Dhruva Maharaja
|
Imported quote 12926 The great sage Maitreya wanted to describe the pious activities of the kings. Priyavrata was the first son of Svayambhuva Manu, and Uttanapada was the second, but the great sage Maitreya immediately began to speak of Dhruva Maharaja, the son of Uttanapada, because he was very eager to describe pious activities. The incidents in the life of Dhruva Maharaja are very attractive for devotees. From his pious actions, one can learn how one can detach himself from material possessions and how one can enhance one's devotional service by severe austerities and penances. By hearing the activities of pious Dhruva, one can enhance one's faith in God and can directly connect with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus one can very soon be elevated to the transcendental platform of devotional service. The example of Dhruva Maharaja's austerities can immediately generate a feeling of devotional service in the hearts of the hearers.
(More...) Imported quote 12928 The system of bhakti-yoga described by Queen Suniti to her son is the standard way of God realization. Everyone can continue in his constitutional occupational duties and at the same time keep the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart. This was also instructed by the Lord Himself to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita: "Go on fighting, but keep Me within your mind." That should be the motto of every honest person seeking perfection in Krsna consciousness. In this connection, Queen Suniti advised her son that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as bhrtya-vatsala, which indicates that He is very kind to His devotees. She said, "You came to me crying, having been insulted by your stepmother, but I am unable to do any good for you. But Krsna is so kind to His devotees that if you go to Him, then the combined kindness of millions of mothers like me would be surpassed by His affectionate and tender dealings. When everyone else fails to mitigate one's misery, Krsna is able to help the devotee." Queen Suniti also stressed that the process of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not easy, but is sought after by great sages who are very advanced in spiritual realization. Queen Suniti also indicated by her instruction that Dhruva Maharaja was only a small child, five years old, and it was not possible for him to purify himself by the way of karma-kanḍa. But by the process of bhakti-yoga, even a child less than five years old, or anyone of any age, can be purified. That is the special significance of bhakti-yoga. Therefore she advised him not to accept worship of the demigods or any other process, but simply to take to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the result would be all perfection. As soon as one places the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one's heart, everything becomes easy and successful.
(More...) Imported quote 14127 As stated in Bhagavad-gita, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tataḥ: "Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain." (Bg. 6.22) If one can attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has nothing to aspire for, nor does he desire any other gain. When Dhruva Maharaja became perfect by austerity and saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead eye to eye, he was offered any kind of benediction he wanted. However, Dhruva replied that he did not want anything, for he was perfectly satisfied with the benediction of seeing the Lord. Except for the service of the Supreme Lord, whatever we want is called illusion, maya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: jivera 'svarūpa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa' (Cc. Madhya 20.108). Every living entity is an eternal servant of the Lord; therefore when one engages in the service of the Lord, he realizes the highest perfection of life. A faithful servant can fulfill any desire by the grace of the master, and one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord has nothing to aspire for separately. All his desires are fulfilled simply by engaging constantly in the Lord's loving service. Lord Siva shows us that any devotee can be successful simply by chanting the prayers which he has recited.
(More...) Imported quote 15568 Those who are in the concept of the body as the self, or those who are full of material desires, are also called, in a sense, Atmarama. When they are associated with the pure devotees of the Lord, they give up their material desires and become perfect in the service of the Lord. The best example of this is found in the Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya, in connection with the character of Druva. In the Seventh Chapter, 28th verse, it is stated by Maharaj Druva: "My dear Lord, I came to worship You desirous of having some land on this Earth; but, fortunately, I have You, Who are beyond the perception of great sages and saintly persons. I came to search out some particles of colored glass, but I've found instead a very valuable gem like You. I am satisfied. I have no desire to ask You anything."
(More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?qg=1117
|