Story of Gunanidhi (1) – The Anguished Father

Long time ago, in the city of Kaampilya there lived a pious Brahman named Yagyadatt (Yajnadutta) with his wife Somidevamma .

Yagyadatt was a learned and respected Brahman. He was a Somaayaajee who was known far and wide for his knowledge of Vedic scriptures.

After years of penance, Yagyadatt was blessed with a son whom they named Gunanidhi (literal meaning, the vitreous).

At the age of five, Yagyadatt send Gunanidhi to Vedic school (gurukul) for learning Vedas. As the boy grew up, he got in company of wrong people and started gambling. When he lost his money and assets in gambling, he started stealing to make up for the losses he had made and engage in further play.

Though his mother was aware of Gunanidhi’s bad habits and vices, she kept to herself and never revealed it to Yagyadatt.

One day Yagyadatt gave his gold ring to his wife before he left for bathing in the river. Gunanidhi was taking meal when his father gave the ring to his mother. His mother kept the ring safely in the niche of the wall near chest. After his mother retuned for chorus work, Gunanidhi stole the ring. He sold the ring to a man from nearby village.

The man had come to see Yagyadatt seeking his guidance for his son. When Yagyadatt saw the same ring in the man’s finger, he was surprised. He politely asked him about the ring. The man told Yagyadatt that he bought the ring from a man named Gunanidhi. It was a turning point in their life. Enraged and ashamed of his son’s vices, Yagyadatt abandoned both his wife and son. 

Soon Gunanidhi came to know that his father has felt them due to his vices. He was remorseful and wept over his actions. He fled far away traveling aimlessly.

He went hungry for several days.

One day he sat under a tree exhausted and famished, when he heard sound of temple bells and chanting of great hymns. Gunanidhi went in the direction of sound and saw a Shiva Temple. A large number of devotees thronged the temple in celebration of festival of Shivaratri.

When Gunanidhi saw food being placed in the temple premises, he went into the temple and joined the crowd of devotees. It is a custom followed by Shiva devotees to fast during the night of Shivarati and break the fast with offering made to God next morning. The food was assembled for same.

After hours of meditation, singing and chanting the devotees finally fell asleep. The holy eternal lamp (Akand Lamp burns without extinguishing) lit in praise of God dimmed as its wick slipped in the oil. Gunanidhi saw the waning flame. As a gesture of praise, he tore a strip from his shirt and made it into fine wick. He installed the wick and fed oil in the lamp to keep it illuminated in the dark night of Shivaratri. Shiva and his Gana saw how Gunanidhi worked to keep the lamp illuminated. Shiva was pleased with Gunanidhi.  

Tormented by hunger, Gunanidhi sneaked into the main chamber of the temple where the food was kept. He quickly gathered as much food as he could and turned to leave the temple premises when he stumbled upon a devotee who was sleeping. The man screamed and soon all the men woke up. They caught Gunanidhi and thrashed him mercilessly. In commotion and anguish, a devotee blew hard on his head and Gunanidhi died there itself.

Shiva sends his Gana to bring Gunanidhi to his abode (Shivloka). On the other hand, Yamas’s agents thronged the place to take the soul to fire of hell as they considered Gunanidhi as a sinful man.

The Ganas argued that Gunanidhi had fasted two days before Shivarati. He had kept the eternal lamp illuminating and had listening to hymns, chants in praise of God. He had visited the Shiva Temple and kept in company of Shiva’s devotes during his last hours. Though he had done this unknowingly, Shiva was pleased with him and he had been salvaged by Shiva’s grace.

Gunanidhi lived for several years in Shivaloka and served Shiva Parvati with utmost devotion.

Read further about Gunanidhi