Vishnu Purana — Selections (Books I & VI)HinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareVishnu Purana 1.11M. N. Dutt after H. H. Wilson (1894) - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableM. N. Dutt after H. H. Wilson (1894)LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Vishnu Purana 1.1Vishnu Purana 1.2Vishnu Purana 1.3Vishnu Purana 1.4Vishnu Purana 1.5Vishnu Purana 1.6Vishnu Purana 1.7Vishnu Purana 1.8Vishnu Purana 1.9Vishnu Purana 1.10Vishnu Purana 1.11Vishnu Purana 1.12Vishnu Purana 1.13Vishnu Purana 1.14Vishnu Purana 1.15Vishnu Purana 1.16Vishnu Purana 1.17Vishnu Purana 1.18Vishnu Purana 1.19Vishnu Purana 1.20Vishnu Purana 1.21Vishnu Purana 1.22Vishnu Purana 6.1Vishnu Purana 6.2Vishnu Purana 6.3Vishnu Purana 6.4Vishnu Purana 6.5Vishnu Purana 6.6Vishnu Purana 6.7Vishnu Purana 6.8›Book I, Section 11Vishnu Purana 1.11ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapterParāçara said:—I mentioned unto you that the Menu Swāyambhava had two heroic and pious sons Priyavrata and and Uttanpada. O these two, O Brahman, Uttanpada, had, by his favourite wife Suruchi, a son, Uttama, whom he dearly loved. O twice-born one, the king had another queen by name Suniti, to whom he was less attached. By her he had another son Dhruva. Beholding his brother Uttama on the lap of his father as he was seated upon his throne, Dhruva was desirous of ascending to the same place. But as Suruchi was present the king could not receive his son, approaching there delightedly and desiring to be taken on his father's knee. Beholding the child of her sapatni thus anxious to be placed on his father's lap and her own son already seated there Suruchi said,—"O child, why do you vainly cherish such a presumptuous desire born as thou art from a different mother and art no son of mine. Thou art inconsiderate enough to aspire to a station which is fit for excellent Uttama. It is true thou art the son of the king but I have not given thee birth. This regal throne, the seat of the king of kings is suited to my son only; why shouldst thou trouble thyself for it. Why does thou idly cherish such an ambition as if thou wert my son? Dost thou not know that thou art the offspring of Suniti?" Parāçara said;—O twice-born one, hearing the words of his step-mother, and quitting his father, the boy repaired in a passion to the apartment of his own mother. Beholding him angry and his lips trembling, Suniti took him upon her lap and said,—"O child, who is the cause of your anger? Who hath not welcomed thee? Who doth not know, that by behaving ill towards thee he hath offended thy father?" Being thus addressed Dhruva repeated to his mother all that the arrogant Suruchi had said to him in the presence of the king. Her son having related all these sighing, she was greatly distressed. And Suniti, rendered poorly, with her eyes dimmed, sighed and said,—"Suruchi has rightly spoken; thine, child, is as an unfortunate fate: those who are born to fortune are not liable to the insults of their step-mothers. Yet be not afflicted, my child, for who shall efface what thou hast formerly done, or shall assign to thee what thou hast left undone. The regal throne, the umbrella of royalty, excellent horses and elephants are his whose virtues have deserved them; remember this my son and be consoled. That the king favours Suruchi is the reward of her merits in a former birth. The name of wife alone belongs to such as I, who have not equal merit. Her son is the progeny of accumulated piety and is born as Uttama and mine son art thou, O Dhruva, of inferior merit. It does not behove thee, O my child, to be sorry on this account; a wise man will be satisfied with the degree which appertains to him. If thou art greatly hurt at the words of Suruchi, do you try to amass piety which bestows all good. Be thou good-natured, virtuous-souled, friendly and engaged in doing good to all living creatures; for prosperity descends upon worthy persons as water flows towards low ground". Dhruva said;—"O mother, what thou hast said to console me doth not find place in my heart which has been rent asunder by harsh words. I shall so exert that I may attain to the most exalted rank adored by the whole world. I am not born of Suruchi who is the favourite wife of the king. Do thou behold my prowess, O mother, who am born of and reared by thee. Let Uttama, my brother, who is not born of thee, receive the regal throne, conferred on him by my father. "I do not wish to have that which is given by others, O mother. I shall by my actions acquire such a position which had not been enjoyed even by my father". Parāçara said:—Having addressed his mother thus, Dhruva issued out of his mother's dwelling. And quitting the city, he repaired to a neighbouring thicket. He beheld there seven ascetics, who had repaired there before, sitting upon the hides of the black antelope, which they had taken from off their persons, and spread over the holy kusa grass. Saluting them respectfully and bowing unto them humbly the prince said, "Do ye know me, O great ascetics, as the son of Uttanpada, born of Suniti. Being dissatisfied with the world, I have appeared before you". The Rishis replied:—"O prince, thou art only a boy and but four or five years of age. There can be no reason why you should be dissatisfied with life. You cannot be disgusted with anxiety since thy father reigns; we cannot imagine, O boy, that you suffer the pain of separation from the object of your affections. Nor do we see any sign of disease on your person. What is the cause of your dissatisfaction? Tell us if it is known to you". Parāçara said,—Thereupon he repeated unto them what Suruchi had spoken to him. And having heard that they said to one another,—"Oh! How wonderful is the vehemence of Kshatriya nature? He is a mere boy and still he cannot stoop to indignities and he has not been able to remove from his mind what his step-mother had said. O son of Kshatriya, if it pleases thee, tell us what thou desirest to do through your dissatisfaction with the world. O thou of immeasurable prowess, tell us in what thou wishest to have our help? Speak freely: for we perceive that thou desirest to have something from us". Dhruva said:—"O ye foremost of twice-born ones, I wish not for riches, neither do I long for a kingdom. I aspire to a station which hath never been acquired by any before. O excellent sages, tell me how I may effect this and attain to that station which is the most elevated in this world". Maychi said—"O Prince, none can attain to that best of stations who does not propitiate Govinda. Do thou therefore worship the undecaying". Attri said—"He with whom is pleased the first of spirits Janārddana, gets at this imperishable dignity—I mention unto you the truth". Angira said,—"If thou desirest for an exalted station do thou worship Govinda in whom immutable and undecaying, all that is, exists". Pulastya said,—"Worshipping the divine Hari, the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Stay and Supreme Brahmā thou mayst attain to eternal liberation, what of reaching that most exalted station". Kratu said,—"Nothing is difficult to attain if Janārddana is pleased, who is the soul of sacrifice in sacrifices and supreme spirit in abstract contemplation". Pulaha said,—"Do thou adore, O pious boy, that Vishnu, the lord of sacrifice, and Universe, worshipping whom Indra obtained the dignity of a king of the celestials". Vasishtha observed:—"Anything, that a man desires, may be obtained in this world by adoring Vishnu what of that exalted position". Dhruva said:—"You have told me, humbly bowing before, what is the deity to be adored: do ye now inform me of the prayer which is to be meditated by me to propitiate him. May the great ascetics, delightedly inform me of the prayer by which I may propitiate the God". The Rishis said,—"O Prince, hear, we shall relate unto thee, how those, who are devoted unto Vishnu, shall worship Him. They shall first withdraw their minds from all exterior objects and then fix it steadily on that being in whom the world exists. O Prince, hear from us the prayer that is to be recited by him, who has thus concentrated his thoughts on one only object, whose heart is filled with his spirit, and who has controlled himself. 'Om, salutation to Vasudeva, who is manifest as Brahmā, Vishnu and Siva, and whose form is inscrutable'. This prayer was offered in olden times by your grandsire, the Manu Swayambhuva, and propitiated by which, Janārddana conferred upon him prosperity, which he desired, unequalled in three worlds. Do thou therefore try to propitiate Govinda by reciting this prayer continually". ‹Previous chapterVishnu Purana 1.10Next chapterVishnu Purana 1.12›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain