Happy Indian New Year for April 14. While each calendar high is a chance to start afresh, it’s also nice to remember the stories that renew our sense of continuity. A poignant yet inspiring tale from Indian tradition is the legend of Dhruva, the child seeker. It is found in the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavat Purana:
Dhruva was only five but what a bright, determined five. His gentle mother Suniti had a difficult time keeping up with his adventurous spirit and his cuts and grazes from play. Suniti was both worried about his safety and pleased with his boldness. After all, Dhruva was the eldest son of King Uttanapada and would be king one day. But Suniti had grown unsure about Dhruva’s future after the king married a younger woman called Suruchi. Suniti was now the classic neglected wife, while Suruchi and her son Uttama were the king’s favourites. Dhruva was too young to understand but one day the truth broke cruelly upon him.
One morning, Dhruva spotted his father seated on a garden bench holding Uttama. Dhruva bounded eagerly towards him and tried to climb onto his lap. But Suruchi pounced on Dhruva. Wrenching his arm, she angrily dragged him off the bench. “Wretched boy, you cannot sit on his lap, you are not my son! Pray to Lord Narayana to make you my son next time.”
“Father!” cried Dhruva. But Uttanapada was so besotted with Suruchi that he said not a word. Dhruva choked on a sob and ran to his mother. Suniti felt helpless when Dhruva tearfully told her the story. “Perhaps she is right, son,” she said sadly. Some hours later she was horrified to discover that Dhruva had vanished.
Dhruva had run away to the forest to find Lord Narayana, since by his childish logic, the Lord was clearly not in town. He marched boldly into it although his head felt light with fatigue and his heart heavy with misery. But the light began to fade and he sat down to rest.
“Narayana, Narayana!” said an astonished voice suddenly. “What are you doing alone in the forest, child?” It was a holy man carrying a lute.
Propelled by his training, Dhruva got up and bowed to him. The sage’s eyes softened. Dhruva told him his story in a tired little voice.
“I am Narada, who roams the three realms,” said the sage. “Listen to me, dear child. You are too young to take insults so much to heart. Your place is by your mother, playing with your toys. You say you want to find Lord Narayana. Child, do you know how difficult it is? Rishis and yogis have spent their whole lives looking for him. Let me take you home, your mother must be anxious.”
“Please teach me how to find him,” begged Dhruva, “Please.” Remembering his own long and lonely quest for the Lord, Narada’s heart went out to Dhruva. He decided to help him.
“I will take you through my yogic power to the forest of Madhuvan by the Yamuna. The Lord loves that place,” he said, and in the blink of an eye, they were both in Madhuvan.
“Now choose a tree to sit under,” said Narada and Dhruva chose a fine old pipal. “After I leave,” said Narada, “sit cross-legged under it, shut your eyes, picture Lord Narayana in your mind and keep repeating this mantra – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.”
“But what does Lord Narayana look like?” asked Dhruva innocently.
Narada’s eyes lit up. “He is the most beautiful person you can ever hope to see, with large, dark eyes. He has four great arms, holding a conch, discus, mace and lotus. His complexion is as dark and lovely as the rainclouds. He wears a dhoti of bright yellow and a garland of wildflowers on his neck. He rides a great eagle called Garuda. There is no other like him.”
After Narada left, Dhruva did everything he was told. The hardest part was to picture Lord Narayana. But point by point, he formed an image in his mind’s eye and began to repeat the mantra.
Dhruva struggled for several days to find a pattern to his breathing as advised by Narada. The active little boy was unused to sitting still and developed terrible cramps in his arms and legs, while his neck grew painfully stiff. But Dhruva’s determined little heart burned to find Lord Narayana and he stuck it out. Dhruva ate berries at first and then grass. He gradually gave up food and drank only water. By and by, he began to live on air for he grudged spending even a moment away from the beautiful image in his mind. His clothes turned to tatters and his little body became like a block of wood. Five months passed like this. The world found it hard to breathe because of the immense heat generated by Dhruva’s tapasya. The celestials, having failed to disturb Dhruva, went to Lord Narayana. “Please take pity on him and on us,” they pleaded.
“I will. He has been utterly immovable. He is the most extraordinary child I have seen,” said the Lord.
Dhruva sat lost in the vision of Lord Narayana that had steadily grown more luminous with every passing week. But suddenly the vision blacked out. Dhruva cried aloud and opened his eyes.
There before him stood the Lord in dazzling splendour, a kind smile hovering on his lips. Speechless, Dhruva flung himself at the Lord’s feet, long past caring about who loved him and who didn’t.
The Lord spoke affectionately to Dhruva. “Your staunchness will not be in vain, my littlest devotee. Sage Narada will take you home now. Your father will welcome you with love and you will be king one day. When your time comes, I will place you above everyone else as a constant, shining star.” And so it was and so it remains until this very day. ‘Dhruva’ is still our name for the Pole Star.
Renuka Narayanan