||Om Nama: Shivaya||
Chapter – 58 – Rudra
Samhitha/Shrishti Kanda – 17
Sutha Pauranika speaks “Oh!
Sages, Maharishi Narada offered humble salutation to Lord Bhrama and appealed to describe when did Lord Shiva return to the
abode of Kailsha and when did the association of Lord Kubera with Lord Shiva
was taken place. Maharishi Narada expressed his desire to know the legends
on the various amusements of Lord Shiva in the supreme abode of Kailash. ”
Lord Bhrama speaks “Oh!
Narada, I shall describe the various amusements of Lord Chandhrashekhara, and the
friendship between Lord Shiva and Lord Kubera as well. Oh! Vathsa, listen to me
carefully, there was a pious Brahmin family/Somayaji in the glorious city of
Kampilya, Yajjnadhaththa who was well-versed in Veda and Shastra, an excellent
speaker of religious and spiritual texts, was highly honored by the King of
Kampilya. Yajjnadhaththa was a virtuous, highly educated, handsome, strict
follower of disciplines, religious and spiritual rites. Yajjnadhaththa had a
son Gunanidhi, and the Upanayana Samskara of the child was performed at an
early year of childhood, shortly he gathered deep knowledge in Veda and
Vedanga, scriptures. Unfortunately, Gunanidhi has fallen in the trap of the evil
company of the people, who were gamblers. Gunanidhi took great pleasure in the
association of them, stolen money from home, and gave it to the gamblers to keep
his friendship with them intact. Gradually, he has lost interest in all the
spiritual and religious rites, discarded the performance of the sun worship,
eventually he started disgracing the saintly and pious people, sacred texts,
Vedas, deities, and Brahmins. He forgot all those righteous deeds and engaged in
the immoral people and his mother has to hide all these facts from his father, support
her one and only son. The mother of the Gunanidhi did not find a way to protect him from her husband; she portrayed their only son as virtuous, studious in
religious and spiritual activities, learning of scriptures, etc. before him, in
this way she has become part of sins of her own son. Yajjyanadhaththa was a virtuous
and devoted Bhramin engages in various rites and keep himself busy with the
learning and teaching of Veda and Shastra, he was completely unaware of the
sinful deeds of his only son. At the age of sixteen Gunanidhi was introduced to
Grihasthashrama, his mother took great effort to change his behavior and
advised him and the consequences of it, if his father comes to know about his gambling
habits and demoralizing the values of a Bhramin Varnna. She made him understand
that his father had earned great respect and honor of the society and the King
with his virtues, not because of the wealth. She advised him several times to
abandon the association of gamblers and return to his own duties and
responsibilities, she made all attempts to retrieve him from the wicked
association, taught him the wealth of a Bhramin is the disciplines and the
virtues, she made him clear that he was born in the illustrious clan of Bhramin
who believes in the performance of Somayajjna, various spiritual and religious
rites, learning Veda, Vedanga, scriptures and impart knowledge in them. She
insisted him to abandon the friendship with those gamblers and pick up the
noble way of living which could bring wealth as well as appreciation in the
society. Thus, the mother of Gunanidhi continued her advice for several years,
but she did not find any changes in him. He had attained the age of nineteen
and his wife was the age of sixteen, Gunanidhi’s mother made a final attempt to
change her son, described the virtues of his father-in-law who is a well-known
scholar in the society, she introduce his maternal uncle who was also a great
scholar, she was deeply worried about her son who has neither picked the
quality of maternal nor paternal parents. She advised Gunanidhi to stop his
misdeeds, otherwise, the King will come to know about it, and it would put shame
and hindrance to his father’s profession as well. She warned him that no one
will take his side, the whole society will blame the entire family, the parents
have to meet the disgrace and the society will discard them to accept them as Brahmins,
it would put them in starvation. She was worried that the demeanor of Gunanidhi
would put his father in big trouble and utter shame, she lamented over her fate
that forced to give birth to an immoral child. Alas! Gunanidhi was least
bothered about his mother’s anxiousness, he continued to be in the association
of the gamblers.”
Lord Bhrama continues “
Gunanidhi continued to indulge in various immoral deeds, consumption of meat,
taking pleasure in intoxicating drinks and spend hours with the prostitutes,
gambling, stealing, and disrespecting sacred texts and religious and spiritual
rites. He started to steal precious things from home and sold it in the
market. Once his father found his precious finger ring awarded by the King of
Kampilya, in the hands of a gambler, he questioned him and threatened him to
tell the truth how did it reach in his hands. He disclosed the misdemeanor of
Gunanidhi, and revealed the entire truth about him and his immoral deeds,
spending days with gamblers and prostitutes, looting and consuming meals and
taking pleasure in intoxicating drinks, etc. He also informed that Gunanidhi has
performed various immoral deeds with his associates, stolen precious things
from home and demoralized the religious and spiritual practices, etc. Yajjyadhaththa
could not control his grief; his head bend down in utter shame and returned to
home panic-struck. Yajjyadhaththa described all that he came to know about their
son to his wife and enquired for the precious ring awarded by the King. She replied
“Oh! Swami, I was busy with the household chores for the preparation of the
meals for the guests, I have kept it somewhere I am not able to recollect it.”
Yajjyadhaththa could not control his anger spoke “Oh! Asathputhrajanani/Kuputhra
Janani, you have given birth to an immoral child, whenever I was enquired about
our son, you have fooled me well, saying that he is into religious activities
or performing religious rites. I have given you a beautiful red saree where is
that? Where is that golden vase studded with the gems? Where is the silk scarf I
have given to you? Where is that bronze vessel brought from the south? Where is
the copper vessel brought from Bengal? Where is that ivory decorative? Where are
those stunning decorative pieces? Oh! Kulajje, why should I blame you, I have
made a mistake by taking up the vow of marriage with you, I have been happy
without a family or son. You please bring water and sesame seeds, I have to
perform the last rite for that immoral son of ours. It is good to remain childless,
instead of an immoral son who ruined the dignity of the family and its clan. Thus
he performed the last rite for his family members and left.”
