Once Lord Brahmā was meditating on the manifestation of the universe. As a result, a male and female appeared from him, by the names of Svāyambhuva Manu and Śatarūpā. Svāyambhuva Manu took Śatarūpā as his wife and with her he begot two sons, named Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. These two sons were both empowered by the Supreme Lord, and they appeared for the purpose of protecting the universe.

Uttānapāda became a great king. He had two wives named Sunīti and Suruci. Although Sunīti was the first wife and chief queen, Suruci was the king’s favorite. It so happened that Sunīti gave birth to the firstborn son of the king, who was called Dhruva, while Suruci gave birth to a second son, named Uttama.

One day King Uttānapāda took Uttama on his lap, showing him great affection. Seeing this, Dhruva became equally desirous for his father’s affection and repeatedly tried to climb on his lap. The king, however, did not have the courage to take Dhruva on his lap in front of Suruci. Knowing of her pride, he was afraid to displease her in any way.

When Suruci saw Dhruva trying to climb on to the lap of his father, she felt a burning hatred inside her heart, and in front of the king she began to insult Dhruva by saying, “Dhruva, my dear boy. You may be the son of the king, but that does not make you worthy to sit on his throne or on his lap. You may not be aware of it, but the king does not like your mother. Surely you are the child of a most unfortunate woman. The king loves me more, and therefore there is no doubt that my son Uttama will sit on his throne. Oh, you pitiable child, there is no hope to fulfill your desire. If you really want to obtain the king’s throne, there is only one thing you can do, and I shall tell you the method: pray to the Supreme Lord. When He becomes satisfied by your prayers, the Supreme Lord will come to give you a boon. Then you should ask Him to grant you the blessing to be born again from my womb. Only if you take birth from me, will you be able to sit on the lap of your father. Otherwise, as long as you are the son of such an unfortunate woman, you will never be able to sit on the king’s throne in this king’s family.”

While listening to the piercing words of his stepmother, Dhruva noticed that his father did not even say a single word to stop her. As a result, Dhruva became overwhelmed by a mixture of grief, anger and wounded pride. Crying intensely as though he were a snake beaten with a stick, he ran to his mother. Mother Sunīti saw little Dhruva coming to her with his eyes full of tears, his lips trembling and his lungs heaving heavily. She took the child affectionately on her lap and held him to her bosom in a vain attempt to console him. Dhruva was in such a state that he was completely unable to stop crying or even tell her the reason for his grief. Upon seeing this, Queen Sunīti became very perturbed.

In the meantime, some of the palace maidservants came to Sunīti’s courtyard to relate what had actually happened, as they had witnessed the events with their own eyes. After they had finished telling their story, Sunīti could understand why her son was so bereaved, and she hugged him, although she herself was struck with grief. The more she thought about the harsh words of her co-wife Suruci, the more her beautiful lotus eyes poured incessant tears.

After lamenting and weeping for a long time, she tried to regain her composure. She realized that no one would come to give them solace and that there was no way to end their sorrow. She resolved that, for the sake of her son, she should not become distraught but instead should try to give solace to him. Restraining her emotions with great effort, she explained to Dhruva, “My little Dhruva, why are you crying? Why do you suffer so much? Please do not think that your stepmother has caused your suffering. This is not her fault. You must understand that all living beings suffer according to their past activities. Whatever suffering you have inflicted upon others, you will have to accept yourself. The Supreme Lord is the controller of everyone and He awards everyone the results of their past activities. Your suffering is due only to your own karma. Your stepmother is not responsible for this and she is not to be blamed; she is only acting as an instrument of the Supreme Lord. Do not be angry with her. I am so unfortunate, and you are equally unfortunate. But, when you think about your misfortune, you should not feel any great pain. My dear Dhruva, we need not grieve over our situation. Although your stepmother has spoken harshly to you, her words are true. Otherwise, how can it be that, in spite of my being the chief queen, the king has come to neglect me like this after accepting me as a wife?”

“Even if the son of a maidservant approaches the king,” Sunīti continued, “he will welcome him, caress him with affection and talk with him; but you were not treated like that. The king could have said a few words to console you, but he did not. My dear Dhruva, don’t cry any more over this, because by crying we will not obtain any good result. Your stepmother told you to pray to Lord Hari. That was very good advice indeed and I can only offer you the same suggestion. Worship Śrī Hari, leaving aside your anger and ill feelings toward your stepmother, who is not responsible for all this. I have strong faith that you will, one day, come to sit on the king’s throne, just like your brother Uttama. The inconceivable Lord Śrī Adhokṣaja, who cannot be known through the material senses, protects the entire universe. Even the great yogis, who have completely controlled their minds and senses, meditate solely on the lotus feet of Śrī Hari. By serving Śrī Hari, your forefather Lord Brahmā obtained the shelter of His lotus feet, which is the best position possible. Also your grandfather, Svāyambhuva Manu, performed the dakṣiṇa-bahula sacrifice with great concentration only for the pleasure of Śrī Hari, and he was awarded a very exalted position in this life and in the next, which is very difficult for others to obtain. Therefore, my beloved Dhruva, those who desire liberation try to get the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Hari and worship Him to attain their goal. So, you should purify your heart and consciousness with strong determination and, by serving His lotus feet, call for Śrī Hari to come and be seated within your heart. My dear boy, only the lotus-eyed Śrī Hari can solve your problem and no one else. Even Brahmā and the other demigods offer their humble obeisances to and meditate on Lakṣmī Devī, the goddess of fortune, while this same effulgent Lakṣmī is eagerly desiring to serve Śrī Hari with all opulence.”

After listening to his mother’s lamentation and instruction, Dhruva stopped crying and regained his intelligence, self-control and patience. He began to think, “From what I have heard, if Śrī Hari will be pleased, then I may acquire a kingdom greater than that of my father, or even greater than that of my grandfather, Manu, or that of my forefather, Brahmā, who is the controller of the whole universe.” As of that moment, he became resolutely determined to please Śrī Hari. Prince Dhruva was only five years old when he left his father’s house and went to the forest to search out Śrī Hari with undivided attention.