Category:God and Dhruva
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the extraordinary pastime of Dhruva Mahārāja, a five-year-old boy who achieved the ultimate perfection of life through sheer determination and the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Insulted by his stepmother and denied a place on his father's lap, Dhruva went to the forest with a burning desire to attain a material kingdom greater than that of Lord Brahmā. Guided by his guru, Nārada Muni, Dhruva executed severe austerities that surpassed the endeavors of even the greatest yogis. However, when Lord Viṣṇu finally appeared before him, the boy's heart was instantly purified. Seeing the eternal, blissful form of the Lord, Dhruva realized the insignificance of material opulence and refused any mundane benedictions. Yet, because the Lord is supremely kind and completely fulfills the desires of His devotees, He awarded Dhruva both benefits: an unparalleled material kingdom to rule for thirty-six thousand years, and ultimately, eternal salvation in the spiritual world of Dhruvaloka.
- Childish Motivation: Initially driven by false ego and family quarrels, Dhruva sought the Lord merely to obtain a temporary material kingdom.
- Severe Austerities: Under strict spiritual guidance, Dhruva engaged in unprecedented meditation and fasting, drawing the attention of the Supreme Lord.
- The Purifying Vision: The moment Dhruva saw Lord Viṣṇu face to face, his material desires vanished, replaced by complete spiritual satisfaction.
- Deep Repentance: Realizing he had approached the supreme emperor for temporary, broken glass, Dhruva lamented his former material ambition.
- The Supreme Benediction: The Lord mercifully fulfilled both of Dhruva's desires—awarding him a glorious earthly reign and an eternal, spiritual planet after his departure.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God Awarded Dhruva Mahārāja Both Benefits.
Pages in category "God and Dhruva"
The following 80 pages are in this category, out of 80 total.
A
- A devotee is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His inspiration only, the sages came to encourage Dhruva Maharaja and assure him that there was no danger because he was a soul fully surrendered to the Supreme Lord
- According to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Bhagavatamrta, the Sahasrasirsa Personality of Godhead who appeared at that time was the incarnation known as Prsnigarbha. He created the planet known as Dhruvaloka for the habitation of Dhruva Maharaja
- Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unconquerable, Dhruva Maharaja defeated Him with the specific qualifications possessed by the Lord's devotees
- An example of the neophyte class is Maharaja Dhruva. He was in need of his father's kingdom and therefore engaged himself in devotional service to the Lord
D
- Dhruva did not ask Kuvera for transference to the spiritual world, which is called liberation; he simply asked that wherever he would remain - whether in the spiritual or material world - he would always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Dhruva Maharaja - he was pious, born in a very pious family, and by family quarrel he went to worship the Supreme Lord Visnu in the forest, aspiring material opulence
- Dhruva Maharaja at first wanted to achieve the greatest material kingdom and greater material possessions than his father, but when he was actually favored by the Lord, who appeared before him to give him the benediction he desired, he refused it
- Dhruva Maharaja attained this perfection not by acting hastily, but by patiently executing the order of his spiritual master, and therefore he became so successful that he saw the Lord face to face
- Dhruva Maharaja knew all this (everything of Visnu's is as good as Lord Visnu) very well, as a pure Vaisnava, and he offered his respects to the associates and to the plane before riding in it
- Dhruva Maharaja regrets that he wanted material opulence and greater prosperity than that of his great-grandfather, Lord Brahma. His begging from the Lord was like a poor man's asking a great emperor for a few grains of broken rice
- Dhruva Maharaja rendered devotional service unto the Supreme, the reservoir of everything, with unrelenting force
- Dhruva Maharaja repented because he had come to the Lord to render devotional service for material profit. He here (in SB 4.9.9) condemns his attitude
- Dhruva Maharaja said: My dear Lord, You are all-powerful. After entering within me, You have enlivened all my sleeping senses - my hands, legs, ears, touch sensation, life force and especially my power of speech
- Dhruva Maharaja wanted the material benediction of a kingdom greater than that of his father, and although he received a spiritual body, he also got the kingdom, for the SP of Godhead does not disappoint anyone who takes shelter of His lotus feet
- Dhruva Maharaja wanted to have the kingdom of his father, but his father refused even to allow him to get on his lap. In order to fulfill his desire, the Lord had already created a planet known as the polestar, Dhruvaloka
- Dhruva Maharaja was a pure devotee and was accustomed to always thinking of the Lord. Reciprocally, the Lord always thinks of those pure devotees who think of Him only, twenty-four hours a day
- Dhruva Maharaja was advised to surrender unto Him in all respects, without keeping any personal ambition
- Dhruva Maharaja was already a liberated person because at the age of five years he had seen God. But even though liberated, he was, for the time being, afflicted by the illusion of maya, thinking himself the brother of Uttama in the bodily concept of life
- Dhruva Maharaja was especially requested not to do anything unbefitting a surrendered soul because Dhruva Maharaja had already surrendered to the Supreme Godhead
- Dhruva Maharaja was given a specific arrow made by Lord Narayana Himself, and he now fixed it upon his bow to finish the illusory atmosphere created by the Yaksas
- Dhruva Maharaja was seeking material opulences, and his mother advised rightly that even for material opulences it is better to worship not the demigods but the Supreme Lord
- Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest to achieve some material result by austerity and penance, but when he actually saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead he said, "I do not want any material benediction. I am completely satisfied"
- Dhruva Maharaja went to worship God to gain something, but when he actually came in contact with God he did not want anything from the Lord. The Lord, however, awarded Dhruva Maharaja both benefits - that is, the Lord fulfilled his desires
- Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for a material benediction, but when he actually achieved the favor of the Supreme Lord and saw Him, he was so satisfied that he refused to accept any material benediction
- Dhruva Maharaja, having arrived at Madhuvana, took his bath in the River Yamuna and observed fasting in the night with great care and attention. After that, as advised by the great sage Narada, he engaged himself in worshiping the Supreme Person
- Dhruva Maharaja, the son of King Uttanapada, was already known throughout the universe as a great devotee of the Lord, constantly thinking of His lotus feet
- Dhruva says, "My dear Lord, the transcendental pleasure derived by meditation upon Your lotus feet, which is enjoyed by the pure devotees, cannot be approached by the transcendental pleasure derived by the impersonalists through self realization"
- Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand
F
- First of all you must satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, and then, when you are favored by Him because of such worship, you shall have to take your next birth from my womb
- For the first month Dhruva Maharaja ate only fruits and berries on every third day, only to keep his body and soul together, and in this way he progressed in his worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- From the acts of Srila Dhruva Maharaja we can understand that somehow or other if one becomes Krsna conscious - it does not matter what his motivation is in the beginning - he will eventually realize the real truth by the grace of the Lord
H
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) concentrated his mind on the arca-vigraha, the worshipable Deity of the Lord, which exactly represents the Supreme Lord, and thus thinking constantly of that Deity, he became absorbed in trance
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace: (CC Madhya 22.42) My dear Lord, I am fully satisfied with whatever You have given me or not given me. I have nothing to ask from You, for I am fully satisfied to be engaged in Your service
- He (the Lord) gave Dhruva the opportunity to rule this material world for thirty-six thousand years with unchangeable senses and the chance to perform many great sacrifices and thus become the most reputed king within this material world
- He did not demand actual liberation from this material world, but at the end of his devotional service, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before him, he was simply ashamed of the material demands he had in his mind
I
- In spite of having You (God), who are like a desire tree and are the cause of liberation from birth and death, foolish persons, such as me (Dhruva), desire benedictions from You for sense gratification
- In the beginning of his life, when he went to the forest in search of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Maharaja realized that all bodily conceptions of pleasure are products of the illusory energy
- In the fourth month Dhruva Maharaja became a complete master of the breathing exercise, and thus he inhaled air only every twelfth day. In this way he became completely fixed in his position and worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- In the very beginning, of course, he (Dhruva Maharaja) was after the kingdom of his father, and in order to get it he went to search for the Supreme Lord. But he later realized that everything is the creation of the illusory energy
M
- Maharaj Dhruva says "My dear Lord, I have practiced austerities and penances because I was desiring to receive something from You, but in exchange You have allowed me to see You, who are never visible even to the great sages and saintly persons"
- Maharaj Dhruva says, "I had been searching out some pieces of broken glass, but instead I have found the most valuable jewel. I am therefore fully satisfied, my Lord. I do not wish to ask anything more from Your Lordship"
- Manu was very proud that Dhruva Maharaja was one of the descendants in his family because at the age of only five years Dhruva began meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and within six months he was able to see the Supreme Lord face to face
- My dear Dhruva Maharaja, son of Maharaja Uttanapada, we have heard that you are constantly engaged in transcendental loving service to the SPG, who is known for His lotus navel. You are therefore worthy to take all benedictions from us
- My dear Dhruva, besides worshiping the Deity and chanting the mantra three times a day, you should meditate upon the transcendental activities of the SPG in His different incarnations, as exhibited by His supreme will and personal potencies
- My dear Dhruva, come forward. May the Lord always grace you with good fortune. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond our sensory perception, is the Supersoul of all living entities, and thus all entities are one, without distinction
- My dear Dhruva, what do you want? You can take from Me (God) whatever you want. - "My dear Lord," the boy replied - I was undergoing such severe penances simply for my father's kingdom and land, but now I have seen You
P
S
- Simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, one can surpass the ocean of death, so Dhruva Maharaja was certainly able to surpass the illusory magical feats of the Yaksas, which for the time being disturbed his mind
- Since Dhruva Maharaja was living at that time at Badarikasrama, there were other great sages there. He did not become puffed up because the airplane sent by Lord Visnu was waiting for him
- Suniti informed her son: Your grandfather Svayambhuva Manu executed great sacrifices with distribution of charity, and thereby, with unflinching faith and devotion, he worshiped and satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Svayambhuva Manu pointed out this fact to Dhruva Maharaja: "Not only are you a pure devotee, but you are recognized by all pure devotees of the Lord. You should always act in such an exemplary way that others may learn from you"
T
- The airplane sent by Lord Visnu to carry Dhruva Maharaja to Sisumara was a completely spiritual, transcendental airplane. Material scientists can neither see such vehicles nor imagine how they fly in the air
- The associates of Lord Visnu brought the special airplane for Dhruva Maharaja and then informed him that Lord Visnu had especially sent this airplane
- The example of Dhruva Maharaja is very fitting. Simply by becoming agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead & by developing love of Godhead, Dhruva got the chance to personally meet the confidential servants of Lord Visnu face to face
- The Ganges River is known by many names, such as the Bhagirathi and the Jahnavi. It purifies Dhruvaloka and the planets of the seven sages because both Dhruva and the sages have no other desire than to serve the Lord's lotus feet
- The Krsna consciousness movement is so potent that by adopting these principles of life and developing love of God one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead. Here the practical example is the case of Dhruva Maharaja
- The Lord assured Dhruva Maharaja that Dhruva would not be bereft of the Lord's love. He encouraged Dhruva not to be worried that he childishly had material desires and at the same time had the pure aspiration to be a great devotee
- The Lord can be worshiped in all stages of life. For instance, even in the wombs of their mothers Maharaja Prahlada and Maharaja Pariksit worshiped the Lord; even in his very childhood, at the age of only five years, Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the Lord
- The Lord fulfilled all Dhruva Maharaja's desires
- The Lord is so kind that because Dhruva Maharaja, in the beginning, had desired a kingdom greater than his father's, he was promoted to Dhruvaloka, the best planet in the universe
- The Lord touched His conch to Dhruva's forehead, and he was transcendentally inspired. This inspiration is called brahma-maya because when one is thus inspired, the sound he produces exactly corresponds to the sound vibration of the Vedas
- The Lord, awarded Dhruva Maharaja both benefits - that is, the Lord fulfilled his desires and also gave him eternal salvation. Such are the lessons we learn from all the revealed scriptures
- The Lord, who is nondifferent from the Sahasrasirsa incarnation, got on the back of Garuda, who carried Him to the Madhuvana Forest to see His servant Dhruva
- The Personality of Godhead continued: My dear Dhruva, after your material life in this body, you will go to My planet, which is always offered obeisances by the residents of all other planetary systems
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind and loves His devotee Maharaja Dhruva so much that He has placed all the luminaries under the control of Dhruva's planet and has arranged for the time factor to work under him or with his cooperation
- The system of bhakti-yoga described by Queen Suniti to her son is the standard way of God realization. Everyone can continue in his constitutional occupational duties and at the same time keep the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart
- This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Maharaja's senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord
- Throughout his life he tried to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by austerity & penances. Now, the mature result was that Dhruva Maharaja became fit to be carried to the spiritual world, accompanied by the confidential associates of the Lord
W
- We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Maharaja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world. He was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties
- When Dhruva Maharaja personally saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he was very much agitated in awe and respect, and it appeared as if he were drinking the entire body of the Lord with his eyes
- When Dhruva Maharaja was undergoing penance and meditating upon the form of Visnu within his heart, the Visnu form suddenly disappeared, and his meditation broke. Upon opening his eyes, Dhruva Maharaja immediately saw Visnu before him
- When Lord appeared before Dhruva Maharaja to give him benediction he refused it by saying, svamin krtartho'smi varam na yace - Now I am fully satisfied. I do not want any material benediction. (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 7.28) This is the perfection of life
- When the great devotee Dhruva Maharaja was engaged in meditation on the four-handed form of Visnu, all of a sudden his meditation broke, and he immediately saw before him the same form upon which he had been meditating
- While carrying out his DS to the Lord, he could see that everything is situated in Him only and that He is situated in all living entities. The Lord is called Acyuta because He never fails in His prime duty, to give protection to His devotees
- Why should a person who is already engaged in the service of the Lord engage himself in personal sense gratification? Dhruva Maharaja is advised here (in SB 4.11.10) by Lord Manu that he is a pure servitor of the Lord