Vishnu Rewards Dhruva's Unwavering Faith
Creation - Chapter 12
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Creation - Chapter 12
Dhruva's unwavering devotion to Vishnu leads to cosmic disruption and divine intervention. Gods alarmed, Indra seeks help. Vishnu grants Dhruva an exalted celestial position, surpassing all expectations.
The prince, having received instructions from the sages, respectfully bid them farewell and left the forest. He was confident in his ability to accomplish his goals. He made his way to the holy place on the banks of the Yamuna, known as Madhu or Madhuvana. This place was named after the demon who once lived there.
Satrughna, the younger brother of Rama, had previously slain the Raksas Lavana, son of Madhu, and founded a city called Mathura on that spot. At this sacred shrine, which purified all sins and was blessed by the presence of the sanctifying god of gods, Dhruva performed penance as instructed by Marici and the other sages. He focused his mind entirely on Vishnu, the supreme deity, visualizing him within himself.
As Dhruva's mind became completely absorbed in meditation, the mighty Hari, who embodies all beings and all aspects of nature, took possession of his heart. With Vishnu present in his mind, the earth, which supports all life, struggled to bear the weight of the ascetic.
When Dhruva stood on his left foot, one hemisphere of the earth sank beneath him.
When he switched to his right foot, the other half of the earth dipped down.
Even when he merely touched the earth with his toes, it trembled along with all its mountains, causing rivers and seas to become agitated.
This universal disturbance affected the gods as well.
The celestial beings called Yamas grew extremely alarmed. They consulted with Indra about how to disrupt Dhruva's devout exercises. Meanwhile, the divine beings known as Kusmandas, along with their king, began making anxious efforts to distract Dhruva from his meditations.
One of them took on the appearance of Dhruva's mother, Suniti, and stood weeping before him. The illusion called out in a tender voice:
"My son, my son, stop destroying your strength with this fearsome penance. I have only just gained you, my son, after much anxious hope. You can't be so cruel as to abandon me, helpless, alone, and unprotected, because of the unkindness of my rival. You are my only refuge; I have no hope but you.
What business does a five-year-old child have with such rigorous penance? Stop these fearful practices that yield no beneficial results. Your life should progress in this order:
Time for youthful play
Period for study
Worldly enjoyment
Finally, austere devotion
This is your time for play, my child. Have you engaged in these practices to end your life? Your primary duty is to love me; duties change according to one's stage in life. Don't lose yourself in confusing error; stop these unrighteous actions. If you won't stop these austerities, I will end my life before your eyes."
However, Dhruva, being completely focused on seeing Vishnu, did not notice his mother weeping and calling out to him. The illusion then cried out, "Run, run, my child! Terrifying evil spirits are swarming into this dreadful forest with raised weapons!" before quickly vanishing.
Next, frightening Raksasas advanced, wielding terrible weapons and with faces emitting fiery flames. Nocturnal fiends surrounded the prince, making fearful noises and brandishing their threatening weapons. Hundreds of jackals, with flames gushing from their mouths as they devoured their prey, howled loudly to frighten the boy, who remained wholly absorbed in meditation.
The goblins shouted, "Kill him, kill him; cut him to pieces; eat him, eat him!" Monsters with the faces of lions, camels, and crocodiles roared and yelled with horrible cries to terrify the prince. But all these grotesque spectres, appalling cries, and threatening weapons had no effect on Dhruva's senses, as his mind remained completely focused on Govinda. The son of the earth's monarch, consumed by a single idea, continuously saw Vishnu seated in his soul and perceived nothing else.
Having failed in all their deceptive strategies, the gods became even more perplexed. Alarmed by their failure and troubled by the boy's devotions, they assembled and sought help from Hari, the origin of the world, who is without beginning or end. They addressed him, saying:
"God of gods, sovereign of the world, supreme god, and infinite spirit, we have come to you for protection, distressed by Dhruva's austerities. Just as the moon grows day by day, this youth steadily advances towards superhuman power through his devotions. Terrified by the ascetic practices of Uttanapada's son, we seek your aid. Please diminish the intensity of his meditations. We don't know what position he aspires to: the throne of Indra, control over the sun or moon, or sovereignty over wealth or the oceans. Have mercy on us, lord; relieve this affliction from our hearts; divert Uttanapada's son from persevering in his penance."
Vishnu replied to the gods, "The boy desires neither Indra's rank, nor the solar orb, nor dominion over wealth or the ocean. I will grant whatever he requests. Therefore, deities, return to your abodes as you wish and be troubled no more. I will end the penance of the boy whose mind is immersed in deep contemplation."
The gods, thus reassured by the supreme being, respectfully saluted him and departed, led by Indra, returning to their homes. Meanwhile, Hari, who embodies all things, assumed a form with four arms and approached Dhruva, pleased with the boy's devotion. He addressed Dhruva, saying:
"Son of Uttanapada, may you prosper. I am satisfied with your devotions and have come to grant boons. Ask for whatever you desire. Because you have completely disregarded external things and fixed your thoughts on me, I am very pleased with you. Therefore, request an appropriate reward."
Hearing these words from the god of gods, the boy opened his eyes. He saw before him the very Hari he had previously envisioned in his meditations, bearing a shell, discus, mace, bow, and scimitar, and crowned with a diadem. Dhruva bowed his head to the ground. His hair stood on end, and his heart was filled with awe. He pondered how best to offer thanks to the god of gods, what words he could use to express his adoration and praise. Overwhelmed with perplexity, he turned to the deity for guidance.
Dhruva exclaimed, "If the lord is satisfied with my devotions, let this be my reward: that I may know how to praise him as I wish. How can I, a mere child, adequately praise him whose abode is unknown even to Brahma and others learned in the Vedas? My heart overflows with devotion to you, oh lord. Grant me the ability to worthily lay my adorations at your feet."
As Dhruva bowed low with his hands raised to his forehead, Govinda, the lord of the world, touched the son of Uttanapada with the tip of his conch shell. Immediately, the royal youth, his face bright with delight, respectfully praised the imperishable protector of living beings.
Dhruva proclaimed:
"I venerate him whose forms are:
Earth
Water
Fire
Air
Ether
Mind
Intellect
The first element (Ahankara)
Primeval nature
The pure, subtle, all-pervading soul that surpasses nature
I pay homage to that spirit which is beyond all attributes; that reigns supreme over all elements, all that we can perceive, over our understanding, and over both nature and spirit. I have taken refuge in your pure form, oh supreme one, which is one with Brahma, which is spirit, which transcends all the world. I pay homage to that form which, pervading and supporting all, is called Brahman, unchangeable, and contemplated by religious sages."
He continued, "You are the male with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, who traverses the universe and extends ten inches beyond its boundaries. Whatever has been or will be, that Purusottama, you are. From you sprang Virat [the primordial cosmic body], Swaraj [self-rule], Samraj [universal sovereignty], and Adhipurusa [the supreme spirit]. The lower, upper, and middle parts of the earth are not separate from you. All this universe, all that has been and shall be, all this world is in you, assuming this universal form.
From you, all these are derived:
Sacrifices and oblations
Curds and ghee
Animals of both domestic and wild varieties
The Rig-Veda
The Sama-Veda
The metres of the Vedas
The Yajur-Veda
Horses and cows with teeth in only one jaw proceed from you, as do goats, sheep, and deer. Brahmans sprang from your mouth, warriors from your arms, Vaisyas from your thighs, and Sudras from your feet. From your eyes comes the sun, from your ears the wind, and from your mind the moon. The vital airs come from your central vein, and fire from your mouth. The sky comes from your navel, heaven from your head, the regions from your ears, and the earth from your feet. All this world was derived from you."
Dhruva continued his praise:
"Just as the wide-spreading Nyagrodha (Indian fig) tree is compressed in a small seed, so, at the time of dissolution, the whole universe is contained in you as its germ. As the Nyagrodha grows from the seed, first becoming a shoot and then rising to great heights, so the created world proceeds from you and expands into magnitude. As the bark and leaves of the plantain tree can be seen in its stem, you are the seed of the universe, and all things are visible in you.
The faculties of the intellect, which cause pleasure and pain, reside in you as one with all existence. But the sources of pleasure and pain, whether separate or combined, do not exist in you, who are free from all qualities.
I salute you, the subtle rudiment, which, being single, becomes manifold. I pay homage to you, soul of existent things, identical with the great elements. You, the imperishable, are perceived through spiritual knowledge as tangible objects, as nature, as spirit, as the world, as Brahma, as Manu, through internal contemplation. But you are in all, the element of all; you are all, taking every form. All is from you, and you are from yourself. I salute you, universal soul; glory be to you. You are one with all things; oh lord of all, you are present in all things.
What more can I say to you? You know all that is in the heart, oh soul of all, sovereign lord of all creatures, origin of all things. You, who are all beings, know the desires of all creatures. The desire I cherished has been fulfilled, lord, by you. My devotions have been successful, for I have seen you."
Vishnu said to Dhruva, "The goal of your devotions has truly been achieved, as you have seen me. For the sight of me, young prince, is never unproductive. Therefore, ask of me whatever boon you desire, for those in whose sight I appear obtain all their wishes."
Dhruva replied, "Lord god of all creatures, who dwells in the hearts of all, how could the wish I cherish be unknown to you? I will confess to you the hope that my presumptuous heart has entertained; a hope that would be difficult to fulfill, but nothing is difficult when you, creator of the world, are pleased. Through your favor, Indra reigns over the three worlds. My mother's rival queen has said to me, loudly and arrogantly, 'The royal throne is not for one who is not born of me.' I now ask of you, the support of the universe, for an exalted position, superior to all others, and one that shall endure forever."
Vishnu responded, "The position you ask for, you shall obtain, for I was pleased with you long ago in a prior existence. You were formerly a Brahman, whose thoughts were always devoted to me, dutiful to your parents, and observant of your responsibilities. In time, you befriended a prince who was in the prime of youth, indulged in sensual pleasures, and possessed a handsome appearance and elegant form. Observing his affluence through your association with him, you formed the desire to be subsequently born as a king's son. According to your wish, you obtained a princely birth in the illustrious household of Uttanapada. But what others would have considered a great blessing—birth in the lineage of Svayambhuva—you have not regarded as such, and therefore have worshipped me. The person who worships me attains swift liberation from life. What is heaven to one whose mind is fixed on me?"
He continued, "A position shall be assigned to you, Dhruva, above the three worlds; one in which you will sustain the stars and planets. Your station will be above those of:
The sun
The moon
Mars
Mercury (the son of Soma)
Venus
Saturn (the son of Surya)
All other constellations
It will be above the regions of the seven Rishis and the divinities who traverse the atmosphere. Some celestial beings endure for four ages, some for the reign of a Manu, but to you shall be granted the duration of a Kalpa. Your mother Suniti, in the form of a bright star, shall remain near you for a similar period. All those who, with attentive minds, glorify you at dawn or dusk shall acquire exceptional religious merit."
Thus, the sage Dhruva, having received a boon from Janardana, the lord of gods and the world, now resides in an exalted position. Observing his glory, Usanas, the preceptor of gods and demons, recited these verses:
"Remarkable is the efficacy of this penance, marvelous is its reward, that the seven Rishis should be preceded by Dhruva. This too is the pious Suniti, his mother, who is called Sunrita."
Who can fully praise her greatness? Having given birth to Dhruva, she has become the refuge of the three worlds, enjoying an elevated station for all time to come, a position eminent above all. Whoever shall worthily describe Dhruva's ascent into the sky shall forever be freed from all sin and enjoy the heaven of Indra. Whatever his status, whether on earth or in heaven, he shall never fall from it, but shall long enjoy life, blessed with every comfort.
Thus concludes the twelfth chapter of the Creation part of the Vishnu Purana.