Slokam 4

The slokam has a deep message regarding the environment and orientation of priorities. As a child, as well as being the child of a King, Dhruva was allowed to go away alone to the forest, to pursue the highest goal of attainment of salvation.

The slokam mentions that “fortunately, he met Narada, who installed in him, Your Mantra (name) and the procedure of worship”. 

A subtle point of great importance must be noted here.  That it so “happened” that Narada appeared from “no where”  to initiate Dhruva in the Narayana Mantra,  is no accident.  Our every move and our every thought is being tracked by the celestial beings.  We are guided every minute of our existence  by the representatives of the Paramathma,  who are His various manifestations.

Madhuvana is the forest that Dhruva retreats to. Given the complexities of a forest life,  would a child have been able to survive? Let alone meditate with total concentration? That would have been unlikely, and yet that’s exactly what happened.  This is a very valuable insight into our lives and the events that drive them. 

“One of the most beautiful forests, Madhuvana is among the 12 principal forests of Braj to be recreated at Krishna Bhumi, Vrindavan. The forest got its name from the sweetest honey that is said to have been found here in the most nectarine bee hives of the Kalpavriksha trees that covered the entire forest.”

So the physical setting is completely engineered and is born only out of our inner dedication to the supreme cause.  Everything will fall into place as long as our inner self is oriented in the correct direction.  We often make the mistake of coming to the conclusion that the external world influences our inner self, when in fact it is the exact opposite.  The inner self is the cause and the feedback that we get from the external world is the effect.  We try to manipulate the effect, which is nothing but a shadow.  The effort that we make to grapple with the shadow is entirely wasted. As long as the inner self is not on the correct path, the shadow effect of the external world will not change.

Depending on the path that we take, and our orientation and inclination, the events of life will fall into place.  If we are set on dhyanam and focus on the Paramathma,  and are inclined to surrender ourselves to the supreme,  the enabling guidance and environment will be provided.

Sitting in the Madhuvana forest, with only one thought in his mind, Dhruva is soon deeply immersed in meditation.  The otherwise hostile forest environment becomes very quiet, conducive, and does not pose any threat to the child.

Taking the step that Dhruva took is not easy. Very few of us will have the courage or the tenacity to actually walk away from what we have.  The challenges to disowning worldly existence and retreating to seclusion does not happen without sacrificing a lot.  Although we may realize the futility of pursuing a worldly life, the effort required for  keeping things in the correct perspective without succumbing to engaging in shadow play is a huge one. We will be tested fully by life to make an assessment of the genuineness of the endeavor and the attainment.

We cannot graduate out of this life unless we drop all pretentions and attachments.

As long as we have the primary objective of life as being one of complete surrender, and nothing else,  everything will fall into place.  If on the other hand, we pursue worldly objectives,  hurdles will mount,  with no end in sight.

We are constantly being sucked into the whirlpool of life.  We have to perform our duties without attachment.  Every bit of our experience has to be transformed into a lesson of life that is to be used only for evolution out of this physical existence.  Life does not forgive.  Although it may seem harsh,  all the pushes and prods that we receive from life are only for the purpose of keeping us on the correct path.

May we always recognize that every aspect of our life is oriented towards maintaining us on the correct path without any deviation. May we always acknowledge this guidance, by complete surrender.  May we also be aware that our every intention and thought is being monitored by the various manifestations of the Paramathma, and we receive feedback to adjust our orientation. May we recognize this celestial input and guidance and respond instantly with the correct interpretation and action.