“Although Dhruva Maharaja was only a five-year-old boy, he underwent severe austerities by eating simply dry foliage, drinking only water and taking no food. In this way, after six months, he was able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. When he saw the Lord, he forgot all his austerities and said, svamin kritartho’smi: ‘My dear Lord, I am very pleased.’” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.30.4 Purport)

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“Listen, I think I have the basics down, of this whole Krishna consciousness thing. To give a summary, bhakti-yoga is not a religion, in the way that we typically understand it. We are not pitting good people against bad. We are not saying that people who worship in a different way are inherently evil or restricted from entry into a higher realm. We are not asking anyone to renounce their existing affiliation. They can remain whoever or whatever they are. Bhakti-yoga is a way of life. It is the way of life, in fact, that assumes the endurance that is the essence of the individual itself.

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः

nāsato vidyate bhāvo
nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayor api dṛṣṭo ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ

“Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.16)

“Since bhakti-yoga involves changing the way we view the world and our place in it, the transformation takes place at the level of consciousness. That is why His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada intentionally translates that Sanskrit term as ‘Krishna consciousness.’ Krishna is the object of attention in this discipline. Krishna is God in the complete understanding. Krishna is the same as Vishnu, Narayana, Narasimha, Rama, Matsya, Kurma, and any other way He is known through the list provided in shastra, which is scripture. In whatever way we can, we should be conscious of Krishna. We should strive for that consciousness today, hold on to it, and then maintain it through to the end of life.

“To that end, there are many rules, regulations, procedures, recommended activities, prohibitions, and observances based on the time of the year. The teachings can reach the height of intellectual ability, in fact. However curious you are, whatever it is you want to know, however many burning questions you have held on to for too long – let it out. You can indulge your curiosity to the highest extent, but only in bhakti-yoga. There is no shutting the door to the mind, to logic, to rational thought, or to extended contemplation and deliberation.

“I just have one question, though. What is the secret to success? Forget the particulars about sadhu-sanga and asat-tyaga. Set aside for a moment the realization of the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, kshetra and kshetrajna. I get it that there is a difference between jivatma and Paramatma. For now, tell me about meeting the objective. In the hypothetical case that I have an interest, that I have moved beyond skepticism and sentimental boundaries, what should I look for? What key characteristic do I require? What is the one thing I should pay attention to the most?”

If limiting the conversation to such strict parameters, then there are two words to keep in mind. Those words are the actual secret to success, due precisely to the nature of the individual on the other side. After all, the object of worship is an individual. This is not the case of winning a certain number of trophies in order to qualify for entry into a hall of fame. This is not defeating another person’s record in the competition unofficially known as “The Anartha Olympics.” We are not trying to defeat someone at a game. We have no ability, in fact. The person we are worshiping is our ability. He decides how much or how little of that ability manifests in a person and at which times.

रसो ऽहम् अप्सु कौन्तेय
प्रभास्मि शशि-सूर्ययोः
प्रणवः सर्व-वेदेषु
शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु

raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

The two words to keep in mind are dridha and vratah. These are Sanskrit words. Before we give a detailed definition and apply that meaning to the context of bhakti-yoga, consider the hypothetical case of a benefactor. You happen to be that benefactor. You are the leader. You have people working for you. They report to you. They have tasks assigned to them. If there are many people operating in this organization of sorts, fulfilling a variety of functions, just what would please you the most? How would someone endear themselves to you?

Perhaps it is ability. A person excels at a certain task. They can accomplish five times more in a day than the average person. They are kind of proud of their ability. They like to report on what they have done each day. They like to point out how the others are lagging behind. They want you to be impressed, to feel fortunate to have such an individual working for you.

Another person is quiet. They are modest. They are not necessarily as skilled as the rest, but they stand out in a certain way. They are dedicated. They show up, each and every day, at the exact same time. They are not interested in putting others down. They do not boast of their attendance streak, which has earned them something like an “Iron Man” title. They simply go about their business. They will never fall from this high level of dedication. It is like the work is a part of who they are.

येषां त्व् अन्त-गतं पापं
जनानां पुण्य-कर्मणाम्
ते द्वन्द्व-मोह-निर्मुक्ता
भजन्ते मां दृढ-व्रताः

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

With the Supreme Personality of Godhead, dridha-vratah is everything. These Sanskrit words are specifically referenced in two different verses of Bhagavad-gita. In one place, Shri Krishna describes how only the people who have previously exhausted their sinful tendencies, pāpam, take to devotional service. They follow bhakti-yoga with a steady determination, dridha-vratah. This makes sense, since they have set aside other interests.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

Dridha-vratah also describes the way in which devotees sing the glories of Krishna. They feel the need to continue, without motivation and without interruption. They are steady in a vow. There is nothing that will change their behavior. It is not like they are expecting something in return. Even if they begin with a desire, that fades away with time. We saw this with the five-year old boy named Dhruva Maharaja. He went to the forest and underwent severe austerities to have a meeting with God. Revenge was on the mind. He was so fixed in his determination that Vishnu eventually appeared in front of the boy. Except the association was so purifying that everything was forgotten. The meeting had such an impact that Dhruva was unsure of what to say, in how to properly glorify the Supreme Lord.

स तं विवक्षन्तमतद्विदं हरि-
र्ज्ञात्वास्य सर्वस्य च हृद्यवस्थित:
कृताञ्जलिं ब्रह्ममयेन कम्बुना
पस्पर्श बालं कृपया कपोले

sa taṁ vivakṣantam atad-vidaṁ harir
jñātvāsya sarvasya ca hṛdy avasthitaḥ
kṛtāñjaliṁ brahmamayena kambunā
pasparśa bālaṁ kṛpayā kapole

“Although Dhruva Maharaja was a small boy, he wanted to offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in suitable language. But because he was inexperienced, he could not adjust himself immediately. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being situated in everyone’s heart, could understand Dhruva Maharaja’s awkward position. Out of His causeless mercy He touched His conchshell to the forehead of Dhruva Maharaja, who stood before Him with folded hands.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.9.4)

Even that so-called deficiency was taken care of, though. At the end of the day, what can we really do? This material world is a difficult place to overcome. The one thing we can control is our dedication. We can show up. If that means chanting the holy names on a daily basis, visiting houses of worship at weekly intervals, or simply preparing an offering each and every day, we will eventually succeed in the objective of purifying consciousness. The object of worship will help us cross the finish line.

In Closing:

After years of practice steady,
Feeling like finally ready.

Though not much of ability,
But in arrival stability.

That each and every day,
The holy names to say.

Forever endearing dedicated face,
Assured in destination to place.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, dhruva, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, vishnu