Dhruva Sthuthi
(Prayer of Dhruva)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachnder
(This great prayer occurs in ninth chapter of fourth Dasakam (Slokas 6-17) of the Maha Bhagawatha Purana. Dhruva was the son of king Uthanapatha out of his wife Sunithi. He had a half brother whose mother was Suruchi who was the favourite of his father. One day when the young child Dhruva who was only five years old saw his brother was sitting on the lap of his father , he also wanted to sit there. But his step mother Suruchi told him that the luck was not fated for him and asked him to do penance. The young child took it seriously and when he was walking to the forest, sage Narada met him and taught him the manthras to do penance. After a great penance Lord Vishnu appeared before him,. This prayer is what he chanted at that time. Lord Vishnu blessed him with a long life and at the end to become the pole star.
The very learned Prof V.Krishnamurthy in his web site
http://www.krishnamurthys.com/profvk/gohitvip/contentsbeach9.html
has given a very learned interpretation of this great work .Apart from consulting it, I also have consulted the translation of Bhagwatha done by Sri.C.L.Goswami and published by Gita press, Gorakhpur. What I have presented is the simple meaning of the great text as I understood it. )
1.Yontha pravisya mama vacham imam prasuptham ,
SAjeevathyakhila Shakthi dhara swadhamna,
Anyamscha hastha charanasrvana thwa gadheen,
Pranan namo bhagawathe purushaya thubhyam,
I salute the glorious God who is the Purusha,
Who has entered within me and made me speak,
While I was not in a position to speak all along,
And by entering with in me awakened,
My hands, feet , ears, sense of touch and so on.
2.Yekasthvameva Bhagwan nidham athma shakthya,
Mayakhyayoru gunaya mahaddhya sesham ,
Srushtanuvisaya purushasdad guneshu,
Naneva dharushu vibhava suvadvibhasi.
Though you are the one who by use of the power of the soul.,
Through Maya expressed through the three gunas,
Have evolved the great principle of cosmic intelligence,
Thus creating and entering in to the diverse forms,
You appear as many , like the fire appearing,
Diverse when it burns in different pieces of wood.
3.Thwad dathaya vayuna yedhamachasta viswam,
Suptha prabuddha iva nadha bhavad prapanna,
Thasyapa vargya saranam thava pada moolam
Vismaryathe krutha vidha kadam aartha bandho.
Due to the power of vision that was given by you,
Lord Brahma saw the universe as the one who woke up from sleep,
Oh friend of those who are suffering , how can one forget ,
Your feet which is the resort of even the most liberated souls.
4.Noonam vimushta
mathya sthava maayaya they,
Ye thwam bhavapya vimokshanam anya hetho,
Archanthi kalpaka tharum kuna popa bhogyam,
Icchanthi yath sprasajam nisayai api nrunaam.
Now there are some people who worship you,
Whose mind is completely covered by illusion,
And instead of wishing for deliverance from birth and death,
They worship you , who is like a wish giving tree,
For other purposes like the material pleasures,
Which can be even received in the dark hell.
5.Taa nivruthis thanu abhrathaam thava pada pathma,
Dhyanad bhava Jnana katha sravanena vaa syaath,
Sa brahmani swa mahiminyapi nadhaa maa bhooth,
Kim thvanth akaas uilulithath pathathamm vimanath.
The bliss that the beings get through meditation of your lotus feet,
And that got by listening to the wise stories about you , by the devotees,
Is not equal to the direct experience of Brahman, , Oh my lord,
And so how can it be enjoyed by those who are hurled,
From their aerial cars by the sword of death.
6.Bhakthim muhu pravaha thathaam thwayi may prasango,
Bhooyad anantha mahathaam amala sayaanaam,
Yenagna solbana muruvyasanam bhavabdheem,
Neshye bhavad guna kathamrutha pana mathaa.
Oh God who is infinite , let me enjoy the company ,
Of the great devotees of yours who have a pure heart,
So that with their help, I can cross the ocean of birth and death,
By becoming intoxicated by hearing your nectar like stories.
7.Thena samanyathitharaam priyam
isha marthyam,
Ye chaanvada sutha suhrud graham vitha dhaaraa,
Ye thwabhja nabha bhavadheeyada aravinda,
Sougandha lubdha hrudayeshu krutha prasangaa.
Those of the men who have made friendship with,
Those whose heart is captivated with
The fragrance of your lotus like feet,
Oh Lord from whose navel a lotus flower had grown,
Would not be bothered either with themselves,
Or with their dear wives, sons , home and friends
8.Tiryang naga dvija sarisrapa deva daithya ,
Marthyadhibhi,parichitham sadasad visesham,
Roopam sthavishtamaja they mahad adhyanekam,
Natha param parama vedhmi na yathra vaad.
Oh birth less one , I only know the great form of yours,
Which is the world of animals, mountains, trees birds,
Reptiles , gods, demons and also humans,
And consisting of the gross as well as the subtle,
Which are brought out by several differing causes,
Though I am not able to know that which is beyond words.
9.Kalpantha yethad akhilam Jatarena graham,
Sethe pumaan swadrug anantha sakhasthadhanke,
Yannabhi Sindhu ruha kanchana loka Padma garbhe,
Dhyumaan bhagawathe pranathosmi thasmai.
At the end of the eons at the time of the deluge,
You are that supreme person who reposes with no one,
Except Lord Anantha beside you and absorbing ,
The entire universe in to your stomach , and lay ,
In the pose of the yogic sleep and from your ,
Navel rises the golden lotus from which Lord Brahma comes out.,
And I bow to you in salutation ,Oh my Lord.
10.Thvam nithya muktha , parisuddha , vibuddha aathma,
Kootastha aadhi purusho bhagawan thryadheesa,
Yad buddhya avasthithi makhandithaya , swadrushtaya,
Drushtaa sthithava adhimkho vyathiriktha aasse.
You are always liberated , pure and all knowing soul,
You are immutable and primeval person, the god ,
And the god who is the Lord of all the three Gunas,
You have unobstructed vision of different states of mind,
And you appear as Lord Vishnu who takes care ,
And you are very much different from the individual soul.
11.Yasmin virudha gathayo hyanisam pathanthi,
Vidhyadhayo vividha shakthaya anupoorvayath,
Thadruhaa viswa bhavameka manantha maadhyam,
Ananda mathra vikaramaham prapadhye,
You are the fine mixture of opposite qualities,
And in you the powers like knowledge ,
Appear in unbroken succession and you are,
The cause of this universe which is indivisible,
Without any end and without any beginning,
And which is only bliss and I take refuge in you.
12.Sathya seersho hi Bhagwan sthava Pada Padma,
Seesthadhaanu bhajatha purushartha moorthe,
Apyeva marya Bhagwan paripathi dheenaan,
Vaasreva vathsaka manugraham katharosmaan.
Oh God who is the personification of truth , the worshipping,
Of your lotus like feet is the true blessing ,
Oh God who controls the duties and blessings of life,
Oh God , You look after the down trodden,
Like a cow nourishes its calf and bless them..