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Shloka 3

Dhruva’s Darśana, Transformative Prayers, and the Boon of the Dhruva-loka

Pole Star

तद्दर्शनेनागतसाध्वस: क्षिता- ववन्दताङ्गं विनमय्य दण्डवत् । द‍ृग्भ्यां प्रपश्यन् प्रपिबन्निवार्भक- श्चुम्बन्निवास्येन भुजैरिवाश्लिषन् ॥ ३ ॥

tad-darśanenāgata-sādhvasaḥ kṣitāv avandatāṅgaṁ vinamayya daṇḍavat dṛgbhyāṁ prapaśyan prapibann ivārbhakaś cumbann ivāsyena bhujair ivāśliṣan

Seeing his Lord directly before him, Dhruva Mahārāja trembled with devotion and fell to the ground in daṇḍavat obeisance. In ecstatic love he gazed as though drinking the Lord with his eyes, kissing the Lord’s lotus feet with his mouth, and embracing Him with his arms.

तत्-दर्शनेनby seeing that
तत्-दर्शनेन:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘by that sight/vision’)
आगत-साध्वसःwith awe/fear arisen
आगत-साध्वसः:
विशेषण (Adjectival to implied subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-गम् (धातु) + साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘आगत’ + संज्ञा ‘साध्वस’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहिर्वृत्त्या विशेषण (one to whom fear has come)
क्षितौon the ground
क्षितौ:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
अवन्दत्he bowed/worshiped
अवन्दत्:
क्रिया (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवन्द् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘अव’
अङ्गम्(his) body/limbs
अङ्गम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘अङ्गं’ = body/limbs (as object of action)
विनमय्यhaving bent (down)
विनमय्य:
पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-नम् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव
दण्डवत्prostrate like a stick
दण्डवत्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
Formक्रियाविशेषण (adverb); ‘like a staff’ (prostrate)
दृग्भ्याम्with (his) two eyes
दृग्भ्याम्:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootदृश्/दृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन
प्रपश्यन्looking intently
प्रपश्यन्:
कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-पश्/दृश् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
प्रपिबन्drinking in (with eyes)
प्रपिबन्:
कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-पा (धातु)
Formवर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
इवas if
इव:
उपमान (Comparative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)
अर्भकःa child
अर्भकः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
चुम्बन्kissing
चुम्बन्:
कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
TypeVerb
Rootचुम्ब् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
इवas if
इव:
उपमान (Comparative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक अव्यय
आस्येनwith (his) mouth
आस्येन:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootआस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
भुजैःwith (his) arms
भुजैः:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootभुज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
इवas if
इव:
उपमान (Comparative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक अव्यय
आश्लिषन्embracing
आश्लिषन्:
कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
TypeVerb
Rootआ-श्लिष् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Naturally, when Dhruva Mahārāja personally saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he was very much agitated in awe and respect, and it appeared as if he were drinking the entire body of the Lord with his eyes. The devotee’s love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so intense that he wants to kiss the lotus feet of the Lord constantly, and he wants to touch the tips of the toes of the Lord and constantly embrace His lotus feet. All these features of Dhruva Mahārāja’s bodily expression indicate that upon seeing the Lord face to face he developed the eight kinds of transcendental ecstasy in his body.

D
Dhruva Mahārāja
K
Kṣiti (Dhruva’s mother)

FAQs

This verse depicts Kṣiti’s overwhelming reverence and affection—she bows fully, then drinks in Dhruva’s form with her eyes, as if kissing and embracing him—showing devotion and parental love together.

Because Dhruva returned as a spiritually radiant devotee favored by the Lord; his mother’s awe (sādhvasa) reflects recognition of his saintliness and divine grace.

Honor spiritual growth wherever it appears—even within family—and let love become more reverent, humble, and supportive of devotion rather than driven by ego or possessiveness.