॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 3 November 2022 IV.09 - Dhruva is blessed by the Darshan of Bhagavan Narayana and returns to the kingdom.
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Why do we read the Srimad Bhagavatam? It is the threefold divine experience of Bhagavan- Bhagavata - Bhakta. Sriman Narayana is the Bhagavan. Sage Narada is the Bhagavata. Dhurva is the Bhakta. By reading this account, we can identify with any one or all three and be inspired.
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When Bhagavan assured the gods that all would be well soon, they returned whence they came, much relieved.
Bhagavan at once set out on His vehicle, Garuda. Sage Vyasa describes this as
सहस्रशीर्षापि ततो गरुत्मता मधोर्वनं भृत्यदिदृक्षया गत:
T: Bhagavan, also known as the Thousand-headed Virat Purusha, went on Garuda to Madhuvana desirous of meeting His devotee.
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स वै धिया योगविपाकतीव्रया हृत्पद्मकोशे स्फुरितं तडित्प्रभम् ।
तिरोहितं सहसैवोपलक्ष्य बहि:स्थितं तदवस्थं ददर्श ॥
T: The moment Bhagavan appeared there, the divine, lightning-like, abiding image of the Lord enshrined through intense Yoga in his mindscape that Dhruva had so ardently worshipped all this while as directed by Sage Narada disappeared! Dhruva was nonplussed and opened his eyes, only to behold the actual Lord Maha Vishnu Narayana Sri Hari Himself, in person, right in front!
Pause and behold this image.
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Dhruva at once fell headlong in obeisance. Ecstatic in absorbing the Lord's Darshan, he drank in the infinite beauty and glory of the Lord, and kissed His feet, and embraced His feet.
The five-year-old Dhruva felt a keen desire to say a prayer directly to the Lord. But he was tongue-tied.
स तं विवक्षन्तमतद्विदं हरिर्ज्ञात्वास्य सर्वस्य च हृद्यवस्थित: ।
कृताञ्जलिं ब्रह्ममयेन कम्बुना पस्पर्श बालं कृपया कपोले ॥
T: Of course, Sri Hari, who dwells in every heart, knew the boy's predicament. Therefore He most graciously touched Dhruva's cheek in blessing with His conch, which is the resonant respository of all knowledge.
Instantly, Dhruva was granted all knowledge, especially of Paramatma, and secured a divine ability to speak. Filled with Bhakti, he spoke thus, with no hesitation or diffidence.
योऽन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचमिमां पर्सुप्तां सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन् प्राणान् नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यम् ॥
This is one of my favourite prayers and is recited by almost every devotee familiar with Srimad Bhagavatam. I will therefore give the reordered sequence and meaning here.
यः शक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना मम इमां प्रसुप्तां वाचं प्रविश्य सञ्जीवयति अन्यान् च हस्त-चरण-श्रवण-त्वक्-आदीन् प्राणान् सञ्जीवयति तुभ्यं भगवते पुरुषाय नमः
T: "He, who holds all the Shaktis of the universe in His own divine abode, has enlivened and empowered my dormant speech, as well as all my organs like hands, feet, ears, skin/touch sensation, and my Pranas which make me function. I bow to Him i.e. You, oh Bhagavan, the Ishwara, Purusha, Supreme Being, of the Universe!"
This chapter is so evocative and worthy of recitation that I have decided to share a readable version by embedding it here.
"My Lord, You are supreme. You create and suffuse all the universe, like the fire present in every piece of wood. Lord Brahma is fully surrendered to You as You created him, gave him supreme knowledge, and awakened in him the functionality needed for creation. You are the shelter for all, especially those distressed in any way and those seeking liberation."
"Foolish persons like me are swayed by Maya and seek from You material rewards. Meditating on You, serving You, or listening to Your glories from Bhagavatas gives a bliss that transcends Brahmananda or bliss experience of the one merged in Brahman. Those who seek a higher life in exalted Lokas are also bound to fall back into rebirth."
"Oh infinite Lord, bless me that I associate with Bhagavatas, and develop constant Bhakti, and serve You. I shall surely get liberated thus, and I hanker to hear Your glories always. A Bhakta is at once freed from attachments to things and people as "I" and "Mine"."
"Oh, Lord, I know how the variegated universe full of different beings and species came from You at the origin of creation, just as Lord Brahma arose from Your lotus navel. At dissolution, all folds back into You in this Leela. In this regard, any need for intellectual speculation, conjecture and inference has come to an end for me after Your direct Darshan!"
त्वं नित्यमुक्तपरिशुद्धविबुद्ध आत्मा कूटस्थ आदिपुरुषो भगवांस्त्र्यधीश: ।
यद्बुद्ध्यवस्थितिमखण्डितया स्वदृष्टया द्रष्टा स्थितावधिमखो व्यतिरिक्त आस्से ॥
T: "Lord, You are eternal, liberated, uncontaminated, the Paramatma, central to all creation, the Original Purusha, Bhagavan, and controller of the three Gunas. You are the Supreme Witness of all thought. You are thus distinct and transcendental compared to all creation."
"You are also the Para Brahman, beyond all duality, eternally blissful. At the same time, You are the worshippable Supreme Lord, the giver of all benediction! You are like the milch cow who takes such good care of her young calf, protecting her and feeding her."
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Dhruva was overcome with devotion and stopped. Bhagavan Maha Vishnu Narayana Sri Hari now spoke.
"My dear Prince Dhruva! You have completed a severe Tapas. I also know what is in your heart. Therefore I grant you an exalted position unattainable by anyone else."
नान्यैरधिष्ठितं भद्र यद्भ्राजिष्णु ध्रुवक्षिति । यत्र ग्रहर्क्षताराणां ज्योतिषां चक्रमाहितम् ॥
मेढ्यां गोचक्रवत्स्थास्नु परस्तात्कल्पवासिनाम् । धर्मोऽग्नि: कश्यप: शुक्रो मुनयो ये वनौकस: ।
चरन्ति दक्षिणीकृत्य भ्रमन्तो यत्सतारका: ॥
T: "Blessed one, I grant you the status of Dhruva-kshiti, the Pole Star. You shall exist even after dissolution, and the end of Yugas. You will be surrounded by all planets and constellations that shall circumambulate you like bulls rotating around the central pole while crushing grain. All great luminaries, gods and Saptarishis too, including Dharma, Agni, Kashyapa, and Shukra, shall do Pradakshina to you."
"You shall succeed your father and rule as the King for 36000 years, losing neither your faculties nor your youth."
"Your brother Uttama will die during a hunting expedition in the forest. His mother shall follow him and die in a forest fire."
"You shall propitiate Me in several worthy Yajnas and reap rich material prosperity."
"You shall worship and remember Me at the moment of death. Then you shall attain your Dhurva-kshiti, the Pole Star position. Thereafter you shall be constant, never returning to the cycle of birth and death."
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After He was thus worshipped by Dhruva and gave him so many gracious boons, Bhagavan's Darshan ended.
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Dhruva, thus blessed by the Lord, was strangely disappointed in himself.
"Alas, why did I hanker for an exalted position and not seek liberation? Why did I not listen to the advice of Sage Narada? I seemed to have completely wasted my chance when I was granted the most compassionate Darshan of the Lord! How stupid was I! This simply shows that one is a helpless slave to one's tendencies and does not learn in time. The seed of resentment at my stepmother's slight was in me and hence prevented me from seeing the Truth."
"Or perhaps the gods were envious of me and prevented me from seeking Vaikuntha!"
"My prayers were answered by the Lord in the same way he blessed Sanandana and other liberated sages. But unlike them, I did not ask for liberation but just an exalted status. Shame on me!"
"I was under the influence of Maya, sleeping in her lap. Bound by a sense of duality, I saw my brother as my enemy. By getting useless things, I got as much benefit as a corpse would from medical treatment."
"Instead of liberation, I wanted material name, fame and prosperity. My case is just like that of a poor man who, pleasing a great emperor ready to give any boon, asked only for a few broken grains of husked rice!"
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King Uttanapada heard about how Dhruva had succeeded in his Tapas and was coming back. In the beginning, he could not believe his ears. Then he remembered that Narada had foretold how Dhruva would be protected by the Lord Himself and return safely.
Uttanapada, his queens, his ministers, priests and pundits, with all the citizens, went in a grand procession to receive Dhurva. Dhruva was received on the outskirts of the city with great affection and celebration. He was filled with love and happiness. He bowed low to his father, and embraced his loving mother shedding tears of joy. Even Suruchi and Uttama showed affection and were embraced by Dhruva warmly.
Everyone could clearly see that Dhruva had become a new person, the result of divine grace manifest as he had personally touched the lotus feet of Bhagavan. It was but natural that everyone honoured him, just as water naturally flows downward.
Suniti was so overcome with love and pride in Dhruva as she embraced him that, Vyasa says, her breasts spontaneously produced milk.
The king was very happy and he had Dhruva and his brother seated on the back of a she-elephant. Thus they returned to the capital, where the king was praised by all. The city was all decked up and citizens showered flowers and holy grain on Dhruva.
Dhruva proved truly worthy of all the respect and love he enjoyed. By consensus, when he came of age, the king anointed him and placed him on the throne. Dhruva took over from his father who retired to the forest for Vanaprastha to lead a life of austerity and prayer.
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