||Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran||
||Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya||
Chapter – 34– The Legend of
Druva
Sage Maitreya describes to
Vidura “ Adharma/immorality had a wife Mrisha/untruthful, this couple had a son
Dhambha/ego and daughter Maya/illusion, these two children were adopted by
Nairuthi, Dhamba, and Maya married and had two children Lobha/ and
Nikrithi/possessiveness, later these children were married together and had two
children Krodha/anger and Himsa/violence, and these children married together
and had children Kali and Dhurukthi, these children were married together and
had two children fear and death and these children married together and had two
children's sorrow and aging/illnesses.
Thus the clan of Adharma/immorality had the children of impurities like
ego, illusion, anger, selfishness, etc.. I shall narrate the details of the
clan of Swayambhuva Manu and Devi Shatharoopa. This couple had two sons Priyavratha and Uththanapadha and three
daughters Devahoothi, Prasoothi, and Ahoothi.”
Sage Maitreya continued “ King
Uththanapadha had two wives, Sunithi and Suruchi. Suniti was righteous, chaste and devoted to
Lord, but she was not so beautiful as Suruchi, was wicked and selfish. Sunithi had a son Druva who was heir to the
throne and Suruchi had a son Uththama.
It irked Suruchi who yearned for the throne of the Kingdom to her only
son Uththama, so she influenced the King and tactfully removed Sunithi and
Druva from the sight of King Uththanapadha, eventually Sunithi was removed from
the palace and started living out with not any complaints. King completely
forgot the existence of Sunithi and the five-year-old son Druva. One day,
while the children Uththama and Druva were playing together, Uththama rushed to
his father and seated on his lap, Druva also desired to be seated on the lap of
his father, he approached his father and tried to get on his lap. Soon there arrived Suruchi caught hold of
Druva and said in anger “ Hey, Vathsa, you have no right to be seated on the
lap of the King, your father had no liking towards you or to your mother,
therefore you have no right to be here.
If you were born to me, you would have the right to be here, hence you have
no right to be seated on your father’s lap.
You are jealous of Uththama if you want to be seated on the lap of your
father, leave your body and take place in my womb that would give you the right to be seated on your father's lap.” Druva was deeply hurt by the words of Suruchi
and looked at his father’s eyes, but he was quiet. Druva rushed to his mother with tears
overflowing on his cheeks. Sunithi
hugged her son and kissed him, consoled him and asked for the reason of his grief;
the attendants of the palace informed Sunithi about the
incident that took place. Sunithi was hurt for a second,
she released a sigh of grief and soon regained serenity. She began to
speak “Oh! Dear child, don’t get angry or hate your aunt Suruchi, never hurt
anyone it will come back to us, what you sow shall you reap, do not give sorrow
to anyone and it will come back to you. Oh! Dear child, Your aunt Suruchi was
absolutely right because your father never considered me as his wife, you have
born to an unfortunate woman, don’t feel sad for the humiliation. Dear child, wake up and don’t get
disappointed, we have supreme Lord as a father, who never leaves us. Oh! Vathsa, whoever surrendered to the lotus
feet of Supreme Lord was not neglected by him, therefore meditate upon supreme
Lord, all your sorrows will go away, divert
your attention to the supreme Lord. The
Supreme Lord will accept you with intense delight the way as he accepted
Goddess Sri.” Druva regained his
confidence, and felt his mother’s advice is fruitful, he wanted to envision
that supreme Lord who resides as a soul in him.
The five-year-old Druva removed his royal attire and embraced the saffron
robes, and got out of the home. Devi Sunithi did not stop Druva from his endeavor.
