Dhruv - the Pole Star

Dense, almost impenetrable darkness pervaded the atmosphere. The only light was a couple of slivers of moonlight that streaked through the gaps in the thick foliage.  A little boy walked alone, his face filled with fear and dread. He seemed to ache for the warmth of his mother’s love. And yet, he trod on relentlessly towards his destination.

He heard the hoot of an owl in the distance, the uninterrupted chirpings of crickets and other insects, the rustling of leaves as crawly creatures slithered in the grass, and occasional angry chatterings of monkeys, as if they were rudely disturbed from their sleep. Suddenly, a pair of bright white round lights appeared at a distance. The lights moved towards him, slowly but surely. He stopped walking and stood motionless in fear.

The two circular lights became brighter as it came closer to the boy, and soon, he was able to make out the silhouette of a huge, hungry tiger. The animal stood about 10 feet away from the boy. He could hear the low-pitched growls of the striped feline as it got ready for the kill. Without warning, in the blink of an eye, the tiger sprang towards the boy.

“Dhruuuuv!”

Suruchi woke up in a sweat and realized it was a nightmare. She reached out for the glass of water kept at the bedside table and took a couple of sips. Her palpitating heart calmed down after a minute or two.

She hadn't been able to forgive herself for sending her son away on a dangerous mission that even brave warriors might have hesitated to take on. She recalled that day when she felt a stirring quite contrary to her normal, docile personality. 

Dhruv, all of five years, had come running to her, his eyes wet with unshed tears.

“Why does Mother Suniti hate me so much, mother? She is always picking on me. She doesn't like me going to my father at all. Why?”

She was taken aback by this innocent question because this was not the first time her son was at the receiving end of Suniti’s hateful behaviour. Why was he more upset than usual today? 

“What happened, my darling?”

Copious tears were flowing down his little, soft cheeks by now. “I saw Mother Suniti’s son, Uttama, sit on father’s lap, and I also wanted to do the same thing. When I ran to him, she pulled me away telling me that I don't have a place on my father’s lap. Only Uttama can sit there.”

“What did your father say to her?”

“Nothing, mother. He just kept quiet. His head was down. I stood there for a while hoping he would look up and call me. But he simply stared at the ground. Why does Mother Suniti talk to me like this? Why does she hate me?”

Suruchi had nothing to say. She tried a feeble explanation. “Suniti is scared of you because you have the first right to become the king after your father.”

Dhruv cried plaintively, “But I don't want to become king. I only want to sit on my father’s lap and play with him just as Uttama does.”

Suruchi felt as if a dagger was plunged into her heart. She felt helpless and desolate. She had gotten accustomed to being treated badly by the beautiful Suniti, her husband’s second wife. When he first brought her home, Suruchi had tried her best to befriend her. But she not only showed no interest in being friends with her husband’s first wife but also treated her with utter contempt and disdain.

Sadly, her husband, King Uttanapada, was so deeply infatuated with Suniti’s beauty that he ignored his first wife and Dhruv completely. On the contrary, he lavished attention on Suniti and Uttama. The king was under her thumb, doing her bidding without a word of protest even when her actions and desires were unjust. 

But now, when she found her son pining for his father’s love, Suruchi was heartbroken. She didn't mind the suffering of the pain of indifference and secondary treatment. However, she couldn't bear to see her son experience the same pain.  So, she hugged her little boy with all her love hoping it will compensate for the absence of his father’s love. 

Soon, Dhruv felt better and wriggled out of his mother’s hug. He had a smile on his face now. But suddenly, as if remembering something, his face took on a thoughtful expression. 

“Mother, where can I find Lord Narayana? You have always told me about Him, and that He is the Lord of the Universe. He can do anything for anyone. Nothing is beyond Him. But where can I find Him?”

Suruchi was taken aback for the second time that day by her son’s questions. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because Mother Suniti said that if I wanted to sit on my father’s lap then I must ask Lord Narayana I should be born as her son at least in the next birth.”

Suruchi was stunned to speechlessness. She wondered how a mother could be so cruel to any child. Doesn't she understand the angst of a little boy even if he was not her own son? Something triggered deep within Suruchi’s heart, she felt a sudden stirring that drove her to do something quite contrary to her otherwise compliant, timid personality.

She held her son tightly by his shoulders, and said, “She is right, Dhruv. Go! Find Lord Narayana, and ask Him for a boon. But not to be born as Suniti’s son but to get a place in this world from where no one can throw you out. Go, you have my blessings. Remember the path will be hard. But don't give up and you will find Him.”

And he had gone to find Lord Narayana, determination writ large on his face. Now, that she was raked by the repeated nightmares of her son alone in the dangerous jungles, she wondered if she should have simply consoled him instead of goading him to leave home in search of his truth. But, she underestimated her son’s determination. 

Dhruv left home and went deep into the dense forest. He spent many days and nights walking through the dark, dangerous paths hoping to find a clue that would help him discover Lord Narayana. Often, he cried himself to sleep as the sounds and sights of wild animals and creatures filled him with fear. He missed his mother very much. But, he didn't turn back. At last, one day, he met Sage Narada, Lord Narayana’s most famous and revered disciple.

“What are you doing alone in these dark forests full of wild animals, my dear boy?”

“I am trying to find Lord Narayana. I need His help.”

Stunned at the boy’s answer, Sage Narada said, “But you know that is not going to be easy at all. It might take years for you to find Him, and anything can happen to you in the meantime.”

“I am not afraid. I will not go back home until I find Him. Can you help me?”

Highly impressed with the boy’s fearless determination, Sage Narada blessed him and said, “I will teach you a mantra to chant as you meditate on the Lord. Persist in your tapas, and He will come to you.” And Sage Narada taught the boy the special mantra. 

As soon as the sage left, Dhruv found a little, secluded cave and sat cross-legged to do tapas. The severity of his tapas kept increasing steadily. In the initial days, he lived on fruits. After a while, he lived only on water. Then, he gave up water too and lived only on air. Soon, he even gave up breathing and sat meditating without a break.

The power of his tapas was so strong that the earth shook and disturbed the Seven Rishis or the Saptarishis who were living nearby. They came looking for the source of disturbance and were stunned to see the calm face of a little boy deep in meditation. So moved were they by the intensity and power of the radiation emerging from the boy’s tiny body that the Saptarishis sat around to protect him, and to ensure that no one disturbed him.

Dhruv’s prayers’ strength became so powerful that Lord Indra, the King of Gods, began to worry that he might be trying to get his throne. He took it upon himself to hamper Dhruv’s tapas. He sent monsters and wild animals to instill fear in him and shake him from his meditation. But, the boy was steadfast in his task, and thanks to the protective circle of the Seven Rishis, Dhruv remained safe and continued his tapas without any interruption.

Finally, Indra went to Lord Narayana and begged Him to appear before Dhruv and find out what he wanted. The Lord also realized it was time to answer the boy’s prayers. He went to the place where Dhruv was sitting absolutely still chanting His name and called out.

“Dhruv! Get up, my dear boy. I have come. Open your eyes and behold me.”

Dhruv opened his eyes and was stupefied to see the resplendent Lord standing in front of him. He was so awed by the majestic presence of Lord Narayana in all His glory that he forgot his boon.

“What do you want, son?”

“Nothing, my dear Lord. Now that I have seen You, all my desires are fulfilled.”

So saying, Dhruv prostrated before Him. Lord Narayana blessed him, “Stand up, my dear son. I know your desires. Go back home. Suniti and your father are repenting for their behaviour, and along with your mother, are waiting for your return. You are destined to become the king after your father. Rule wisely for a long, long time after which you will become an immovable star in the northern sky. This will be your eternal home and no one can throw you out from here.”

And so, little Dhruv became the immovable, eternal Pole Star or the Dhruv Nakshatra, and the Seven Rishis formed a constellation called Saptarishis or the Great Bear around him in the same way they sat around protecting him from harm while he meditated on the Lord.