FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.9.20-21

नान्यैरधिष्ठितं भद्र यद्भ्राजिष्णु ध्रुवक्षिति । यत्र ग्रहर्क्षताराणां ज्योतिषां चक्रमाहितम् ॥ २० ॥ मेढ्यां गोचक्रवत्स्थास्‍नु परस्तात्कल्पवासिनाम् । धर्मोऽग्नि: कश्यप: शुक्रो मुनयो ये वनौकस: । चरन्ति दक्षिणीकृत्य भ्रमन्तो यत्सतारका: ॥ २१ ॥
nānyair adhiṣṭhitaṁ bhadra
[naanyair adhishthitam bhadra]
yad bhrājiṣṇu dhruva-kṣiti
[yad bhraajishnu dhruva-kshiti]
yatra graharkṣa-tārāṇāṁ
[yatra graharksha-taaraanaam]
jyotiṣāṁ cakram āhitam
[jyotishaam chakram aahitam]
meḍhyāṁ go-cakravat sthāsnu
[medhyaam go-chakravat sthaasnu]
parastāt kalpa-vāsinām
[parastaat kalpa-vaasinaam]
dharmo ’gniḥ kaśyapaḥ śukro
[dharmo ’gnih kashyapah shukro]
munayo ye vanaukasaḥ
[munayo ye vanaukasah]
caranti dakṣiṇī-kṛtya
[charanti dakshinee-kritya]
bhramanto yat satārakāḥ
[bhramanto yat sataarakaah]
Word-for-word
na — never anyaiḥ — by others adhiṣṭhitam — was ruled bhadra — My good boy yat — which bhrājiṣṇu — brightly glowing dhruva-kṣiti — the land known as Dhruvaloka yatra — where graha — planets ṛkṣa — constellations tārāṇām — and stars jyotiṣām — by luminaries cakram — encirclement āhitam — is done meḍhyām — around a central pole go — of bulls cakra — a multitude vat — like sthāsnu — stationary parastāt — beyond kalpa — a day of Brahmā (millennium) vāsinām — those who live dharmaḥ — Dharma agniḥ — Agni kaśyapaḥ — Kaśyapa śukraḥ — Śukra munayaḥ — great sages ye — all of them who vana-okasaḥ — living in the forest caranti — move dakṣiṇī-kṛtya — keeping it to their right bhramantaḥ — circumambulating yat — which planet satārakāḥ — with all the stars.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nānyair adhiṣṭhitaṁ bhadra
na
never
anyaiḥ
by others
adhiṣṭhitam
was ruled
bhadra
My good boy
yad bhrājiṣṇu dhruva-kṣiti
yat
which
bhrājiṣṇu
brightly glowing
dhruva-kṣiti
the land known as Dhruvaloka
yatra graharkṣa-tārāṇāṁ
yatra
where
graha
planets
ṛkṣa
constellations
tārāṇām
and stars
jyotiṣāṁ cakram āhitam
jyotiṣām
by luminaries
cakram
encirclement
āhitam
is done
meḍhyāṁ go-cakravat sthāsnu
meḍhyām
around a central pole
go
of bulls
cakra
a multitude
vat
like
sthāsnu
stationary
parastāt kalpa-vāsinām
parastāt
beyond
kalpa
a day of Brahmā (millennium)
vāsinām
those who live
dharmo ’gniḥ kaśyapaḥ śukro
dharmaḥ
Dharma
agniḥ
Agni
kaśyapaḥ
Kaśyapa
śukraḥ
Śukra
munayo ye vanaukasaḥ
munayaḥ
great sages
ye
all of them who
vana-okasaḥ
living in the forest
caranti dakṣiṇī-kṛtya
caranti
move
dakṣiṇī-kṛtya
keeping it to their right
bhramanto yat satārakāḥ
bhramantaḥ
circumambulating
yat
which planet
satārakāḥ
with all the stars.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead continued: My dear Dhruva, I shall award you the glowing planet known as the polestar, which will continue to exist even after the dissolution at the end of the millennium. No one has ever ruled this planet, which is surrounded by all the solar systems, planets and stars. All the luminaries in the sky circumambulate this planet, just as bulls tread around a central pole for the purpose of crushing grains. Keeping the polestar to their right, all the stars inhabited by the great sages like Dharma, Agni, Kaśyapa and Śukra circumambulate this planet, which continues to exist even after the dissolution of all others.
Purport

Although the polestar existed before its occupation by Dhruva Mahārāja, it had no predominating deity. Dhruvaloka, our polestar, is the center for all other stars and solar systems, for all of them circle around Dhruvaloka just as a bull crushes grains by walking around and around a central pole. Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand. A small child may demand something from his father which his father has never given to anyone else, yet out of affection the father offers it to the child; similarly, this unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Mahārāja Dhruva. The specific significance of this planet is that until the entire universe is annihilated this planet will remain, even during the devastation which takes place during the night of Lord Brahmā. There are two kinds of dissolutions: one during the night of Lord Brahmā and one at the end of Lord Brahmā’s life. At the end of Brahmā’s life, selected personalities go back home, back to Godhead. Dhruva Mahārāja is one of them. The Lord assured Dhruva that he would exist beyond the partial dissolution of this universe. Thus at the end of the complete dissolution, Dhruva Mahārāja would go directly to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, to a spiritual planet in the spiritual sky. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments in this connection that Dhruvaloka is one of the lokas like Śvetadvīpa, Mathurā and Dvārakā. They are all eternal places in the kingdom of Godhead, which is described in the Bhagavad-gītā ( tad dhāma paramam ) and in the Vedas ( oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ ). The words parastāt kalpa-vāsinām, “transcendental to the planets inhabited after the dissolution,” refer to the Vaikuṇṭha planets. In other words, Dhruva Mahārāja’s promotion to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas was guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Fortunate boy! I give you that radiant place which is eternal, not attained by anyone else. The zodiac of planets, constellations and stars revolve around it like oxen walking around a central pillar to grind grains. That places remains till the end of Brahmā’s life. Bharaṇi, Kṛttika, Cancer, Venus and the Big Dipper revolve around Dhruva-loka in clockwise direction along with the stars. I give you that residence (kṣiti) which is eternal (dhruva), possessing the zodiac belt of planets, constellations and stars, which are like oxen circling around the central pillar to which they are tied. This place remains fixed for the duration of Brahmā’s life for those living for that duration (kalpa-vāsinām). At the time of final destruction, some say that Dhruva ascends to Mahā-vaikuṇṭha. Even though existing within the material universe, Dhruva-loka has the qualities of Śvetadvīpa, Mathurā and Dvārakā. The following verses show that Dhruva attained Vaikuṇṭha. sudurlabhaṁ yat paramaṁ padaṁ harer māyāvinas tac-caraṇārcanārjitam labdhvāpy asiddhārtham ivaika-janmanā kathaṁ svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit Having attained the supreme abode of the merciful Lord which is rarely attained, through worshipping the Lord’s feet, within one lifetime, and though he was knowledgeable, why did he consider himself unfulfilled? SB 4.9.28 tato gantāsi mat-sthānaṁ sarva-loka-namaskṛtam upariṣṭād ṛṣibhyas tvaṁ yato nāvartate gataḥ You will go to my abode, worshipped by all planets, higher than the Big Dipper, from which you will not return, having gone there. SB 4.9.25 anāsthitaṁ te pitṛbhir anyair apy aṅga karhicit ātiṣṭha jagatāṁ vandyaṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam O Dhruva! Stay in that supreme abode of Viṣṇu, a place not achieved by your forefathers or any others, which is worshipped by the whole universe. SB 4.12.26 Others say that parastāt means that Dhruva-loka remains beyond the life span of those lasting for Brahmā’s life, since the planet of the Lord is eternal. Dharma, Agni and others are the forms of constellations (Bharaṇi, Kṛttika). [Note: Śukra, Venus is a planet. Kaśyapa probably means the zodiac sign Cancer. ] Vanaukasaḥ refers to the seven sages (Big Dipper).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Lord awards Dhruva the polestar — Dhruvaloka — around which all luminaries revolve. The wound that drove you to extremes can yield a fixed star around which others orbit; pain doesn't only spend itself, it can incorporate.
Reflection Questions
  • Around which wound have I built a quiet pole that now serves others as a reference point?
  • Where could my unrelenting effort become a fixed light rather than a passing fire?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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