways and conduct of life.
> > He was averse to the performance of Sandhya prayers and ceremonial
> > ablutions. He began to speak ill of the Vedas, sacred texts,
> > devas and Brahmins. Although constantly advised thus by his mother to
> shun
> > his wicked ways, the wicked boy did not abandon them.
> > For, an idiot indulging in vice is beyond redemption.
> >
> > The wicked fellow (Gunanidhi) used to lay his hands on whatever he could
> > see in the house, a cloth, a base metal etc. and take it to
> > the gambling den, there to lose the same to his brother gamblers. After
> > wandering aimlessly for a long time, he, the wicked fellow,
> > felt the abandonment keenly and losing all hopes halted at a place. In
> the
> > meantime a certain devotee of Lord Shiva came out of the
> > city taking with him various articles of offering. He had observed fast
> on
> > the Shivaratri day. In order to worship Lord Shiva, he was
> > on his way, along with his kinsmen and was carrying different sorts of
> > delightful offerings.
> >
> > The devotee entered the temple of Shiva where he worshipped Him in the
> > prescribed manner with sincere devotion. The Brahmin boy,
> > son of Yajnadatta, devoid of his mother and dismissed by his father, was
> > very hungry by this time. He inhaled the sweet fragrance
> > of the sweet puddings and followed the devotee. When the worship was
> over,
> > the songs and dances of prayer were duly concluded,
> > the devotees lay down and began to sleep. Immediately, the young man
> > entered the sanctum sanctorum of Shiva in order to steal the
> > eatables left there.
> >
> > The lamp was burning very dimly. Hence in order to see the puddings
> > clearly, he tore a piece of cloth from his lower garment and put
> > that piece in the lamp as a wick thus making the lamp give a good light.
> > Yajnadatta’s son gleefully took plenty of the sweets offered
> > as eatables to Lord Shiva by the devotees. With sweets in his hands he
> > came out hurriedly. In his hurry, he stamped on some person
> > lying there who woke up immediately. “Who is that? Who is running away so
> > fast? Catch him.” So shouted the man who woke up in a voice
> > hoarse with fear. The Brahmin boy (Gunanidhi) who ran for life became
> > blind. So he was caught and killed by the watchmen on duty.
> >
> > The terrible soldiers of Yama who desired to take him to Samyamani (the
> > abode of Yama), approached him with nooses and clubs in their
> > hands and bound him. In the meantime, the attendants of Shiva with
> > tridents in their hands and tinkling anklets on their arms reached
> > the spot in an aerial chariot in order to take him to Shivaloka.
> >
> > Shivaganas said, “O attendants of Yama, leave this righteous Brahmin
> > alone. He cannot be punished since his sins have been burnt off.”
> >
> > On hearing these words of Shiva’s attendants, the attendants of Yama
> > (Yamaganas) became terrified and addressed the attendants of Shiva,
> > “O Ganas, this is a wicked Brahmin who has broken the traditions and
> > conventions of his family. He has disobeyed his father’s directions
> > and has forsaken truthfulness or purity. He does not offer his Sandhya
> > prayers. He does not take his ceremonial baths regularly.”
> >
> > Shiva’s attendants said, “O attendants of Yama, Shiva’s ideas of Dharma
> > are very subtle. They can be observed only by persons of subtle
> > and keen vision, not by people like you whose aim is only the gross
> > exterior. The shadow of the lamp was falling on the top of the linga
> > and this Brahmin prevented it by adding a wick to the lamp at night,
> > cutting a piece from his lower cloth. Another great merit he derived
> > from listening to the names of Shiva, though casually, O attendants. He
> > witnessed the worship that was being performed duly by a devotee.
> > He was observing a fast and his mind was concentrated too. Let him go to
> > Shivaloka along with us. As Shiva’s follower let him enjoy great
> > pleasures there for sometime.”
> >
> > Thus freed from the emissaries of Yama, Gunanidhi became pure-minded and
> > went to Shivaloka along with the attendants of Shiva. Thus even
> > the smallest service rendered to Shiva bears rich fruit in time. Let all
> > persons seeking happiness realise this and continue the worship
> > of Shiva. The story is pleasing to Shiva and grants all desires of the
> > listening devotees.
> >
> >
> > (To be Continued)
> >
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