SHIVA PURANA

Bhagavan Siva decided to reside at Kailash nearby Kubera�s abode

Narada Devarshi sought explanations from Brahma as why did Bhagavan Siva decide to reside in Kailasa? Brahma explained thus: A Brahmana named Yogadutta, an expert in performing Soma Yajna, had a son Gunanidhi a Scholar but got attracted to evil ways like gambling.Yogadutta became angry and abandoned Gunanidhi and even his wife. Having become highly remorseful, Gunanidhi left his home and on one night reached a temple where Siva’s devotees were observing  the ‘Sivaratri’ fast and heard the Stories of Siva’s greatness and hymns.

But being hungry he sought to steal some fruits and light up a lamp which was almost dim by tearing his cloth and re-lighting it. But the devotees caught him, mistook him as a thief, thrashed him up and he died. The ‘Yamabhatas’ or the followers of Lord Yama arrived and planned to take away the soul of Gunanidhi; but Sivaganas were happy with Gunanidhi and took him to Sivaloka instead since he spent ‘Sivaratri’ fasting in a Siva temple, observed the whole night hearing Siva’s stories and hymns and even lit up a lamp with his own cloth piece as a vick. In the next birth, Gunanidhi became a King of Kalinga as Dama and a staunch devotee of Siva, ordered his subjects to observe Siva Pujas and Sivaratri fasts compulsory and thus got endeared by Bhagavan. In the subsequent birth Gunanidhi/ Dama became Kubera as the King of Alkapuri. During the next Kalpa named ‘Meghavahan’, the same Gunanidhi of the previous births, became the King of Alkapuri as Vishravan, (the grandson of Sage Pulastya-Brahma’s manasa putra) and as an unparalleled  Devotee of Bhagavan Siva did penance for lakhs of years; Siva and Bhagavati Uma were pleased and appeared before Gunanidhi / Kubera / Vishravan but the radiance of their appearance blinded him and when he regained the yogic sight the devotee became instantly so possessive of Bhagavan that even Uma should not be so near to Bhagavan! Immensely pleased, Bhagavan decided to shift His residence to Kailash Mountain which was nearby Alkapuri and ordered Visvakarma to build His permanent residence there!