Vyasa Maharshi’s Vision as the Axis of Time ...... Narrative of Dhruva as an Accepted Astronomical Science : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Vyasa Maharshi’s 

Vision as the Axis of Time

Narrative of Dhruva as an 

Accepted Astronomical Science

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Dhruva’s mother Suniti, and Uttama’s mother Suruchi, were wives of King Uttanapada.  One day, Uttanapada allowed Uttama to sit on his lap but denied Dhruva, the same privilege. His stepmother Suruchi, more beloved to the king than Suniti, told Dhruva that, he must seek refuge at the feet of Lord Vishnu to receive his father’s love. Suniti also advised her son to follow his stepmother’s suggestion. Dhruva left the city in search of Vishnu.  

Meanwhile, Narada who came to Dhruva, told him that, all that was Vasudeva’s Divine Desire, and advised Dhruva, he should go to the Sacred Madhu Vana on the banks of River Yamuna, for liberation, in the presence of Lord Hari. He instructed him to bathe in the holy Yamuna waters, offer reverential salutations to Narayana, observe Yama and Niyama disciplines, and meditate with deep concentration to gain inner spiritual growth. Dhruva proceeded to Madhu Vana and followed Narada’s guidance.

Dhruva began meditating upon the Supreme Lord. Adjusting his intake of food according to his physical condition, reducing gradually, and eventually stood on one leg, subsisting only on air. He meditated upon Sri Hari, Vishnu, Madhava, Pundarikaksha, the Paramatma in their respective forms, and finally focused his mind exclusively on the form of Lord Hari with intense concentration. Lord Hari Himself was moved, and with His movement, the three worlds trembled.

Hari immediately came to Madhu Vana. Dhruva praised Him in various ways. The Lord proclaimed that the planets, stars, constellations, the entire celestial sphere, along with stellar deities such as Dharma, Agni, Kashyapa, Shukra, the Saptarishis, and hosts of stars would circumambulate Dhruva. He declared that Dhruva would attain a position above the Saptarishi Mandala, revered by all worlds, free from rebirth. The unchallengeable and unattainable Dhruva Kshiti (Dhruva Pada) would remain radiant even when the three worlds are destroyed in cosmic dissolution said Lord. Until then, Dhruva must rule the kingdom and enjoy worldly pleasures.

On Dhruva’s return to the kingdom, Uttanapada embraced and blessed him. His mother and stepmother blessed him. After some time, Uttanapada crowned Dhruva as the king. Dhruva married Prajapati ‘Shinshu Mara‘s daughter Bhrami, and had two sons: Kalpudu and Vatsarudu. He also married Ila, wind-god Vayu’s daughter, through whom he had a son, Utkaludu and a daughter. The notion that Dhruva also had ‘Six Sons’ becomes clear only reading the Bhagavata Narrative. They are not biological offsprings, but are representing divisions of time that function under Dhruva’s Dominion.

Dhruva governed for twenty-six thousand years, installed his son on the throne, and left for Badarikashrama and worshipped Lord Hari. Then, a divine aerial chariot descended from the Heaven, bearing two exalted celestial beings of Lord Vishnu, at His command to take Dhruva in His supreme abode. Dhruva boarded it and departed. Passing beyond the planetary spheres and Saptarishi Mandala, he finally reached abode of Lord Vishnu.

If Shrimad Bhagavata Purana is examined through the literary vision of Vyasa Maharshi and through enlightened interpretative discourses of Padma Shri Garikipati Narasimha Rao, the deeper truth becomes clearly evident, to comprehend that, the story of Dhruva has a larger perspective. This implicitly implies the magnificent Indian knowledge metaphor that integrates the great principles of time, astronomy, and dharma. Vyasa Maharshi exceedingly shaped it through natural human relationships such as father, mother, sons, kingdom etc. It is theory of time and astronomy.

In the name of Uttanapada, ‘Uttana’ means that which is raised upward, indicating the direction of the sky, while ‘Pada’ means foundation or support. In astronomy, the Earth stands and rotates upon its axis. That axis is the implied meaning of Uttanapada, the name in which, The future destiny of Dhruva, who would become the central point of that axis, is subtly encoded. Veda Vyasa unambiguous conveyed that, the position of Dhruva is not inherited through lineage, but is attained through spiritual discipline. The intention behind Dhruva’s desire to sit upon king’s lap which symbolizes the center of authority, signifies claiming eligibility for sovereignty.

Suniti and Suruchi are symbolic representations of mental forces. Suruchi signifies attachment to sensory pleasures, embodies ego and intoxication with power, and represents righteous intellect, with gentle words imbued with profound philosophical depth, that guides one toward the noble path. Suruchi humiliates Dhruva, distances him from authority, and transforms humiliation into a stepping stone for spiritual growth. Hence, Dhruva proceeds to Madhu Vana. His austerity was not an act of physical torment, It is the discipline of fixing the mind unwaveringly upon a single goal. Vyasa conveyed the truth that, qualification for authority is penance.

As Padma Shri Garikipati Narasimha Rao explains, the astronomical principle that motion cannot be defined without a fixed reference point, is transformed here into a philosophical narrative. As a reward for such steadfastness, Lord Vishnu grants Dhruva an extraordinary boon, a reign of twenty-six thousand years which is not an exaggeration. Dhruva’s reign signifies a duration during which dharma remains stable upon the Earth.

By bestowing Dhruva with the Dhruva Loka, Vyasa indicates a star based cosmic order. To state that, Dhruva had six sons is an extremely profound symbol, and are not ordinary genealogical details. According to Indian time calculation, a year is divided into six seasons, Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta, and Shishira. Dhruva’s Six Sons represent them. Seasons may change, but axis (Dhruva) that supports the cycle of seasons does not change.  ‘Dhruva remains fixed, while his sons cause time to flow.’ Because the Dhruva star lies close to the Earth’s axis, it appears stationary even though the Earth rotates.

The ancients used it as a reference for navigation and time calculation. Dhruva is foundation of Time, which flows, yet the axis upon which it turns remains unseen. It is that axis which the Puranas have named Dhruva. In modern terminology, this is the ‘Earth’s Axis’ which is an imaginary line running from the North Pole to the South Pole, about which the Earth rotates. This axis is tilted slightly, approximately 23.5 degrees, resulting in the formation of seasons and variations in the lengths of day and night. Therefore, it is not appropriate to view the story of Dhruva merely as a mythological tale.

Dhruva is the stable axis. His sons are manifestations of the seasonal cycle. His kingdom is not a geographical territory, but the stability of the flow of time. Dhruva Loka is a star-based cosmic order. Vyasa Maharshi conveyed these truths through narrative form for the benefit of humanity. The modern interpreter Padma Shri Garikipati Narasimha Rao stands as a great luminary. The eternal message that Vyasa Maharshi has given to humanity has been that, as to how long the principle of Dhruva remains within our thoughts.

When the story of Dhruva is examined, it becomes clear that it is not confined merely to a devotional tale or the success story of a child. It stands as an answer to fundamental questions such as what supports time, how cosmic motion occurs, and why stability is essential. In Vyasa Maharshi’s vision, a Purana is not a clock that measures time; it is the axis that sustains time.

Dhruva is not merely a star visible in the sky. He is a symbol of the stability. The distinct greatness of Vyasa Maharshi is that, he transformed astronomy into stories comprehensible to human life, envisioned time as sons, the axis as Dhruva, motion as a kingdom, and stability as a cosmic realm. That is the eternal legacy he has bestowed upon humanity. Garikipati Narasimha Rao’s celebrated discourses constitute a remarkable interpretation of the Bhagavata Purana and the story of Dhruva. Within the traditions of Purana, astronomy, and philosophy, there exist clear and strong foundations supporting all these perspectives. (PHOTOS COURTESY RAMABHAKTA JOGESH)