A strange devotee

LORD Shiva became famous as deliverer of wicked men. He delivered them from their sins only if they were his devotees.

There lived a robber who with his gang daily committed a robbery and decamped with the booty. Once, while committing a robbery, he inadvertently pronounced Shiva’s name when he said to his gang members, Prahara (strike) and ahara (bring the booty).

As can be seen from the words that though he had not meant to take Lord Shiva’s name but because he had used the word hara in both cases, the Lord acquitted him and considered him to be his devout devotee. He even granted the robber rebirth as a king.

-MG