The Saga of Dhruva
In the following excerpt from Bhagavan Baba’s discourse on May 23, 1995 He spoke about the great child devotee Dhruva.
Dhruva was a young lad of five years who did penance with single-minded devotion and determination and was blessed with the vision of Lord Narayana. Uttanapada was the elder of the two sons of Manu [who gave to mankind the Dharma Shastra (the Code of Righteousness)]. Manu had two wives, Suruchi and Suniti. Uttama was the son of Suruchi, the younger queen, while Dhruva was born to Suniti.
Once the boys were playing in the garden. Spotting their doting father sitting on the throne, they rushed forward to sit on the king’s lap. While Uttama sat on his father’s lap, Suruchi prevented the five-year old Dhruva from doing that because she said that only her sons had the right to sit on the king’s lap. Weeping, Dhruva went to his mother, Suniti. When he started criticizing his stepmother for her action, his mother silenced him and said, “Desist from criticizing anyone. If you criticize other people, the defects pointed out by you will come to you. Accept everything as something good.”
So saying she advised Dhruva to go to the forest and do penance to secure Lord Narayana’s grace, for He was the only hope for the helpless. Dhruva obeyed his mother implicitly and proceeded to the forest without any fear and with full faith in his mother’s words that God was the only refuge for the forlorn. Having noticed this young boy who was ready to brave the perils of the forest with firm determination, sage Narada appeared before him and tried to dissuade him from undertaking a severe penance to earn the Lord’s grace. But Dhruva refused to go back and expressed confidence that with his mother’s blessings and his unshakable faith, he would surely succeed in winning the Lord’s grace. This is the ideal that today’s students should learn. Narada was pleased with the young Dhruva’s firm faith and initiated him in the chanting of the 12 lettered mantra, “Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaaya.”
Dhruva did intense penance, giving up food and drink, and was reduced to a skeleton. He transcended his Annamaya Kosa (food sheath). He was saturated with the Lord’s name, which he ceaselessly chanted with each breath. His Manomaya Kosa (mind sheath) was also dedicated to the Lord, driving away all other thoughts. His entire being was filled with bliss in the contemplation of the Lord. This is another ideal taught by Dhruva to students that meditation must be with total concentration on the Divine form.
Lord Narayana appeared before Dhruva, whose radiance intensified as the Lord approached him. Dhruva burst into ecstatic praise as he looked at the majestic form of the Cosmic Lord. He exclaimed, “O Lord! Till now you were in me and you have come out to grace me. Are you going to leave me?”
Lord Vishnu, who was astonished at the amazing wisdom of such a young child, patted him on his cheek and asked him what boon he wanted. Dhruva said, “Oh Lord, after having your darshan (audience) and getting your grace, I don’t want anything else.” The Lord replied, “Dhruva, you undertook this penance with one thought, namely, to sit on your father’s lap, but now you speak differently. Your words and action are contrary to your thought. You must go back to your father with my blessings. He will receive you with full affection. You must rule the kingdom and then come to Me.” The Lord also assured Dhruva that after ruling the kingdom for a long time he would occupy a most exalted position in the heavens as a star around which the constellation of the Seven Rishis (sages) and other galaxies would revolve.
On his return to the kingdom, his penitent and joyous father received Dhruva with ceremonial honors. Dhruva consoled his father by reminding him that all are forms of Narayana. Uttanapada entrusted the kingdom to the six-year old Dhruva, saying that a boy who could get the Divine vision and grace at that tender age could rule the kingdom. He retired to Skanda Ashram (hermitage) to realize the Divine.
Dhruva ruled very wisely and well for a long time, maintaining justice and peace. When his sojourn in the world came to an end, a celestial chariot came to take him to God’s abode. He told the charioteer that God was everywhere and so the question of taking him to God’s place did not arise. So saying, he sat down, closed his eyes in meditation, and merged in the Divine.
All of you must understand the infinite power of bhakti (true devotion to the Lord). It contains all the six qualities, namely, bhukti (food), rakti (charm), yukti (knowledge of how to love all), anurakti (great attraction), virakti (cessation of desires), and mukti (liberation). When the root word, ‘Bhag’, (relating to the Divine) is taken from the word Bhagavan (the Lord), and combined with ‘kti,’ which is common in all six qualities, it becomes Bhakti.
The story of Dhruva must teach the students the value of determination and devotion to God.
Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 28
