Gunanidhi's Virtuous End

Brahma said

Hearing what had happened, the sacrificer's son reproached himself for what he had done. Considering it all, he left for another place. A long time passed after Yajnadatta's son went away. Abandoned, the wicked Gunanidhi lost all sense of enterprise. He thought long. "Where shall I go? What shall I do? I am not learned and I have not much wealth. In another country only a wealthy person can find happiness, though a wealthy person fears thieves. There are obstacles in every direction. I was born in a line that officiated at sacrifices. How will I face this great hardship? Alas, destiny is powerful and binds us to karma. I know no one, so I cannot even beg. I have no riches. Who will give me shelter? Before sunrise my mother always fed me sweet food. Whom shall I ask now? My mother is not here either." Narada, he thought long like this. Very miserable, he sat under a tree, and the sun set.

A man who was Maheshvara's devotee came out of the city at that time with offerings. He had fasted on Shiva Ratri. To worship Ishana he carried many kinds of fine things, with his relatives around him. With his mind fixed on Shiva, the devotee entered Shiva's temple and worshipped Shankara with an excellent mind in the fitting way. The brahmana, Yajnadatta's son, smelled the fragrance of cooked food. Cast out by his father, without his mother, he was hungry and came there. "It is night. This cooked food has been brought for Shiva, and I will take it when Shiva's devotees go to sleep. It is chance that so many great offerings have been brought." Reassuring himself, and finding support, he sat down at the door of Shambhu's temple. He saw the great puja the devotees performed. After they finished singing and dancing, the devotees slept. To steal the food offering he entered the sanctum. In the dim lamplight he looked at the cooked food. To get better light, he tore half his garment and put it on the lamp. Yajnadatta's son lovingly seized Shiva's offering. Suddenly happy, he grabbed the many kinds of cooked food and quickly went out. He kicked a sleeping man, who woke in a rage: "Who is this? Who is running away so fast? Seize him! Grab him!" Terrified, that person screamed so. While he ran in fear, the city guards came. In a short time they bound him and killed him. Sage, Yajnadatta's son could not eat the offering, which should not be eaten.

But either he had the strength of accumulated good deeds, or Shiva showed him favour. Yama's terrible servants came, nooses and clubs in hand, wanting to bind him and take him to Samyamani. But Shiva's attendants came too, wearing garlands with nets of bells, tridents in their hands, to take him away on a divine celestial car. Shiva's ganas said: "Servants of Yama, release the brahmana. He is greatly devoted to dharma and does not deserve punishment. All his accumulated sins have been burned." Hearing Mahadeva's ganas, King Yama's servants were greatly surprised. Afraid, they looked at Shambhu's ganas, bowed and said: "Ganas, this brahmana is very wicked in conduct. He broke his family's conduct, turned away from his father's words, strayed from truth and purity, did not bathe at the sandhya times, kept away from good karma, and even went so far as to take away offerings made to Shiva. You can see it directly yourselves. He does not deserve to be touched by the likes of you. He ate Shiva's offerings. He violated Shiva's offerings. Even if one touches someone who gives Shiva's offerings to others, that is a sin. Even with the breath of life stuck in the throat, it is better to look at or drink poison than to touch the supreme offerings made to Shiva or his belongings. You decide dharma and there is no one like you. Ganas, still, listen to us. He has not the least bit of dharma." Hearing Yama's servants, Shiva's servants remembered Shiva's lotus feet and answered those attendants: "Shiva's dharma is subtle. Those like you only notice gross aims. What are aims? They are what those of subtle sight perceive. Servants, listen carefully to the karma Yajnadatta's son has done. The shadow of a lamp fell on the lingam, and he countered it. At night he cut a piece of his own garment and made a wick for the lamp. Servants, there is another act of supreme dharma done. In that connection, though inadvertently, he heard Shiva's names chanted. He saw devotees perform many kinds of puja. At that time he was fasting, and his mind was focused too. Let him go with us to Shiva's world. As Shiva's follower he will enjoy great pleasures for some time. After that, his sins cleansed, he will become king of Kalinga. This brahmana has certainly become supreme among those Shiva loves. Nothing more need be said. Return where you came from, messengers of Yama, with very pleasant minds, to your own abode." Lord among sages, hearing this, Yama's messengers drew back and all went to Yama's world. Sage, the servants told Death everything Shambhu's messengers had said about dharma. Dharmaraja said: "Servants, listen attentively. Put my instructions first and follow them lovingly. In the world always avoid those who wear the Tripundra and white ash. They must never be brought here. Avoid all who smear their limbs with white ash. They must never be brought here. Avoid those dressed like Shiva, for whatever reason. They must never be brought here. In the world, avoid those who wear rudraksha and matted hair. They must never be brought. Avoid those who take Shiva's garb for a living; none of these must be brought here. Even if people put on Shiva's garb out of insolence or deceit, they must all be avoided and never brought." So Yama commanded his servants. All were surprised, smiled silently and agreed.

The brahmana, freed from Yama's attendants, pure in mind, quickly went with the ganas to Shiva's world. There he enjoyed all pleasures and served Shiva and Shivaa. After that he was born as the son of Arindama, king of Kalinga, and was known as Dama, devoted to serving Shiva. Even as a child, with other children, he was devoted to Shiva. In time, as a youth, when his father died he gained the kingdom. Delighted, he spread Shiva's dharma everywhere. King Dama was invincible and knew only one kind of dharma. The former brahmana gave lamps to every one of Shiva's temples. He called all the village headmen who lived in his kingdom and told them to arrange lamps in all Shiva's temples, or he would truly punish them. "The shrutis say Shiva is satisfied by the gift of lamps. So without reflection you must arrange for lamps to be lit in every Shiva temple in your villages. If you disobey my order, doubtless I will cut off your head." Through this fear, lamps were lit in every Shiva temple. Following this dharma alone for as long as he lived, King Dama gathered much dharma. In time he came under the dharma of time. The wish to light many lamps stayed lit in his mind. He became lord of Alaka and wanted only lamp wicks. So in time even the least thing done for Shiva bears fruit. Knowing this, those who want great happiness should serve Shiva's tasks. The sacrificer's son had always ignored every kind of dharma. Through the intervention of destiny he stole objects from Shiva's temple. For his own selfish reasons he used a lamp to light the top of Hara's lingam. Consequently he gained the kingdom of Kalinga and was always devoted to dharma. All this happened because he fasted and lit a lamp in Shiva's temple. Lord among sages, consider: he became a guardian of the worlds. Though following human dharma, that is the pleasure he now enjoys. So I have told you the conduct of Gunanidhi, Yajnadatta's son. Listening to this satisfies Shiva and gives everything desired. Son, all the gods are in Shiva, and I will tell you exactly how he became Shiva's friend; listen attentively.