CHAPTER 11, VOLUME 4
THE ADVICES OF SVAYAMBHUVA MANU TO DHRUVA AND DHRUVA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE BATTLE
PREFACE
Swayambhuva Manu, the grandfather of Dhruva, realized that Dhruva had already done enough damage to the Yaksha dynasty because of his having gone to the battle with them. He himself personally reaches to the spot of the battle. He advises Dhruva the philosophy of righteousness, cautions him about the consequences of anger, comforts him, whereafter Dhruva withdraws from the battle.
The relevance of Swayambhuva Manu, being the son of Lord Brahma and the grandfather of Dhruva, himself coming before Dhruva accompanied by great saints, is very important. Virtually the entire chapter is dedicated to the great advices of that Manu, who is the progenitor and the law giver to the human race, in which he advises Dhruva as to how he should conduct himself. Though aimed at Dhruva, these advices given in the presence of the great stages is meant for the world community at large who seek to live in contentment and follow devotional service to Shri Hari.
It is a known fact that Dhruva, even as a child of five years, did extreme penance, as per the guidance of none other than the great saint Shri Narada, and through his penance could achieve not only the personalised vision of Shri Hari but also attain that highest position which none else had achieved till today.
Dhruva was blessed by that Shri Hari in this manner, but while doing so, He had also told him that Dhruva shall have to rule the world, as the descendant of Uttanapada, the son of Swayambhuva Manu, for thirty six thousand years, whereafter Dhruva shall remember Shri Hari when only he shall reach to that highest position.
While ruling his kingdom, Dhruva's brother Uttama was reportedly killed by a Yaksha when he had gone to the forests. In retaliation Dhruva undertakes the greatest battle and inflicts immense casualties to the Yakshas, who belong to the Kubera family, who again is the greatest friend of Lord Shiva.
The important point in this chapter is that even a person like Dhruva, who had achieved great spiritual heights, could slip down to earthly behaviour because of his not having connecting himself with Shri Hari constantly. It required none other than Swayambhuva Manu to remind Dhruva about where he had gone wrong and what he was supposed to do. The entire explanations and advices of Swayambhuva Manu is really a treat for those who seek to live aiming at devotion to Shri hari and desiring for withdrawal from worldly attachments even while carrying out one's duties in the normal course.
The details as to why Dhruva had gone to battle etc., have been elaborately dealt with in the previous chapter. This chapter assumes great importance connecting to the advices given to Dhruva by the saints that (in the last stanza No.30 of the previous chapter 11) the only way to overcome the illusions created by the Yakshas is to take the name of Shri Vasudeva by which one can cross over the most difficult situations in this worldly life.
The illusions faced by Dhruva has been compared with the illusions everyone faces in life. As soon as Dhruva takes out and shoots the arrow devised by Shri Vasudeva, all the illusions disappear just as the miseries of the worldly life disappears with the onslaught of the real knowledge from within.
Thus, this chapter continues as a chain from the previous chapter by Dhruva's further actions and the great advices of self realization being given by his grandfather Swayambhuva Manu.
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