Dhruva excitedly scampered into the royal chamber, where his father King Uttanapada was seated on the royal throne with his wife Queen Suruchi. Seeing his stepbrother Uttama perched on their father’s lap, five-year-old Dhruva started running up the flight of stairs to reach the throne.
But before Dhruva could even settle on his father’s lap, he felt a sharp jerk against his back, and he came tumbling down the stairs. Puzzled, Dhruva looked up at his stepmother Suruchi who had shoved him down.
Suruchi glared at him. “Who do you think you are? Sitting on my husband’s lap is a privilege — not something that everyone deserves.” She laughed humorlessly. “Perhaps if you do enough penance, you’ll be reborn as my son and will have the privilege to sit on the king’s lap. Too bad you’re Suniti’s son.”
Suruchi’s words were no surprise for Dhruva — the mistreatment was familiar. But seeing his father not stand up for him was Dhruva’s breaking point. Pained by the insult, the young kshatriya prince bit his lip to control his emotions and ran straight to his mother’s house, where he burst into tears. His mother Suniti was actually Uttanapada’s first wife, but the king was so enamored and manipulated by Suruchi that he hardly ever paid any attention to Suniti.
Dhruva’s face was red with tears when he ran into his mother’s arms. Suniti wrapped her arms around his shoulders and patiently listened to his story.
Suniti took a deep breath. “My dear, I know it’s not fair, but what your stepmother said is correct. But, Dhruva, you know who can actually give you happiness? The Lord. If you pray to Sriman Narayana, he will certainly take care of you, okay?”
Dhruva wriggled out of his mother’s arms and nodded gravely. He was determined to regain his father’s respect and was ready to do anything for it. In all the stories that his mother had told him, people always went to the forest when they wanted to pray to the Lord. So, he interpreted his mother’s advice to be just that. Dhruva immediately left the palatial quarters and headed straight to the forest.
As he walked through the wilderness, Dhruva suddenly came across Sage Narada. The sage, who already knew everything that had unfolded, blessed Dhruva.
“Why are you going to the forest now?” Narada asked. “There is no point in getting so affected by your stepmother’s words.” The sage explained to Dhruva that getting so disturbed by everything that happened to him was not befitting. “Meditating in the forest is not a simple task, Dhruva,” he said.
But Dhruva had made up his mind. “I can’t understand any of your deep philosophy because of my ignorance,” he said. “After all, I’m a prince – I can’t just stand and meekly watch my stepmother’s cruelty. I need to go to the forest and meditate. Please advise me on how I can best succeed in my pursuit.”
The compassionate sage smiled. “All right, Dhruva, listen to what your mother said and seek out the Lord. You know the Yamuna River? Right at its bank, there is a holy forest called Madhuvana. Find a quiet spot over there and meditate on Sriman Narayana.”
“But how does the Lord look?” Dhruva asked. “How should I picture him?”
“The Lord is exceedingly beautiful. Every part of his pleasing face is always ready to bestow grace upon his devotees. Have you seen how the sky becomes slightly pinkish during sunrise? That pinkish color is the shade of our Lord’s eyes and lips. The rest of his body is a deep blue — the color of a dense thundercloud. Right on his chest, you’ll see the Srivatsa mark where Sri Mahalakshmi lives. He has a fragrant flower garland around his neck, and his four broad arms carry a conch, his chakra, a mace, and a lotus.”
Sage Narada continued to describe the Lord. Dhruva earnestly held on to every word.
“Is there anything I should chant when I meditate?” asked Dhruva.
“I have a very special mantra for you. Listen and repeat after me: om namo bhagavate vaasudevaaya. Keep chanting this mantra and immerse yourself thinking about the Lord.”
Dhruva circumambulated the sage and fell at his feet gratefully. He was all set to go to Madhuvana and engage in deep penance.
Curious about what happens during Dhruva’s penance? Find out in the next part of the story, coming soon!
This story is found in the fourth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
