||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 38– The Legend of Druva’s clan

Druva was married to Bhrami, the daughter of  Prajapathi Shishumara.  This couple had two children Kalpa and Vathsara, later Druva was married to Ila who is the daughter of Lord Vayu, and this couple had a son Ulkala.  Druva was ruling the kingdom wisely, people of the Kingdom were extremely happy.   During this period a tragic event took place, Uththama who was the son of Suruchi was unmarried went for a hunting expedition, he chased a bear and shot it with an arrow, before that the son of Kubera shot the boar with his arrow.  Uththama and the son of Lord Kubera had a conflict about who killed the boar, finally, Uththama was killed by the son of Lord Kubera.  The royal attendants informed the news to the palace.  Suruchi was heartbroken went in search of the dead body of her son in the woods.  She continued her search for the mortal coil, forgot hunger and thirst, finally she was trapped inside the huge wood fire and burnt alive.  Druva got very angry to hear about the death of his brother Uththama, and extremely sad to hear the death of his stepmother Suruchi.  He proclaimed a battle against the Yaksha clan, a vicious battle was held between Druva and Yaksha, many of the yakshas were killed in the battle. 

Finally, Druva took the powerful Narayanasthra to wipe off the clan of Yaksha soon there appeared Swayambhuva Manu/grandfather, before him and said “ Oh! Dear child, your deeds are heaving you to the hell of sinners, therefore you should not fall prey to anger, it is not suitable for our clan.  You should not annihilate an entire clan of Yaksha, for the death of your brother Uththama.  You should not punish an entire clan for the mistake of a single person of that clan, killing human beings like animals will not lead to a righteous path, and you should not hurt anyone.  You have witnessed the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings, by extreme penance, do you think is it agreeable to Lord Hari? Dear son, you have to change your attitude towards the Yakshas.  You can please the Supreme Lord with the qualities of humility/patience/sublimation/ acceptance/ control of senses, kindness, equality, and companionship.  The Supreme Lord resides in the heart of those who possess the above qualities, he/she would remain Jeevanmuktha/renounced soul, ultimately attain the Bhramam.”  Druva understood the valuable teachings of Swayambhuva Manu and immediately rushed out of the battlefield, he has fallen at the feet of Lord Kubera.

Lord Kubera speaks “ Oh! Dear child, your people did not kill our people, and our person did not kill your brother, all that was happened due to the influence of ‘Time’  I am extremely pleased with your behavior.  Dear child, you have attained the grace of Lord, therefore turn all your attention towards that supreme Lord and take shelter upon his lotus feet.  Oh! Dear child, ask for boons whatever you would like to have in your life.”

Druva replied to Lord Kubera “ Oh! Lord, kindly give me intense and firm devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Hari, so that I can get relieved from all the troubles and miseries of the worldly existence.” Lord Kubera blessed Druva, he returned to Kingdom and ruled wisely for several years.  Later, Druva crowned his elder son as the Emperor of the Kingdom and returned to the woods of Badrikashram.  He undertook the practice of Ashtanga yoga, immersed in the meditation upon Lord Sri Hari, tears flooded from his cheeks.  Soon Vishnuparshadha arrived with a celestial vehicle to take Druva to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.   Mrithudeva arrived and reverentially offered his head to place Druva’s leg, he remembered his mother Sunithi who was inspiring all through his life, saw his mother on another celestial vehicle, he greeted her with all respects.  Thus, Druva and Devi Sunithi attained the lotus feet of Lord Hari with their intense devotion and faith.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 37– The Legend of Druva - The glorious Druvasthuthi

Druva eulogizes the glories of the Supreme Lord who resides as soul and protects it in three states known as awakening, sleeping, and dreaming "I shall prostrate before the supreme Lord who is the protector of the soul. You are all per-vading, I have realized your presence in everything; I shall surrender at your lotus feet.  How can I forget you? You are the safest asylum of all the living beings.  You are the closest associate of the distressed souls.  Oh! Bhagavan,  in order to attain intense devotion and faith upon you, it is essential to listen to your endless glorious myths.  Thus, a person who engages in the recitation of glories of you would never face any distress.  I have realized the compassion of supreme Lord, therefore wealth, or money, or fame, or richness,  or relatives,  or sons, or daughters or wife are not dear to me.  You are pure, you are free from impurities, illusions, bondage, you are primordial.  You are Yajjapurusha, and represents fire sacrifices, sacrificial priest, and fruitful accomplishment of fire sacrifices as well. I shall repeatedly prostrate before you.  Oh! Purusharththamoorthe, I am a child, I have praised your glories with intense love, kindly shower your grace upon me.”  Lord Vishnu was pleased and offered boons to Druva “ Oh! Dear child, you will become a pole star which is firm and bright,  surrounded by the seven stars/Saptharshi,  you will rule the Kingdom for thirty-six thousand years.” Druva shed tears witnessing the compassion of the Supreme Lord.

Vidura asked Maitreya “  Oh! Rishi, after receiving the two marvelous boons why did Druva was unhappy?”.   Druva felt unhappy for receiving those boons after five months of extreme penance, he was deeply disappointed,  he was not expecting to get any boons, he did not want any boons which is bound by time and perishable.  He remembered, he got advice from Maharishi Narada where to go and perform penance? Who to worship? How to worship? Etc... but he forgot to get advice on what to ask from the supreme Lord when he appears before him.  Druva returned to the palace with gloominess, he was received by King Uththanapadha, Suruchi, Uththama, and Sunithi with the accompaniments of sounds of divine instruments.  Initially, Druva moved to Suruchi who was the cause to leave the Kingdom in search of the supreme Lord and prostrated before her, and she shed tears of guilt.  The supreme Lord will be highly pleased to people whoever treats the fellow beings in respect, humility, kindness, love, and care, even the deities showers their blessings upon him/her. Druva prostrated before his father, and turned to his beloved mother Sunithi, she embraced her son with extreme joy, tears overflowed and kissed on his forehead.  The whole Kingdom received Druva with great honor.  Years passed, Druva earned great respect and fame among the people of the Kingdom.  King Uththanapadha decided to leave the Kingdom; he crowned Druva as the Emperor of the Kingdom and returned to woods to achieve a higher state in spirituality.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 36– The Legend of Druva – The penance of Druva

Maharishi Narada arrived at the place of King Uththanapadha and found the King was besieged with intense grief; Narada enquired the reason for his agony.  The King replied “ Oh! Maharishi, I have deeply hurt my five-year-old son Druva, I did not respond to the affection of my child who was trying to get on my lap. My son left to woods, I am deeply worried about him, and he should not get into trouble by the wild animals in the woods.” Maharishi Narada said “Your son will be a great soul, he will envision the supreme Lord Hari, I have met him in the woods, he is determined to witness the supreme Lord.  One day he will add fame to your clan.”  The King Uththanapadha was extremely happy to hear about the five-year-old Druva.  Suruchi heard the conversation between the King and Maharishi, she rushed to Sunithi and fallen at her feet, begged for forgiveness.  Later, the two wives peacefully started living with the King in the palace.

Druva arrived in Madhuvan and performed ablution, and immersed in the meditation upon the Supreme Lord.  During the first month, every three days he woke up from the meditation and consumed fruits from the forest, on the second month he woke up from the meditation on every sixth day and consumed leaves, on the third month, he woke up from the meditation on every ninth day and consumed water from the river Yamuna, on the fourth month, he woke up from meditation on every twelfth day and consumed air, on the fifth month, he did not wake up from the meditation, he stood on the one leg and controlled his breath, in this way he continued to penance for five months.  He witnessed the glorious form of the Supreme Lord within his heart and continued to recite the glorious chant.  The deities appealed to Lord Vishnu that the essential elements felt uneasiness by the penance of Druva.  Lord Vishnu pacified the deities and said: “ Uththanapadhi is undertaking extreme penance contemplating upon me, soon he will be blessed and come back to the real world.”  Thus Lord Hari left the abode of Sri Vaikundham to bless the child Druva.

The Supreme Lord Vishnu mounted on his celestial vehicle Garuda and arrived at Madhuvan to bless his ardent devotee.  Druva did not open his eyes and was immersed in meditation, in fact, he was taking pleasure in the magnificent form of Lord in his heart, soon Lord Hari erased his form from the heart of Druva,  he felt disturbed and immediately opened his eyes, witnessed the supreme Lord before him.  He remembered the glorious form of Lord Vishnu described by Maharishi Narada.  He prostrated before Lord and his eyes overflow with tears, he was trying to utter words, but Druva found difficulty in uttering any words.  The supreme Lord affectionately touched with his conch on his cheek and patted on his head.  Druva realized the compassion of Lord, soon he started eulogizing Lord in marvelous verses.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 35– The Legend of Druva - The conversation between Druva and Maharishi Narada

Druva had no idea of his destination; on his way he met Maharishi Narada who enquired the details of the child Druva.  He introduced himself as the son of Devi Sunithi and King Uththanapadha and revealed his intention to envision the supreme Lord.   Maharishi Narada advised the child to return to Palace and enjoy the pleasures, instead of wandering in the dangerous wood, he advised the child that it is not the easiest task to envision the Lord who is attainable to the illustrious Rishi and Sages after several years of extreme penance.  Maharishi repeatedly advised Druva to return to the palace.  Maharishi Narada said “ Oh! Vathsa, you are a small child, you should not feel humiliation at this tender age, this is your age to engage in childhood pastimes.  Your mother Sunithi was right, but it is difficult to envision the Lord, several Rishis and Yogis perform extreme penances to attain the Lord.”  Druva  prostrated before Maharishi Narada and said “ Oh! Maharishi, kindly let me allow envisaging the Lord.  I am deeply hurt by the words of my aunt Suruchi, I am exhausted and worn out of sorrows.  Oh! Maharishi,  Kindly bless me to relieve my sorrows and grief.”  Maharishi Narada said “ Oh! Vathsa, I was testing your determination to envisage the Lord.  You have to meet the Lord who resides as a soul in you.  I shall guide you to conduct the penance.  Oh! Dear child, proceed to Madhuvan on the river banks of Yamuna where Lord Hari resides permanently, take ablutions on the river Kalindi, take a seat under the Vatavruksha on Padmasana posture, practice three types of Pranayama, contemplate upon the supreme Lord who has four arms that hold Shankha/conch, Chakra/disc, Gadha/mace,  and Padma/lotus flower, he has attractive physical features,  a beautiful smiling face,  attired in marvelous yellow silk garment, decorated in gem Kausthubha and Srivathsa on the chest which is the permanent dwelling place of Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi, he has the complexion of dark clouds, he is adorned  in magnificent Vanamala and crown attached to the feathers of the peacock on the head, beautiful eyes resemble lotus flower petals, his forehead is decorated with sandalwood paste and vermilion, he is adorned in ear ornaments,  armlets, waist ornament and various precious ornaments all over the body.  I shall advise you the glorious hymn of Dwadhashakshari to recite, ‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya’ contemplate upon his marvelous form and recite this glorious chant. Oh! Dear child, utilize your mind and body, contemplate upon the Supreme Lord and attain his blessings.  You can precede your  journey.”  Druva was highly pleased with the advice of Maharishi Narada and said “ Oh! Maharishi, I am truly blessed to have the Dharshan of you. I am leaving to Madhuvan to contemplate upon supreme Lord Hari.”  Thus Druva left to the wood.

||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.