Guṇanidhi

This narrative is from the Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa of the Rudra Saṃhitā in the Śiva Purāṇa, Chapters 17 and 18. Guṇanidhi was the son of a learned brahmin of Kāmpilya, but he gambled, stole and gave up every duty of a brahmin. Even so, on the night of Śivarātri he lit a lamp in Śiva’s temple, without meaning to honour Śiva. After his death the Śiva-gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants) turned away the messengers of Yama and took him to Śiva-loka. He was reborn as Dama, king of Kaliṅga, a king devoted to lighting lamps in Śiva temples, and then as Kubera, lord of Alakā and friend of Śiva. The narrative ends with the well-known command of Dharmarāja Yama to his messengers: never go near those who wear bhasma (sacred ash) or rudrāksha, or who bear the form of Śiva.

Guṇanidhi’s background and fall

In the city of Kāmpilya lived a learned brahmin named Yajñadatta, of the Somayājī line. He knew the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, had taken the dīkshā (initiation) for many yajñas, was honoured by kings, and was devoted to Agni. His body was beautiful as the moon, his character was spotless, and his learning had no equal.

Yajñadatta had an only son, Guṇanidhi. The boy had his upanayana (sacred thread rite) at eight years and studied many subjects. But soon, without his father knowing, he fell into the habit of gambling. Again and again he took money from his mother and gave it to gamblers, whom he made his companions. He gave up bathing (snāna), the twilight prayers (sandhyā-vandana) and every practice of a brahmin. He spoke against the Vedas, mocked the devas and brāhmaṇas, left the conduct laid down in the smṛti, and lost himself in music and entertainment, in the company of actors, jesters and criminals.

His mother hid all this from Yajñadatta. Whenever he asked, she told him that Guṇanidhi had just gone out to study with friends. Because he was her only son, she shielded him with lies. The father knew nothing of what was happening in his own house. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 17)

The mother’s warnings and the father’s discovery

When Guṇanidhi was sixteen, Yajñadatta performed his snātaka rite and arranged his marriage according to the gṛhya-sūtra rites. Even after the marriage his mother begged him to change. She warned him of his father’s anger, of his wife’s welfare, of the family’s honour and of the community’s good name. Guṇanidhi ignored every plea.

Things vanished from the house one by one: silk garments, bronze vessels, copper pots, a gold bowl set with gems, an ivory bed, and ornaments. Guṇanidhi had gambled them all away. His mother’s own silk sari was lost in a single game.

The discovery came through a gem ring that Yajñadatta wore on his finger. One day he found it missing, and then he saw it in the hand of a gambler he happened to meet. When he pressed the man, the gambler told the whole truth: “Your son gave me this. He has lost not only the ring but your wife’s sari, valuable vessels and much more. Every day the other gamblers strip him of his clothes and tie him up. He is the foremost gambler and cheat in this land.”

Yajñadatta went home with his head bowed in shame, covering his face with his cloth. He questioned his wife, and then he formally gave up Guṇanidhi. He poured the water offering as for a dead son and declared that Guṇanidhi was no longer a son of his house. That same day he bathed, finished his daily rites (nitya-karmas), and married a brahmin woman from a respectable family. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 17)

Guṇanidhi’s wandering and the night of Śivarātri

Guṇanidhi heard that his father had disowned him. He blamed his own karma and set out in some direction, with no goal, no money, no learning and no companions. He thought: “I have forgotten all my learning. I have no money. In a foreign land a man without money cannot do well. I have no one to beg from. Even my mother is not here.”

As the sun set, he sat under a tree in deep gloom. Just then a great devotee of Maheśvara came out of the city carrying offerings (naivedya) for Śiva, many kinds of fine food. His relatives came with him. It was the night of Śivarātri, and he had kept the full fast (upavāsa). He went into the Śiva temple and worshipped Śaṅkara with pure devotion.

Guṇanidhi, hungry and wretched, smelled the food and followed the devotee to the temple. He sat at the door and watched, thinking: “When these devotees sleep after their night-long vigil, I will take the naivedya.” The devotee performed the great pūjā with dance, song and devotional singing, and then the whole gathering fell asleep.

Guṇanidhi went into the inner shrine. The lamp was dim and he could not see the naivedya clearly. He tore a strip of cloth from his upper garment (uttarīya), made it into a wick, and made the lamp burn brighter, so that its shadow no longer fell on the top of the liṅga. Then he gathered up the food with care. As he hurried out, his foot struck a sleeping guard, who woke in alarm and shouted. Guṇanidhi panicked and ran. The temple guards caught him and beat him. He fell, lost his sight, and died of his injuries. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18)

The confrontation at the moment of death

At the moment of his death two groups arrived together.

The Yama-dūtas (Yama’s messengers) came, terrible to look at and carrying the noose (pāśa) and the club (mudgara). They came to bind Guṇanidhi and take him to Yamapura.

The Śiva-gaṇas came adorned with garlands of small bells, carrying tridents, in a divine vimāna (flying chariot). They came to take him to Śiva-loka.

The Śiva-gaṇas said: “O Yama-gaṇas, let this noble brahmin go. He is not fit for punishment. All his pāpas (sins) have been destroyed.” The Yama-dūtas were astonished and objected: “This man broke every family duty, disobeyed his parents, gave up the twilight prayers and bathing, and, as we saw with our own eyes, he took the food offered to Śiva (nirmālya). Even touching one who has done this brings pāpa. You yourselves should not go near him. He is not worthy of your company.”

The Śiva-gaṇas answered: “Yama-dūtas! The ways of Śiva-dharma are subtle, and only those with subtle sight can see them. Listen carefully to what this son of Yajñadatta did last night:

1. He tore cloth from his own upper garment to make a wick and lit the lamp, so that the shadow of the flame would not fall on the top of the liṅga.
2. By chance (prasaṅga-vaśāt) he heard Śiva’s names.
3. He saw the pūjā of a devoted follower done with full attention and a fast.

For these three acts, though they were done by accident and for his own gain, he has earned Śiva’s grace. He will come with us to Śiva-loka. He will enjoy great pleasures (bhoga) there as Śiva’s attendant for some time. Then, with all his faults (doshas) destroyed, he will be born as the king of Kaliṅga, because he is most dear to Śiva.”

When the Yama-dūtas heard this, they bowed and went back to Yamapura by the road they had come. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18)

Yama’s command to his messengers

The returning messengers told Dharmarāja the whole matter. Yama then gave a famous command. The Śiva Purāṇa gives it as one of its most important passages on devotion to Śiva and on the limits of Yama’s own authority:

“O messengers! Listen carefully and carry out my order with joy. Never bring here those who wear the white tripuṇḍra of bhasma, who smear their whole body with white vibhūti, who wear rudrāksha, who bear matted hair (jaṭā), or who appear in Śiva’s form for any reason whatever in this world.

Even those who wear Śiva’s form only to earn a living, or to look righteous before others, or to cheat others, even those you must never bring here. Stay far away from them.”

The messengers heard this command with smiles and resolved to keep it. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18)

Rebirth as King Dama of Kaliṅga

The Śiva-gaṇas freed Guṇanidhi from the Yama-dūtas, and he went to Śiva-loka with a purified mind. There he enjoyed every kind of divine pleasure and served Pārvatī and Parameśvara with devotion. After his time in Śiva-loka he was born as Dama, son of King Arindama of Kaliṅga.

From childhood Dama was devoted to the service of Śiva. When he reached youth and his father left the throne, Dama became king. As king he spread Śiva-dharma in every direction of his realm. His one steady duty, which came from the accidental lighting of the lamp in his earlier birth, was lighting lamps in Śiva temples everywhere.

Dama called all his village officers together and declared: “Every śivālaya (Śiva temple) in your area must have lamps lit at all times. Whoever fails to do this will be punished. Whoever lights lamps pleases Śiva. This is what the Vedas say.” The threat of the king’s punishment kept every Śiva temple in the kingdom bright with lamplight at all hours.

Dama lived his whole life in this one dharma, gathered great puṇya (merit), and died. By the force of the lamp-lighting impression (saṃskāra) from his earlier birth, now made greater by a lifetime of devotion kept with full knowledge, he was born as Kubera, lord of the city of Alakā, which is lit by jewel lamps. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18)

The three lives

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this as one thread across three lives.

The text says: “He who was entirely turned away from all dharmas, Guṇanidhi, where was he? And now he has reached the rank of a Dikpāla (guardian of a direction). He is now Kubera, holding the hard-to-win office of guardian of a direction. Even the smallest service to Śiva, done by accident, bears its fruit in time.” (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18)

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 17 (Guṇanidhi’s fall, Yajñadatta’s discovery)
• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18 (Śivarātri night, the Śiva-gaṇas and Yama-dūtas, Yama’s command, Dama and Kubera)