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DHRUVA - Based on various versions of the Vishnu Purana and Smirad Bhagavatam, Canto 4. One day, five-year-old Dhruva was playing in the palace garden with his half brother Uthama. Their father, King Uttánapáda, appeared, and instantly the two boys rushed to him adoringly. Uthama climbed the throne and sat on his father’s lap, but a strong hand stopped Dhruva from performing a similar ascent. “You, child,” screamed his father’s second and most favored wife, Suruchi. “How dare you even think that you may sit on the King’s lap? You were not born as my son; you are not worthy of touching the throne.” Dhruva was crushed. He could not understand what was happening. His mother, Suniti, was his father’s first wife. As her son, he has a right to the throne and to sit in his father’s lap! He looked to his father, who cast his eyes down. Charmed by his second wife, the King refused to even look at the boy and said nothing. “Father! I wish to sit on your lap!” Dhruva cried. Still his father said nothing. Dhruva could not bear the sorrow. Furious and deeply insulted, Dhruva left his father and walked away from the throne’s steps. “If you aspire to the throne, perform tapas,” Suruchi screamed. “Pray to God and be born as my son. Only then can you get treatment like Uthama! Now get out!” Dhruva fled in tears. A servant had seen everything that happened and felt sorry for the sobbing boy. She tried to comfort him, but Dhruva ran away outside the palace to his mother. The servant followed him. “My child! What has happened?” Suniti said. She lifted up her crying son and hugged him. “Why are you crying so?” When there was no answer, she saw the servant who explained what had happened. Suniti held Dhruva in her arms as he then criticized his stepmother’s actions. “Silence!” his mother said. “If you criticize others, the defects you point out will come to you. Accept everything as something good.” Dhruva continued crying in fury. “The only hope for the helpless is to seek the grace of Lord Narayana,” she told him. Dhruva stopped crying and remembered his mother telling him that sages and ascetics go to the forest to see God, because when they find God, their heart’s desires are fulfilled. “I will go to the forest and do penance until I find the Lord! He will help me in my cause!” “But you’re only 5 years old,” she reminded him. “To perform tapas in a forest is not so easy! There are wild animals -- tigers, lions and poisonous serpents. Then there is the rain, wind, cold and heat! And what to eat?” “I don’t care,” Dhruva said. “I will find the Lord. I will have justice and the right to my father’s throne.” As he set off to the woods his mother called to him, “It is not so easy to see God! Singleness of purpose is necessary to please Him! You must have faith; let nothing shake you; your heart must be full of devotion’s nectar. Accept whatever happens to you, joy or sorrow, they are gifts from God. Surrender to him.” Dhruva found a spot in the woods and settled in. He had only one goal before him -- to see God. The name of the Lord was ever on his determined lips as he meditated unwaveringly. Then, the great sage Narada appeared before him. Dhruva was overjoyed at the sight of Narada. He bowed and touched Narada’s feet. “What’s this?” Narada exclaimed. He could not believe that a little boy was in the woods meditating on God! “You should go back to your mother! This is no place for a young boy!” Dhruva refused and told Narada what had happened to him and why he was meditating on God. Narada said, “Only a man who can treat both joys and sorrows equally can see God. You’ve been hurt by your stepmother, but only those who give up desire and anger can see God. Without peace and calm of mind, how can you see God? Now go back, live with the others. This is not the place for you.” Still Dhruva refused and continued meditating. Narada was so impressed with the boy’s courage, faith and determination that he gave him a mantra to help him. “Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya.” My respects to the Supreme Lord, who permeates everything. Narada then left the boy and went back to the King to tell him what had happened to his son. The king was overcome with grief. Everybody was angry with Suruchi. Meanwhile, Dhruva chanted continually, saturated with the Lord’s name and driving away all thoughts from his mind as he stood on one leg. He gave up food and drink and was reduced to a skeleton. His tapas heat grew strong; animals fled. He sat in a state of bliss as he contemplated only the Lord, meditating and chanting and chanting and meditating for days, weeks, months– single minded was his goal. Finally, Lord Narayana was pleased with Dhruva’s devotion and determination. He appeared before Dhruva in his divine radiance. “Ask for anything you wish,” Narayana said. But Dhruva was so enraptured that he could not speak. Narayana brushed his cheek with a conch shell, and out poured a poem of praise from Dhruva’s mouth. “ Oh Lord! Till now you were in me and you have come out to guide me. Are you going to leave me?” Dhruva had entered the forest in order to bring God before him, so that he could win an equal status for his mother and himself. Now in a state of bliss, he realized that this was an unworthy boon to ask from the almighty. He thought he should ask for something else. “Please, give me liberation from birth and death and to have you before me always,” Dhruva said. “All your wishes are fulfilled,” the Lord said. “Now go back to your kingdom. You will become the King. Rule your kingdom righteously, then enter the world of stars and adorn the highest position which none has secured so far – Dhruvapada.” He blessed the boy and then vanished. Dhruva returned to his kingdom. His father was overjoyed to see his son and begged forgiveness. Dhruva forgave his father and his stepmother, Suruchi. His mother, Suniti, was delighted in his pure actions as was the entire kingdom. At age 6, Dhruva became King, and his father went to the forest to perform tapas. After ruling the kingdom fairly and justly for decades, Dhruva’s body wore out. A chariot came to take him up to the celestial realm and he became the pole star, where he lives for all eternity.
The best way I think to tell this story is during a Story Siesta - have children relax and simply listen to the story. Then do some yoga any way you want! See what parts of the story come up during asanas. Asana - Natarajasana - the dancing Nataraj pose in honor of Shiva. Narayana is an aspect of Vishnu. Meditation - Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and then all things shall be added unto you. This Biblical reminder is similar to Dhruva's journey. Instruct children to let go of all worries, fears, wants that they may be thinking about, and allow their minds to focus only on love. If their minds should wander, remind them to return to a feeling of love. Reflection - How are you like Dhruva? How have you been wronged? How are you like the King? Doing something for the wrong reasons. What adventures have you had? What resolves to do something have you made? What happened? How did it turn out? How are you like Narada or Narayana? What is that supreme happiness within?
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