If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, then you must have noticed the North Star in the night sky. The North Star, or the Pole Star, lies exactly above the head when viewed from the earth's North Pole. The North Star is a star (in reality, a three-star system) named Polaris or Alpha Ursae Minoris in the Ursa Minor constellation. Polaris is situated 433 lightyears away from the earth. As per ancient Indian astronomy, the Pole Star is known as Dhruvatara (dhruva means fixed and tara means star), and there is an excellent story related to it. The Pole Star always remains fixed in its position in the sky throughout the year, viewed from any particular location, whereas all the other celestial bodies constantly change their positions.
Many, many years ago, there was a king named Uttanapada who had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi. From the first wife, he had a son, Dhruva, and from the second wife, he had another son, Uttama. Though Suniti was his first wife, the king used to love his second wife much more. Suniti and her son, Dhruva, used to live in a corner of the palace, secluded from the rest of the world.
One day, young Dhruva, only seven years old, while roaming about in the palace, noticed king Uttanpada sitting on his throne, and Uttama was sitting on his lap. Dhruva loved the scene so much that he himself joyfully ran towards his father to sit on his lap. But as Suruchi saw the child, she stopped him and cruelly scolded the young boy before pushing him forcibly. Dhruva fell to the ground. He could not understand his fault and confusedly stared at his father. But the king, fearing the queen, turned his face toward the other side. Dhruva was hurt both physically and mentally, but he did not cry. He returned to his mother and asked her about the reason. Her mother, in tearful eyes, told him that she had lost the favor of her husband and that the king had abandoned them.
Dhruva was too young to understand all of this, but he asked his mother how to reverse everything. Suniti told him that only the Lord Vishnu can give him what is rightfully his. The very words of his mother stuck in the mind of the young boy. He asked Suniti how to meet Lord Vishnu. Suniti could not control her laughter and told him that Lord Vishnu only appeared after years of austerity.
That night, when his mother was asleep, young Dhruva left the palace alone and started his journey into the unknown. He entered a forest and kept walking with his small steps throughout the night. As the sun rose on the east sky early in the morning, Dhruva sat below a big tree by a small lake and started his meditation. By that time, Narada Muni was passing through the sky on his dhenki. He suddenly looked down and saw a small lake full of blue lotus. To pick up some flowers, he stopped there, and then, with surprise, he noticed the lone boy in the midst of a dark forest, lost in meditation.
As Narada Muni asked about his purpose for being there, Dhruva explained everything in detail. What astonished Narada Muni was the young child's unwavering persistence and strong will. He first advised Dhruva to go back home in an attempt to stop him. But the wise one gradually realized that the boy was not an ordinary one. He eventually consented to help him. Narada Muni taught Dhruva a hymn to pray to Lord Vishnu. He took Dhruva to a sacred place where the seven great sages, known as Sapta Rishis, were meditating. There, he told Dhruva to begin his sadhana beneath a peepul tree.
As Narada Muni left, Dhruva started his meditation. He continued chanting the mantra (hymn) without losing his focus, even for a moment. Days passed and months passed., but Dhruva continued chanting without any distraction. He continued without food, drink, or sleep. The entire world was shaken by the innocence and determination of the child. Even the Sapta Rishis stopped their sadhana to witness the austerity of the child. At last, Lord Vishnu came down to earth, but Dhruva was so engrossed in his meditation that he could not feel the presence of the Supreme Lord. Thus, Lord Vishnu entered his mind and asked him to stop. As Dhruva opened his eyes, he saw Lord Vishnu in front of him. The Lord asked him to make his wish. But by then, Dhruva had obtained enlightenment, and he had no desire left. So he asked for nothing but the blessings of the Lord. Lord Vishnu was so impressed that he told Dhruva that he and his mother would regain the love and favor of the king and would get his rightful place. He told Dhruva to return to do his karma as a mortal human. And he assured him that after his death, Dhruva would get the blessings of the Lord.
So, Dhruva went back to his mother, who was living a life of pain with only the hope that one day Dhruva would return to her. Dhruva became aware of his responsibilities when he saw his mother. For Dhruva and his mother, everything soon changed. The king realized his mistake and embraced his first wife and son with love. Dhruva succeeded his father as king and reigned as a benevolent ruler for many years.
After his death, Dhruva received blessings from Lord Vishnu and was presented with his own place in the sky, which is called Dhruvaloka. There, Dhruva continued his undistracted meditation for ages. Slowly, he started to glow and became the Pole Star. While all other celestial bodies in the sky move, the Dhruvatara remains stationary. That's his level of focus and resolve. He remains firm in his spot. Thus, Dhruva became the most venerated star, even more so than the seven Maharishis, who were the stars of the Saptarshi Mandal in the sky (the Big Dipper asterism in Ursa Major constellation).
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