Bal Bhakta Dhruv

Long ago, there lived a King named Uttanpad. He had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi, and two sons. Suniti's son was Dhruv and Suruchi's son was Uttam. They were both five years old. King Uttanpad was very fond of his younger queen Suruchi, so he stayed with her. He rarely went to Suniti. Dhruv, the elder son, loved his father. So, Dhruv used to visit his father often. Suruchi did not like this. She wanted the king to love only her son, Uttam.

One day, Dhruv saw his brother Uttam sitting in his father's lap and playing. He rushed to give him a hug and sit on his lap too. Queen Suruchi stopped him and said, "You are not my son, so you shall not sit on your father's lap."

On hearing this, Dhruva looked at his father hoping that he would stop Suruchi and take him on his lap. But his father did not say anything and ignored him. Dhruv was very hurt. With tears in his eyes, he went home to his mother.

Queen Suniti was very sad to hear what had happened to her son. Dhruv asked her why his father loved him less. She comforted him and replied unhappily, "The king loves Queen Suruchi and not me. So, the king does what she wants, and neglects you. I am helpless."

"Mother, is there no other way I can get my father's love?" asked Dhruv. His mother Suniti consoled and instructed little Dhruv:

1. If you have to beg for something, let that be from God.

2. However much you ask of a human being, it will be little.

3. Suruchi has spoken words of truth, even if you want the throne, pray to the Lord!

4. When God gives, He gives in plenty.

5. God is the true Father of all us. He will make you sit on His lap with love.

6. If you get a vision of Lord Narayan, all your troubles will end.

7. Go to the forest and perform penance.

8. I am not sending you alone, my blessings and God are with you.

Hearing this, Dhruv decided to seek Lord Narayan. he took his mother's blessings and left for the jungle.

On his way, he met Narad, the closest devotee of Lord Narayan. Sage Narad tested Dhruv, " it is not easy to meet Lord Narayan. You are very young.You are just a small child. The forest is full of dangerous animals. How will you bear the winter's cold, the summer heat and torrential rain? Go back home and play with your friends instead." Dhruv was very determined to see Lord Narayan at any cost. His determination pleased Narad, who taught Dhruv the sadhana (spiritual practice) that help him see the Lord.

Dhruv started worshipping Lord Narayan. With every breath, he chanted the mantra in praise of God. For the first month, he lives only on fruits. After that, he lived on leaves and water. Finally, he lived on air alone. The penance was so intense that it heated up all the worlds. Devotees rushed to Lord Narayan and prayed to Him to pacify Dhruv by granting him his wish.

Lord Narayan was pleased with Dhruv's penance. He appeared before him and blessed him, "O child! Your father and all the others will love you dearly hereafter. Go back to your kingdom. You will become a great king and rule your kingdom for a long time. After our life on the earth, you will become the Dhruv star and shine brightly in the sky. All the great planets and even the seven rishis will revolve around you."

Dhruv became a wise king and ruled for many years. He spread the message of peace and justice in his kingdom. When he died, he became a star in the sky. This star, called the pole Star or Dhruv Tara is still seen shining in the sky. It is the only star that has a permanent place and does not change its position in the sky. All the other stars and constellations move around it throughout the year. Travellers look up to the Dhruv Tara in the night to find their way.

Even today, Dhruv is remembered as a great devotee of Lord Narayan.

Introduction to The Bhagavad Gita

Introduction to The Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita literally means “The Song of God". The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Shree Krishna and Arjun on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, where the Pandavas were fighting the righteous war with their cousins, the Kauravas.

The Sage Ved Vyas, who had the gift of seeing things from a distance, wrote down the dialogue that took place between Shree Krishna and Arjun, and included it in the Mahabharat. The Bhagavad Gita is thus a part of the great epic, the Mahabharat. It is written in Sanskrit, the language of the celestial gods.

The Bhagavad Gita is respected as one of the most sacred books of the Hindus. They take oath on it in a court of justice, just as the Christians take oath on the bible or the Muslims on the holy Quran. The Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and the Brahma-Sutra are considered as the three basic scriptures of Indian philosophy.

The Bhagavad Gita is described thus: The Upanishads are the cow, Arjun is the calf, Shree Krishna is the milkman, and the Bhagavad Gita is the milk. In this scripture, Shree Krishna has fed the milk (essence) of the Upanishads to the calf (Arjun). The Bhagavad Gita is important because it is the Divine discourse spoken by the Supreme Lord, Shree Krishna Himself.

Always revered as a true source of spiritual knowledge, it reveals the purpose and goal of human existence. It has a message for every one of us and its teachings are valid at all times and for people of all races. Shree Krishna speaks the Bhagavad Gita in the following context during the Mahabharat war:

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna was Arjun's charioteer. Arjun had earlier requested Shree Krishna's help and grace to win the battle.

The armies on the both sides prepared themselves for the epic battle. The sacred conch was blown and the swards were drawn.

However, when Arjun saw his revered elders like Bheeshma and his Guru Dronacharya, his relatives and friends against him, he felt sad about having to fight and kill them. He did not want to commit such a sin. So he threw down his bow, as he did not like to win the war at the cost of their lives.

Looking for an answer, he turned to Shree Krishna, his friend, philosopher, teacher and his all, and asked, “Lord Krishna! How can I kill them? Is it not a sin to kill one's own blood relatives? I am unable to decide my further course of action. I surrender myself at Your holy feet. O Lord! Please guide me through this difficult period of uncertainty. I am your disciple and you are my Guru.”

Sensing the state of Arjun's mind, Shree Krishna cleared his doubts and misgivings in a variety of ways. That forms the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. During the dialogue, Shree Krishna revealed himself as the Lord of the Universe and graced Arjun with Divine eyes so that he could see His universal form.

Arjun was inspired by the Lord's Divine vision, and al his confusions were resolved by the knowledge he received. Picking up his bow, Arjun said, “Lord, I will act according to your instructions.”

An excerpt from "Inspirational Stories For Children" Bal-Mukund Character Building Series