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Tenacity of mind

CHENNAI: Progress in spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the effort and determination to realise God in this birth itself. The resolve and the sense of urgency to achieve the goal will only make the mind one-pointed which is necessary to surmount the distractions that come in the way. A child succeeded in realising God by penance, which is difficult for even great sages. Dhruva’s penance is described in the Narayaneeyam on the basis of the Bhagavata Purana.

Sage Narada tried his best to dissuade Dhruva when he left for the forest to meditate saying he was too young to pursue such austerities for “sages fail to discover His path even though they seek it with the help of abstract meditation with rigorous self-discipline carried in a detached way through numberless births,” and that he should reconcile himself to Providence. But the five-year-old child was undeterred and replied that the stinging words of his step-mother had wounded him so much that he had to seek God’s grace. Narada was moved by his sincerity and understood that being blue-blooded Dhruva would not brook any insult. By way of benediction he touched the child’s head, initiated him and described the divine form so that Dhruva could contemplate on Him, said Damal Sri Ramakrishnan and Srimathi Perundevi Seshadri in their discourse.

Dhruva retired to Madhuvana on the banks of the Yamuna and began his penance which intensified with every passing month. On the fifth month when he stood motionless like a post on one foot with his breath withdrawn contemplating on the Lord, the intensity of his Tapas made all beings of the three worlds breathless that the guardian deities sought the protection of the Almighty.

The Lord then revealed Himself to Dhruva in meditation. Then He suddenly vanished and when the child opened his eyes he saw Him. Overawed, Dhruva prostrated to Him and gazed at Him with quivering lips when the all-knowing Lord understood that he wanted to extol Him. He touched Dhruva’s cheeks with His conch (personifies the Veda). Dhruva then praised Him in exquisite verses and the Lord conferred both worldly power and pelf, and immortal glory on him.

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