Bhagat Dhroo ji
<> siqgurpRswid ] DR¨ hsdw Gr AwieAw kr ipAwr ipau kuCV lIqw]
bwhoN pkV auTwilAw mn ivc ros mqRyeI kIqw]
fufhuilkw mW puCy qUM swvwxI hY ik srIqw]
swvwxI hW jnm dI nwm n BgqI krm idRVIqw]
iks aud`m qy rwj imlY sqR U qy sB hovn mIqw]
prmySr AwrwDIAY ijMdU hoeIAY piqq punIqw]
bwhr cilAw krn qp mn bYrwgI hoie AqIqw]
nwrdmuin aupdyiSAw nwm inDwn Aimaurs pIqw]
ipChu rwjy sidAw Abcl rwj krhu inq nIqw]
hwr cly gurmuK jg jIqw ]ñ]
– Bhai Gurdaas Ji in Vaars Bhai Gurdaas on Pannaa 10
One Oankar, the primal energy, realized through the grace of the divine preceptor
Boy Dhru came smiling to his house (palace) and his father full of love put him into his lap.
Seeing this, the stepmother got angry and catching hold of his arm pushed him out of the lap of the father (the king).
Tearful with fear he asked his mother whether she was a queen or a maidservant?
O son! (said she) I was born queen but I did not remember God and did not undertake acts of devotion (and this is the reason of yours and mine plight).
With that effort can the kingdom be had (asked Dhru) and how can enemies turn friends?
The Lord should be worshipped and thus the sinners also become sacred ones (said the mother).
Listening to this and getting totally detached in his mind Dhru went out (to the jungle) to undertake rigorous discipline.
On the way, sage Narad taught him the technique of devotion and Dhru quaffed the nectar from the ocean of the Name of the Lord.
(After some time) King (Uttanpad) called him back and asked him (Dhru) to rule forever.
The gurmukhs who seem to be losing i.e. who turn their faces from the evil propensities, conquer the world.
Dhruva’s was the son of king Uttanapada. Literally “Dhruva” means the one who has become “immortal”. His father had two queens, named Suniti and Suruchi. Suruchi was much more dear to the king. But Suniti, the mother of Dhruva, was not his favorite. Once upon a time, the king was patting the son of Suruchi, Uttama, placing him on his lap. Dhruva, who was playing nearby, was also trying to get on his father’s lap.
But because of king’s favoritism towards his queen Suruchi, the king did not very much welcome Dhruva. While Dhruva was trying to get on the lap of his father, Suruchi, his stepmother, became very envious of him and said: “my dear child, you do not deserve to sit on the throne or on the lap of the King. Surely you are also the son of the King, but because you did not take your birth from my womb, you are not qualified to sit on your father’s lap.”
Furthermore, sarcastically she said he should have taken birth from her womb if he wanted to be a King.
Having been struck by the strong words of his stepmother, and upon seeing his father silent and not protesting, Dhruva immediately left the palace in anger and went to his mother. He was five years old then.
He said to her ‘I am a prince but they shout at me like a servant boy. Why don’t they respect your son Mata jee…I thought you were a queen not a slave?’ She replied ‘because of my destiny i am a queen, but because i never meditated on God’s name I have no more respect than a slave.’
Dhruva was furious that they didn’t respect his mother. Dhruva’s mother advised her son not to wish for anything inauspicious for others; for anyone who inflicts pains upon others suffers himself from that pain instead she told Dhruva if he desired to rise to the throne, then he should start meditating on the all powerful Almighty to satisfy the Divine, and then, when he is favored by the Divine because of such worship he can get anything and everything
He told his father the King, ‘I am leaving this kingdom to go and meditate on God’s Name, one day when I have enough spiritual power I will reclaim the throne.’ His father insisted he stayed, but the other queen was quite happy to let him go. He was determined and left into the wilderness.
Travelling to the jungle were all holy people went to meditate he was met by a Saint(Narad), the Saint spoke to the little boy and was surprised to hear a child saying he was going to the jungle to meditate. So he tested the boy to see if he was serious. He said to Dhruva, ‘you know it’s dark and dangerous in the jungle, wont you get scared of the wild animals?’ Dhruva replied, ‘I dont care if its dark and dangerous, I’m going to meditate on God’s Name.’ The Saint tested him again, ‘But you’re the son of a king and used to being fed the finest food, will be able to live on berries and roots in the jungle?’ Dhruva was determined and replied, ‘I’m going to meditate on god’s name even if there’s no food.’ The saint was truly impressed by Dhruva’s determination and whispered the secret name of God into Dhruva’s ear.
nwrd khq sunq DR¨A bwirk Bjn mwih lptwno ]1]
naaradh kehath sunath dhhrooa baarik bhajan maahi lapattaano ||1||
Listening to Naarad’s teachings, the child Dhroo was absorbed in deep meditation. ||1|| ( Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 830)
Indirectly, the harsh words of Dhruva’s stepmother turned out to be benediction for him; for because of the influence of his stepmother’s words, he became a great Spiritual Being (Gurmukh). To achieve the desired results of attaining his father’s kingdom, Dhruva’s mother motivated him to engage himself in the worship (Bhakti) of the One Divine Being and nobody else. Determined to execute devotion, Dhruva left the palace.
He had met his true guru and for the next few years he meditated long and hard. When he was a teenager he felt he had enough spiritual power to overtake the king and claim the kingdom. He had been meditating on God’s name with this sole target for all these years and now his ego had got the better of him. On his way to the palace, his True Guru met him again and laughingly said were are you going, Dhruva replied ‘I’m going to fight the kings army and reclaim the throne.’ His True Guru laughed and said how are you going to beat an army?. Dhruva replied, ‘I have meditated on God’s name for years and years and the spiritual power I have is immense.’ His True Guru handed him his staff and said ‘Before you break the Kings Army, just break my measly staff.’ Dhruva tried with all his might but failed miserably to even break a 3 foot stick! He fell at his True Guru’s feet and begged for forgiveness, his ego had broken.
He returned to the jungle were he continued to meditate. He followed the Divine Teachings with faith, love and dedication. Later when he actually became Self-realized, he turned completely satisfied within and forgot all about his father’s kingdom.
Instead, he said, “My dear Lord, I was searching for some pebbles, but instead I have found valuable Jewel. I no longer care for my father’s kingdom. Now I am fully satisfied.”
His feelings of insult and honor (duality or Doojaa Bhaav) banished, and he attained Transcendental Bliss. Thus Dhruva, for example, first became a devotee with the motive of getting a better kingdom than that of his father, but as he progressed in devotion he became selfless and contented.
nau iniD Twkuir deI sudwmY DR¨A Atlu AjhU n tirE ]3]
no nidhh t(h)aakur dhee sudhaamai dhhrooa attal ajehoo n ttariou ||3||
Sudama’s Lord and Master blessed him with the nine treasures; he made Dhroo permanent and unmoving; as the north star, he still hasn’t moved. ||3|| ( Guru Granth Sahib ji, Ang 1105)
“Do naam abhyaas with as much sincerety and urgency as Bhagat Prahlad jee and Bhagat Dhruva jee did.”
Vaaheguroo Ji Ka Khalsaa Vaaheguroo Ji Ki Fateh
Acknowledgement: http://tuhitu.blogspot.com/