What is the story of Dhruva? Five-year-old Dhruva, pushed from his father’s lap, went to the forest to pray to Vishnu. His penance won him a place in the sky that never moves: the pole star.
The story
King Uttanapada had two queens. One day five-year-old Dhruva, son of the neglected queen Suniti, tried to climb on his father’s lap. His stepmother Suruchi pulled him away and told him that only by God’s grace could he sit there.
Dhruva went to his mother in tears. She told him that only Vishnu could give what he wanted, so he left for the forest. On the way the sage Narada tried to send him home, then, seeing his resolve, taught him a mantra and how to meditate at Madhuvana on the Yamuna.
Dhruva’s penance grew so intense that the gods grew anxious, and Vishnu appeared before him. The boy found that what he had longed for no longer mattered. He returned, ruled justly for many years, and was given a place in the sky that never moves: the pole star, Dhruva Tara.
What it teaches
Sources
- Bhagavata Purana, Book 4.
The puja families link with this story
Questions devotees ask us
Where does the story of Dhruva come from?
It is told in the Bhagavata Purana, Book 4. Retellings differ in small details from region to region.
What does this story teach?
A child’s sincere prayer can reach further than a king’s power.