47 verses
Maitreya said: Learning that Dhruvas anger had subsided and he had ceased killing, Kuvera appeared. Praised by Cāraṇas, Yakṣas and Kinnaras, he spoke to Dhruva who stood with folded hands.
O son of a warrior! Sinless one! I am pleased with you because you have given up hatred, difficult to give up, on the instruction of your grandfather.
You did not kill Yakṣas and they did not kill your brother. Time is the master of destruction and creation for all beings.
From ignorance, from absorption in the body, mans intelligence, thinking of I and mine like a dreamer, by which bondage and suffering arise, becomes useless.
Ataddhyānāt means from thinking only of the body. From this arises saṁsāra (bandha) and the opposite of the jīvas knowledge and blissignorance and suffering.
bhajasva bhajanīyāḍghrim abhavāya bhava-cchidam yuktaṁ virahitaṁ śaktyā guṇa-mayyātma-māyayā
Therefore go, Dhruva. Good fortune to you. To attain the Lord who has no material existence, while thinking all beings as equal to oneself, worship the Lord, beyond the senses, who is the form of all beings, the destroyer of saṁsāra, whose feet are worthy of worship, and who, though endowed with the material śakti composed of guṇas, is unaffected by it.
Sarva-bhūtātma-bhāvena means with the thought that all beings are like oneself. Sarva-bhūtātma-vigraham means that the Lords form is all beings. Abhavāya means in order to attain the Lord who has no birth and death. He is joined to māyā because māyā is his śakti. He is detached from māyā because that śakti is not his svarūpa.
O King! Son of Uttānapada! Please ask any benediction in your mind from me without hesitation. We who should give you benedictions have heard that you are very close to the feet of the Lord.
Anantaram means without obstacle, very close.
Maitreya said: When Kuvera requested him to ask for a benediction, the great devotee Dhruva, of high intelligence, asked that he should have fixed remembrance of the Lord, by which he could cross the insurmountable ignorance of material existence easily.
Rāja-rājena means who exists in all people who reside with the King. This refers to Kuvera.
Pleased with Dhruva, Kuvera gave him remembrance of the Lord and then disappeared as Dhruva watched. Dhruva then returned to his city.
Aidavidaḥ means Kuvera.
By sacrifices and profuse charities he then worshipped the Lord of sacrifice, who facilitates actions related to the materials, ceremonies and devatās and who gives the results of sacrifice.
Dravya-kriyā-devatānāṁ karma karma-phala-pradam means that the Lord alone creates the activities related to the ingredients, rituals and devatās and he alone creates the results of the activities.
Engaged in intense bhakti to the infallible Lord, the soul of all beings, who is different from all others, he saw the Lord alone situated in all beings and in himself.
Kings perform sacrifices to please the devatās and brāhmaṇas. Without doing so the Kings work cannot be accomplished. In compliance to that, his likeness alone performed these actions. In actuality, he did not have time for such actions. That is explained in this verse. He performed bhakti to the Lord is the soul of all beings (sarvātmani), who is different from all others (asarve). By power of his mature meditation he saw the Lord within his heart (ātmani) and externally in all beings.
The citizens considered Dhruva, protector of the rules of dharma, who was endowed with all good qualities, respectful to brāhmaṇas, and affectionate to the miserable, to be their father.
Desiring to decrease his pious results by enjoyment and destroy his sinful reactions by austerity, he ruled the earth for thirty-six thousand years.
He destroyed sinful reactions by vratas and sense control (abhoghaiḥ). The present participle kurvan (doing) has the sense of an infinitive. The infinitive has a sense of wanting to. Devadatta goes to enjoy means Devadatta goes, desiring to enjoy. Thus the meaning of the verse is Desiring to destroy sinful reactions by vratas, and destroying pious reactions by enjoyment, Dhruva ruled for thirty-six thousand years. However, this desire to destroy reactions is exhibited out of humility. Actually he did not have any pious or sinful reactions since he had developed prema.
manyamāna idaṁ viśvaṁ māyā-racitam ātmani avidyā-racita-svapna- gandharva-nagaropamam
Passing many years suitable for enjoyment of artha, dharma and kāma, with undisturbed senses, the great devotee Dhruva, realizing that this universe made by māyā is like a Gandharva city manufactured in a dream caused by ignorance in oneself, handed over the throne to his son.
He passed many years suitable of enjoyment of artha, dharma and kāma. Since it is made of māyā, the universe is real. However, by ignorance within the self, it appears unreal and is thus compared to a Gandharva city in a dream made by ignorance.
Considering that body, wives, children, friends, military power, treasury, female quarters, beautiful parks, and the whole area surrounded by the oceans, would all be destroyed by time, he went to Badarikāśrama.
Considering that all things were affected (upaṣṛtṣam) by time, he left for Badarikāśrama (viśālām).
Purifying his senses there, he bathed in the pure water, sat in the roper position, controlled his breathing, withdrew his senses by the mind, and concentrated on the substitute form of the Lord, the universal form. Meditating continuously on the actual form of the Lord, he then gave up the universal form in samādhi.
The aṣṭāḍga-yoga process is described: yama, niyama, asana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇa, dhyāna and samādhi. He practiced dhāraṇa on the universal form (pratinidhi). He then meditated on the actual form of the Lord without interruption, and situated in samādhi, gave up that gross, universal form.
Constantly engaged in bhakti to the Supreme Lord, he was constantly afflicted by tears of bliss. His heart melted, his hairs stood on end. He could not remember his body since he was free from bodily identification.
Out of obligation, he performed yoga for two or three days to respect proper conduct of yogīs present there. Actually he did not have any time for yoga. The cause of his symptoms was not yoga. He had become free of bodily identification. Dhruva simply was showing the common people the process of karma-yoga for householders and aṣṭāḍga-yoga for renounced persons.
Dhruva saw the foremost airplane descend from the sky illuminating all directions like the rising moon.
In that airplane he then saw two persons, the best of devatās, dark in complexion, youthful, with four arms, and reddish lotus eyes, with fine clothing, crowns, necklaces, bracelets and beautiful earrings, holding clubs.
In that airplane (tatra) he then (anu) saw two persons.
Understanding that these servants of the Lord were his principle associates, he stood up, but forgot the proper order of worship out of bewilderment. He simply offered respects, and chanted the names of the Lord.
Out of confusion (sādhvasa) he forgot the sequence of worship. Thus he just chanted the names of the Lord, Jaya Nārāyaṇ, jaya gopāla, jaya govinda and offered obeisances.
The esteemed servants of the Lord, Sunanda and Nanda, smiling, approached and spoke to Dhruva, who stood with folded hands and bowed head, absorbed in the feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Sunanda and Nanda said: O King! All good fortune to you, who pleased the Lord by austerity when you were five years old! Attentively hear our words.
By saying Good fortune to you! they indicate that he would attain the Lords abode in his present body.
We, associates of the Supreme Lord, creator of all the universes and holder of the Śārḍga bow, have come to take you to the abode of the Lord.
You have attained the planet of Viṣṇu, difficult to achieve, which the devatās see but cannot attain. Stay there. The moon, sun and other planets, the constellations and stars circumambulate that supreme place clockwise.
The devatās and the seven sages, without attaining that place, look at it from below. The moon and other planets turn around that planet.
O Dhruva! Stay in that supreme abode of Viṣṇu, a place not achieved by your forefathers or any others, which is worshipped by the whole universe.
O immortal! You are qualified to board this excellent plane sent by the best of famous persons.
Āyuṣman (long-lived) indicates that he will go in the same body.
Miatreya said: On hearing the honey words of the two associates from Vaikuṇṭha, Dhruva, dear to the Lord, took his bath, performed his daily rituals, offered respects to the sages and had them bless him.
Niyojya means servants. Madhucyutam means flowing with honey. Another version has madhucyutām, which means words having drops of honey. Abhyavādayat means he made them give him blessings.
Circumambulating and worshipping the plane, offering respects to the two associates, assuming a golden form, he desired to board the plane.
He circled the plane and then worshipped it by offering sandalwood and flowers saying Bhagavad-vimānāya namaḥ. Assuming a golden form, he desired to board the plane.
At that time Dhruva saw death approaching him. Placing his foot on the head of death, he boarded that astounding abode.
Drums sounded, the best of Gandharvas sang, and showers of flowers fell.
As he was ascending to the Lords planet, he remembered his mother Sunīti. Giving up this place that no one can attain, the abode of Viṣṇu, I will go to my unfortunate mother.
Agam means not attained by anyone. Tripiṣṭapam means the abode of the Viṣṇu.
Understanding the desire of Dhruva, the two associates of the Lord showed him that his mother was also going by an airplane in front of him.
Vyavasitaṁ tasya vyavasāya means understanding his desire.
While being showered with flowers here and there by devatās who were praising him in other planes on that path, Dhruva saw the many planets one after the other.
Flying beyond the three worlds, he whose planet is Dhruvaloka arrived at the Lords planet beyond the seven sages.
He arrived at the planet of Viṣṇu beyond the planet of the seven sages.1 Dhruva is described as having the fixed goal, having Dhruvaloka as his planet.
He reached that shining planet, by whose effulgence the three worlds shine, which those who are not merciful do not reach but which those who constantly engage in good actions reach.
By the shining of that planet other planets subsequently (anu) shine.
The friends of the Lord, those who are peaceful, seeing all things equally, pure, and pleasing to all beings, easily go to the Lords abode.
Thus, pure Dhruva, son of Uttānapada, who was surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, was the crest jewel of the three planetary systems.
O Vidura! Around him, the zodiac belt with planets and stars circles incessantly, like a herd of bulls going around a central pillar with great speed.
Time is always awake. Thus the planets circle incessantly. Great speed modifies the herd of bulls.
Seeing the glories of Dhruva, Nārada, playing on his vīṇā, sang verses in the sacrificial arena of the Pracetas.
Nārada played (vinudan) his vīṇā (āotdyam).
Nārada said: Followers of the Vedas, what to speak of kings, seeing the goal attained by chaste Sunītis son who severe austerity incarnate, could not obtain the method by which he attained the goal, what to speak of the attainment.
Dhruva was the personification of severe austerities. Even on seeing his attainment, sages, what to speak of kings, could not attain the esoteric practice for that attainment, what to speak of the attainment itself.
When five years old he went to the forest, because his heart was burned, pierced by the sharp words of his step mother, and following my instructions, he conquered the unconquerable Lord who is conquered by the qualities of his devotees.
Dūyatā should be dūyamānena (burned).
A so-called kṣatriya should desire to attain the position of Dhruva, but cannot attain it even after many years, because Dhruva, when only five or six years old, after a few days, pleased the Lord and attained his abode.
Even the best kṣatriya is the lowest (kṣatra-bandhuḥ), compared to Dhruva. He desires to attain that position, but can he attain it even after many years. Ṣaṭ-pañca-varṣaḥ means Dhruva who was five or six years old.
Maitreya said: As you have asked, I have explained to you everything about the activities of most famous Dhruva, which are celebrated by the devotees.
|| 4.12.-46 ||
dhanyaṁ yaśasyam āyuṣyaṁ
puṇyaṁ svasty-ayanaṁ mahat
svargyaṁ dhrauvyaṁ saumanasyaṁ
praśasyam agha-marṣaṇam
śrutvaitac chraddhayābhīkṣṇam
acyuta-priya-ceṣṭitam
bhaved bhaktir bhagavati
yayā syāt kleśa-saḍkṣayaḥ
For persons desiring wealth, fame, long life, pious credits, good fortune, great position in heaven, by hearing repeatedly with faith the praiseworthy activities of Dhruva, dear to the Lord, which allow one to attain Dhruvaloka, and which are suitable even for the devatās and destroy all sins, bhakti to the Lord, which destroys all miseries, develops.
Dhanyam means for those desiring wealth. Dhrauvyam means it enables one to attain Dhruvaloka. Saumanasyam means suitable for devatās. This pastime is suitable for the devatās to hear and recite. The grammatical structures is The bhakti (of that person so situatedthis phrase should be supplied), having heard the activities of Dhruva, develops.
For those desiring greatness, hearing about Dhruva is the cause of greatness. Hearing about Dhruva, the hearer develops good qualities. For those desiring power, hearing about Dhruva is the cause of power. For those who are intelligent, hearing about Dhruva is the cause of respect.
Hearing this (yatra), it is a cause (tīrtham) of greatness.
One should recite this great story of famous Dhruva attentively in the morning and in the evening in the company of brāhmaṇas.
śrāvayec chraddadhānānāṁ tīrtha-pāda-padāśrayaḥ necchaṁs tatrātmanātmānaṁ santuṣṭa iti sidhyati
A person who has taken shelter of the Lord should make those with faith hear this story on the full moon, dark moon, on Dvādaśī, during Śravana month, on kṣaya-tithis, vyatīpāta days, on saḍkrantis,2 or on Sundays. Satisfying himself by his self, without desire for profit, he attains perfection.
Śraddadhānānam has an accusative meaning (object of the verb). One should not accept payment or other articles, because one satisfies the self by the self. The devotee, in making others hear, thinks This devotee is hearing with faith the topics of Kṛṣṇa that I am reciting. That is my payment. In this way he attains perfection.
The devatās do not give obstacles to the merciful protector of the wretched, who gives immortal knowledge to the ignorant on the path of truth.
If making people hear knowledge which gives liberation gives such great result, making people hear about Dhruva will certainly give a greater result.
O best of the Kurus! I have told you the story of pure, famous activities of Dhruva, who as a child, giving up play things and the house of his mother, took shelter of Viṣṇu.
Thus ends the commentary on the Twelfth Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Twelfth Chapter describes how Dhruva received benedictions from Kuvera, returned to his own city, worshipped the Lord through sacrifices, and renouncing everything, attained the abode of the Lord in the same body.
Vaiśasāt means from killing.