Changes

== सप्तर्षेः उपदेशः ॥ Advice of the Saptarshis ==

== सप्तर्षेः उपदेशः ॥ Advice of the Saptarshis ==

[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vishnu-purana-wilson/d/doc115947.html Vishnu Purana] - Chapter 11 - Legend of Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada

The Vishnu Purana elaborates that Dhruva, inspite of his mother's advice, was still unsettled by the turn of events and quit the city with a desire to acquire a position that had not been enjoyed by any other. He repaired to a neighboring thicket where he beheld the Saptarshis - Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Kratu, Pulaha and Vasishtha. Having heard the story of Dhruva and understanding his desire to attain the most elavated position, the rshis adviced him as follows:<ref name=":1" />

The Vishnu Purana elaborates that Dhruva, inspite of his mother's advice, was still unsettled by the turn of events and quit the city with a desire to acquire a position that had not been enjoyed by any other. He repaired to a neighboring thicket where he beheld the Saptarshis - Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Kratu, Pulaha and Vasishtha. Having heard the story of Dhruva and understanding his desire to attain the most elavated position, the rshis adviced him as follows:

Rshi Marichi said,<blockquote>अनाराधितगोविन्दैर्नरैः स्थानं नृपात्मज । न हि संप्राप्यते श्रेष्ठं तस्मादाराधयाच्युतम् ॥ १.११.४३ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''anārādhitagovindairnaraiḥ sthānaṁ nr̥pātmaja । na hi saṁprāpyate śreṣṭhaṁ tasmādārādhayācyutam ॥ 1.11.43 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: O Prince, none can attain that best of stations who does not propitiate Govinda. Therefore, you should worship Achyuta (undecaying).<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Marichi said,<blockquote>अनाराधितगोविन्दैर्नरैः स्थानं नृपात्मज । न हि संप्राप्यते श्रेष्ठं तस्मादाराधयाच्युतम् ॥ १.११.४३ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''anārādhitagovindairnaraiḥ sthānaṁ nr̥pātmaja । na hi saṁprāpyate śreṣṭhaṁ tasmādārādhayācyutam ॥ 1.11.43 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: O Prince, none can attain that best of stations who does not propitiate Govinda. Therefore, you should worship Achyuta (undecaying).  

Rshi Atri said,<blockquote>परः पराणां पुरुषो यस्य तुष्टो जनार्दनः । संप्राप्नोत्यक्षयं स्थानमेतत्सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥ १.११.४४ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''paraḥ parāṇāṁ puruṣo yasya tuṣṭo janārdanaḥ । saṁprāpnotyakṣayaṁ sthānametatsatyaṁ mayoditam ॥ 1.11.44 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: He with whom the foremost of beings, Janardana, is pleased, obtains imperishable dignity. I declare to you this truth.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Atri said,<blockquote>परः पराणां पुरुषो यस्य तुष्टो जनार्दनः । संप्राप्नोत्यक्षयं स्थानमेतत्सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥ १.११.४४ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''paraḥ parāṇāṁ puruṣo yasya tuṣṭo janārdanaḥ । saṁprāpnotyakṣayaṁ sthānametatsatyaṁ mayoditam ॥ 1.11.44 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: He with whom the foremost of beings, Janardana, is pleased, obtains imperishable dignity. I declare to you this truth.  

Rshi Angira said, <blockquote>यस्यान्तः सर्वमेवेदमच्युतस्याव्ययात्मनः । तमाराधय गोविन्दं स्थानमग्र्यं यदीच्छसि ॥ १.११.४५ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''yasyāntaḥ sarvamevedamacyutasyāvyayātmanaḥ । tamārādhaya govindaṁ sthānamagryaṁ yadīcchasi ॥ 1.11.45 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: If you desire an exalted station, worship that Govinda who is immutable and undecaying; in whom, all that is, exists.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Angira said, <blockquote>यस्यान्तः सर्वमेवेदमच्युतस्याव्ययात्मनः । तमाराधय गोविन्दं स्थानमग्र्यं यदीच्छसि ॥ १.११.४५ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''yasyāntaḥ sarvamevedamacyutasyāvyayātmanaḥ । tamārādhaya govindaṁ sthānamagryaṁ yadīcchasi ॥ 1.11.45 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: If you desire an exalted station, worship that Govinda who is immutable and undecaying; in whom, all that is, exists.  

Rshi Pulastya said, <blockquote>परं ब्रह्म परं धाम योऽसौ ब्रह्म तथा परम् । तमाराध्य हरिं याति मुक्तिमप्यति दुर्लभाम् ॥ १.११.४६ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma yo'sau brahma tathā param । tamārādhya hariṁ yāti muktimapyati durlabhām ॥ 1.11.46 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Worshipping the divine Hari who is the supreme one, supreme glory and the supreme Brahman, you may attain even the eternal mukti, then what of reaching the most exalted station.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Pulastya said, <blockquote>परं ब्रह्म परं धाम योऽसौ ब्रह्म तथा परम् । तमाराध्य हरिं याति मुक्तिमप्यति दुर्लभाम् ॥ १.११.४६ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma yo'sau brahma tathā param । tamārādhya hariṁ yāti muktimapyati durlabhām ॥ 1.11.46 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Worshipping the divine Hari who is the supreme one, supreme glory and the supreme Brahman, you may attain even the eternal mukti, then what of reaching the most exalted station.

Rshi Kratu said,<blockquote>यो यज्ञपुरुषो यज्ञो योगेशः परमः पुमान् । तस्मिंस्तुष्टे यदप्राप्यं किन्तदस्ति जनार्दने ॥ १.११.४८ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''yo yajñapuruṣo yajño yogeśaḥ paramaḥ pumān । tasmiṁstuṣṭe yadaprāpyaṁ kintadasti janārdane ॥ 1.11.48 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Nothing is difficult to attain if Janardana, who is the yajnapurusha in yajna and the supreme being in abstract contemplation, is pleased.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Kratu said,<blockquote>यो यज्ञपुरुषो यज्ञो योगेशः परमः पुमान् । तस्मिंस्तुष्टे यदप्राप्यं किन्तदस्ति जनार्दने ॥ १.११.४८ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''yo yajñapuruṣo yajño yogeśaḥ paramaḥ pumān । tasmiṁstuṣṭe yadaprāpyaṁ kintadasti janārdane ॥ 1.11.48 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Nothing is difficult to attain if Janardana, who is the yajnapurusha in yajna and the supreme being in abstract contemplation, is pleased.  

Rshi Pulaha said, <blockquote>ऐन्द्रमिन्द्रः परं स्थानं यमाराध्य जगत्पतिम् । प्राप यज्ञपतिं विष्णुं तमाराधय सुव्रत ॥ १.११.४७ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''aindramindraḥ paraṁ sthānaṁ yamārādhya jagatpatim । prāpa yajñapatiṁ viṣṇuṁ tamārādhaya suvrata ॥ 1.11.47 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: You adore that Vishnu, the lord of yajna and the universe, O pious boy, worshipping whom Indra obtained the dignity of a raja of the celestials.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Pulaha said, <blockquote>ऐन्द्रमिन्द्रः परं स्थानं यमाराध्य जगत्पतिम् । प्राप यज्ञपतिं विष्णुं तमाराधय सुव्रत ॥ १.११.४७ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''aindramindraḥ paraṁ sthānaṁ yamārādhya jagatpatim । prāpa yajñapatiṁ viṣṇuṁ tamārādhaya suvrata ॥ 1.11.47 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: You adore that Vishnu, the lord of yajna and the universe, O pious boy, worshipping whom Indra obtained the dignity of a raja of the celestials.

Rshi Vasishtha then observed,<blockquote>प्राप्नोष्याराधिते विष्णौ मनसा यद्यदिच्छति । त्रेलोक्यान्तर्गतं स्थानं किमु वत्सोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ १.११.४९ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''prāpnoṣyārādhite viṣṇau manasā yadyadicchati । trelokyāntargataṁ sthānaṁ kimu vatsottamottamam ॥ 1.11.49 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Any thing, that a man desires, may be obtained in this world by adoring Vishnu. Then what of that exalted position.<ref name=":1" />

Rshi Vasishtha then observed,<blockquote>प्राप्नोष्याराधिते विष्णौ मनसा यद्यदिच्छति । त्रेलोक्यान्तर्गतं स्थानं किमु वत्सोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ १.११.४९ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>''prāpnoṣyārādhite viṣṇau manasā yadyadicchati । trelokyāntargataṁ sthānaṁ kimu vatsottamottamam ॥ 1.11.49 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Any thing, that a man desires, may be obtained in this world by adoring Vishnu. Then what of that exalted position.

At this, Dhruva enquired with the rshis about the prayer which he should meditate upon in order to propitiate the Lord. The Rshis then guided him in the following manner. They said,<blockquote>बाह्यार्थादखिलाच्चित्तं त्याजयेत्प्रथमं नरः । तस्मिन्नेव जगद्धाम्नि ततः कुर्वित निश्चलम् ॥ १.११.५३ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>एवमेकाग्रचित्तेन तन्मयेन धृतात्मना । जप्तव्यं यन्नि बोधैतत्तन्रः पार्थिवनन्दन ॥ १.११.५४ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''bāhyārthādakhilāccittaṁ tyājayetprathamaṁ naraḥ । tasminneva jagaddhāmni tataḥ kurvita niścalam ॥ 1.11.53 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''evamekāgracittena tanmayena dhr̥tātmanā । japtavyaṁ yanni bodhaitattanraḥ pārthivanandana ॥ 1.11.54 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: (Those who are devoted to Lord Vishnu), they shall first withdraw their minds from all exterior objects and then fix it steadily on that being in whom the world exists. By him, who has thus concentrated his thoughts on that one object, whose heart is filled with that alone and who has controlled himself, the prayer that is to be recited is,<ref name=":1" /> <blockquote>हिरण्यगर्भपुरुषप्रधानव्यक्तरूपिणे । ओं नमो वासुदेवाय शुद्धज्ञानस्वरूपिणे ॥ १.११.५५ ॥<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''hiraṇyagarbhapuruṣapradhānavyaktarūpiṇe । oṁ namo vāsudevāya śuddhajñānasvarūpiṇe ॥ 1.11.55 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Om ! salutation to Vasudeva, who is manifest as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and whose form is inscrutable.  

Dhruva replied to them; “You have told me, humbly bending before you, what deity is to be propitiated: now inform me what prayer is to he meditated by me, that will offer him gratification. May the great Ṛṣis, looking upon me with favour, instruct me how I am to propitiate the god.” The Ṛṣis answered; “Prince, thou deservest to hear how the adoration of Viṣṇu has been performed by those who have been devoted to his service. The mind must first be made to forsake all external impressions, and a man must then fix it steadily on that being in whom the world is. By him whose thoughts are thus concentrated on one only object, and wholly filled by it; whose spirit is firmly under control; the prayer that we shall repeat to thee is to be inaudibly recited: ‘Om! glory to Vāsudeva, whose essence is divine wisdom; whose form is inscrutable, or is manifest as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva^[2].’ This prayer, which was formerly uttered by your grandsire, the Manu Svāyambhuva, and propitiated by which, Viṣṇu conferred upon him the prosperity he desired, and which was unequalled in the three worlds, is to be recited by thee. Do thou constantly repeat this prayer, for the gratification of Govinda.”

They also mention that, this prayer was formerly uttered by Dhruva's grandsire, Manu Svayambhuva, propitiated by which, Vishnu conferred upon him the prosperity he desired, unequalled in the three worlds.<ref name=":1" />

Chapter 12 - Dhruva commences a course of religious austerities

[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vishnu-purana-wilson/d/doc115947.html Vishnu Purana] - Chapter 12 - Dhruva commences a course of religious austerities

THE prince, having received these instructions, respectfully saluted the sages, and departed from the forest, fully confiding in the accomplishment of his purposes. He repaired to the holy place, on the banks of the Yamunā, called Madhu or Madhuvana, the grove of Madhu, after the demon of that name, who formerly abided there. Śatrughna (the younger brother of Rāma) having slain the Rākṣas Lavaṇa, the son of Madhu, founded a city on the spot, which was named Mathurā. At this holy shrine, the purifier from all sin, which enjoyed the presence of the sanctifying god of gods, Dhruva performed penance, as enjoined by Marīci and the sages: he contemplated Viṣṇu, the sovereign of all the gods, seated in himself. Whilst his mind was wholly absorbed in meditation, the mighty Hari, identical with all beings and with all natures, (took possession of his heart.) Viṣṇu being thus present in his mind, the earth, the supporter of elemental life, could not sustain the weight of the ascetic. As he stood upon his left foot, one hemisphere bent beneath him; and when he stood upon his right, the other half of the earth sank down. When he touched the earth with his toes, it shook with all its mountains, and the rivers and the seas were troubled, and the gods partook of the universal agitation.

THE prince, having received these instructions, respectfully saluted the sages, and departed from the forest, fully confiding in the accomplishment of his purposes. He repaired to the holy place, on the banks of the Yamunā, called Madhu or Madhuvana, the grove of Madhu, after the demon of that name, who formerly abided there. Śatrughna (the younger brother of Rāma) having slain the Rākṣas Lavaṇa, the son of Madhu, founded a city on the spot, which was named Mathurā. At this holy shrine, the purifier from all sin, which enjoyed the presence of the sanctifying god of gods, Dhruva performed penance, as enjoined by Marīci and the sages: he contemplated Viṣṇu, the sovereign of all the gods, seated in himself. Whilst his mind was wholly absorbed in meditation, the mighty Hari, identical with all beings and with all natures, (took possession of his heart.) Viṣṇu being thus present in his mind, the earth, the supporter of elemental life, could not sustain the weight of the ascetic. As he stood upon his left foot, one hemisphere bent beneath him; and when he stood upon his right, the other half of the earth sank down. When he touched the earth with his toes, it shook with all its mountains, and the rivers and the seas were troubled, and the gods partook of the universal agitation.