Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest

Dhruva leaves home, receives Nārada’s instructions, and worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead with austerity.

Themes of SB 4.8Dainya5 Śuddhi5 Bhakti5 Jñāna5 with indexed passages

Connected storiesMahārāja PriyavrataThe four KumārasThe gopīs and the rāsa danceAkrūra

Who is speakingSūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraEvery voice in this chapter ›

Turning points hereDhruva Mahārāja· Humiliation

What this chapter speaks about · the ten subjects

In this chapter

Who · Dhruva Mahārāja, Nārada, King Uttānapāda, Uttama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

The story · When Dhruva tried to sit on King Uttānapāda’s lap, his father did not warmly welcome him. Dhruva left home, and Nārada instructed him in worship, chanting, and meditation on the Lord’s activities. With great determination, Dhruva practiced austerity and worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord promised to fulfill his ambitious desire, but Dhruva later regretted having regarded his brother as an enemy. Returning home, he and Uttama embraced with tears of affection.

What it teaches · Worship of the Lord’s lotus feet can fulfill one’s desires. Dhruva’s regret also shows the illusion of treating family members as enemies.

SB 4.8.41 SB 4.9.19 SB 4.9.33 Read chapter 8 ›

Beyond this chapter

Connected stories across the Bhāgavatam

Stories told in other chapters that this chapter's verses or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purports bring in, the other Bhāgavatam verses the purports quote, and stories in other cantos with the same themes. Each link shows the sentence it comes from.

Mahārāja Priyavrata

SB 5.1 · Priyavrata accepts the kingdom

What it teaches · Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains that devotional service is transcendental to material influences. A devotee who takes shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet can overcome material distress and conquer the mind and senses.

Svāyambhuva Manu had two sons by his wife, Śatarūpā, and the names of the sons were Uttānapāda and Priyavrata.
In the verse · SB 4.8.7 (Text 7)

It is said that these two kings, Uttānapāda and Priyavrata, were specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, unlike the great King Ṛṣabha, who was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 4.8.7 (Text 7)

Read the story in SB 5.1

The four Kumāras

SB 3.15–16 · The doorkeepers’ fall SB 4.21–23 · Pṛthu’s life of devoted service SB 11.13 · The Lord teaches as Haṁsa

What it teaches · The Lord’s conduct shows how dearly He values the brāhmaṇas and how seriously He regards disrespect toward them. Even while facing punishment, the doorkeepers sought the shelter of remembering Him.

Vivid examples of brahmacārīs who accepted this principle of life are the four sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana and Sanat-kumāra, as well as Nārada and others.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 4.8.1 (Text 1)

The four great Kumāra sages headed by Sanaka, as well as Nārada, Ṛbhu, Haṁsa, Aruṇi and Yati, all sons of Brahmā, did not live at home, but became ūrdhva-retā, or naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīs, unadulterated celibates.
In the verse · SB 4.8.1 (Text 1)

Read the story in SB 3.15–16

The gopīs and the rāsa dance

SB 10.20–22 · The gopīs’ flute songs and vow SB 10.29–33 · The gopīs’ search and the rāsa dance SB 10.46–47 · Uddhava witnesses Vraja’s love

What it teaches · Kṛṣṇa explains that desires fixed upon Him do not produce ordinary material desire for sense gratification. The gopīs’ attention is centered upon Him.

If one takes shelter of Vṛndāvana under Vṛndāvaneśvarī, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, certainly all the problems of his life are solved very easily.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 4.8.24 (Text 24)

The feminine feature of the Lord is displayed by goddesses of fortune — Lakṣmī, Rādhārāṇī, Sītā, etc.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 4.8.47 (Text 47)

Read the story in SB 10.20–22

Akrūra

SB 10.38–40 · Akrūra’s journey and vision SB 10.48–49 · Akrūra’s mission to the Pāṇḍavas

What it teaches · Kṛṣṇa is kindly disposed toward His surrendered devotees. Akrūra’s prayers teach that the Lord’s appearances remove the unhappiness of those who joyfully chant His glories.

…(18) Akrūra-tīrtha (when Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were going to Mathurā in the chariot driven by Akrūra, all of them took bath in this ghāṭa ), (19) Yājñika-vipra-sthāna, (20) Kubjā-kūpa, (21) Raṅga-sthāla, (22) Mañcha-sthala, (23) Mallayuddha-sthāna, and (24)…
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 4.8.42 (Text 42)

Read the story in SB 10.38–40

Same themes in another canto

Both chapters carry these themes strongly in the themes map, an editorial reading of each chapter's story.

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