Srimad Bhagavatam – day 201
Dhruva continued, “Knowledge and ignorance, creation and dissolution,- such mutually contradictory energies keep manifesting suddenly one after another within the non-dual Parabrahma. This entire creation has emerged from Parabrahma, who is not subject to the limitations of time. Parabrahma is a personification of bliss and is changeless. He is the primordial cause for everything. I surrender to such Supreme Lord.
Satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṁs tava pāda-padmam
Āśīs tathānu-bhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mūrteḥ
apy evam arya bhagavān paripāti dīnān
vāśreva vatsakam anugraha-kātaro ’smān
O Lord! Your lotus feet are the sole refuge for bliss, which is sought after by every human being. The devotee who serves you without any expectation of reward considers the wonderful opportunity of serving Your lotus feet as far superior than even the highest materialistic reward! To him serving Your lotus feet itself is the highest reward!
Nevertheless O Lord, You are always eager to fulfill the desire of Your devotees. Just as a mother cow protects her newborn calf, with utmost love You protect helpless devotees like me”.
In this way, intelligent Dhruva praised the Lord. Supreme Lord Srihari was immensely pleased with this prayer. Appreciating his prayer, He replied,
“Vedāhaṁ te vyavasitaṁ hṛdi rājanya-bālaka
Tat prayacchāmi bhadraṁ te durāpam api suvrata
O Prince! Your dedication towards penance is supreme! I know the desire within your mind. Although it is impossible to fulfill, I am going to fulfill it. May you be blessed with auspiciousness!
Dhruva, the planet that you are about to obtain glows radiantly. None can rise above it. None can enter into it.
You will eternally rule over it. Constellations of stars and planets will be under its control. Based on their individual punya, meritorious beings who reside in higher planes are re-born on earth during the Kalpa (period of creation). This planet that you are about to obtain will however remain till eternity. In other words, it will remain till the end of creation.
Dharma, Kashyapa, Agni, Shukra, as well as other great sages who abiding by the rules of Vānaprastha have acquired limitless merit, will in the form of stars circumambulate this planet (pole star) together with other planets and stars.
Your father will hand over the kingdom to you and leave for the forests. Thereafter you will rule for a period of 36000 years. You will keep Dharma, artha, kāma (the first three principles of life) absolutely under your control. You will totally restrain your senses and then enjoy kingly luxuries.
Your younger brother Uttama will die while he is hunting in deep forests. Your step-mother Suruci, unable to bear separation from her son, will go searching for him into the forests. Caught in a forest fire, she will meet death.
Yagna is my heart. You will worship me by conducting many such Yagnas and give away plentiful Dakshina (money offering given to priests conducting the Yagna). After enjoying best luxuries in this planet, in your last moments you will remember Me.
Tato gantāsi mat-sthānaṁ sarva-loka-namaskṛtam
Thereafter you will reach My abode, which is revered by all the worlds and which is located above the constellation of seven great sages. Only Yatiśwaras reach this abode of Mine. There is no question of re-birth for those who reach My abode”. In this way, Lord Srihari blessed Dhruva.
As Dhruva was watching, the Lord returned to His abode. By worshipping the lotus feet of the Lord, Dhruva’s desire was fulfilled. But still he was not totally satisfied. Recollecting the Lord’s order, he returned to his kingdom” said Maitreya Maharishi to Vidura.
Vidura then enquired, “O Maharishi, Srihari is the Lord of illusion. His permanent abode is the ultimate position that can be granted. It is beyond the reach of pretentious persons. It can be attained only with great difficulty.
It is obtained purely by those who dedicatedly worship His holy feet. In one birth Dhurva obtained that ultimate abode which cannot be obtained even after innumerable births. Why then was he unhappy?”
To this Maitreya Maharishi replied, “Through her harsh words step-mother Suruci pierced the heart of Dhruva. Dhruva recollected her painful words time and again. When he meditated upon the Supreme Lord he did not forget these insulting words. He did not seek liberation. For this reason he now grieved.
He now thought, ‘Sanaka, Sananda and other great saints, who choose to remain eternal celibates, practiced intense meditation with total concentration for many births. Through ripened knowledge, they obtained the lotus feet of the Lord. With merely six months of penance, I could see the shadow of the Lord’s feet. However I entertained feelings of differentiation and considered my step-mother to be different from me. Due to this I have again been separated from the Lord’s feet. How unfortunate I am! Due to my foolishness I have lost them”.
Vāmanāya namah.