Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 2

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

Pole Star

Devanagari script

स वै धिया योगविपाकतीव्रया हृत्पद्मकोशे स्फुरितं तडित्प्रभम् । तिरोहितं सहसैवोपलक्ष्य बहि:स्थितं तदवस्थं ददर्श ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

sa vai dhiyā yoga-vipāka-tīvrayā hṛt-padma-kośe sphuritaṁ taḍit-prabham tirohitaṁ sahasaivopalakṣya bahiḥ-sthitaṁ tad-avasthaṁ dadarśa

Translation

Nhờ quả chín của yoga sâu dày, hình tướng của Chúa, rực sáng như tia chớp, hiện lên trong đóa sen nơi tim Dhruva Mahārāja; bỗng nhiên hình ấy biến mất. Dhruva bối rối, thiền định bị đứt; nhưng vừa mở mắt, ngài thấy ngay Đấng Tối Thượng hiện diện trước mặt, đúng như ngài vẫn thấy trong lòng mình.

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• धिया: by (his) mind/intellect
• धिया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• योग-विपाक-तीव्रया: intensely (made) by the fruition of yoga
• योग-विपाक-तीव्रया: विशेषण (Adjectival to Karaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक) + तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of धिया; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (yoga-vipāka = ‘ripening/result of yoga’) + विशेषण ‘तीव्र’

• हृत्-पद्म-कोशे: in the sheath of the heart-lotus
• हृत्-पद्म-कोशे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location); समासः—तत्पुरुष (heart-lotus-sheath)

• स्फुरितम्: throbbing/flashing
• स्फुरितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तडित्प्रभम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• तडित्-प्रभम्: having lightning-like splendor
• तडित्-प्रभम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तडित् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा/प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (lightning-like radiance)

• तिरोहितम्: hidden/withdrawn
• तिरोहितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिरो-धा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तडित्प्रभम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• उपलक्ष्य: having perceived/noticed
• उपलक्ष्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal); ‘having noticed’

• बहिः-स्थितम्: standing outside
• बहिः-स्थितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय) + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘outside-situated’

• तत्-अवस्थम्: in that condition
• तत्-अवस्थम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘in that state/condition’)

• ददर्श: he saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Purport

Because of his mature position in yogic meditation, Dhruva Mahārāja was constantly observing the form of the Personality of Godhead within his heart, but all of a sudden, when the Supreme Personality disappeared from his heart, he thought that he had lost Him. Dhruva Mahārāja was perturbed, but upon opening his eyes and breaking his meditation he saw the same form of the Lord before him. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38) it is said, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: a saintly person who has developed love of Godhead by devotional service always sees the Lord’s transcendental form of Śyāmasundara. This Śyāmasundara form of the Lord within the heart of a devotee is not imaginary. When a devotee becomes mature in his prosecution of devotional service, he sees face to face the same Śyāmasundara he has thought of during the entire course of his devotional service. Since the Supreme Lord is absolute, the form within the heart of a devotee, the form in the temple and the original form in Vaikuṇṭha, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, are all the same; they are nondifferent from one another.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Bhagavān (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about seeing the Lord in the heart?

This verse describes the Lord manifesting within the heart-lotus to a yogi-devotee, showing that matured yoga (supported by devotion) culminates in direct inner realization of Bhagavān.

Why did Dhruva Maharaja’s vision disappear and then reappear outside?

The verse indicates the Lord’s independence: He may reveal Himself within meditation and then withdraw that inner vision, granting a clearer, personal darśana externally to Dhruva.

How can this teaching be applied in modern spiritual practice?

Practice steady devotion and disciplined meditation; realizations may come and go, but perseverance and humility help one recognize the Lord’s presence beyond fleeting inner experiences.