390
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 9]
circumambulate this planet, which continues to exist even after the dissolution of all others.
PURPORT
Although the Pole Star existed before its occupation by Dhruva Mahārāja, there was no predominating deity. Dhruvaloka, our Pole Star, is the center for all other stars and solar systems, for all of them circle around Dhruvaloka just as a bull crushes grains by walking around and around a central pole. Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand. A small child may demand something from his father which his father has never given to anyone else, yet out of affection the father offers it to the child; similarly, this unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Mahārāja Dhruva. The specific significance of this planet is that until the entire universe is annihilated, this planet will remain, even during the devastation which takes place during the night of Lord Brahmā. There are two kinds of dissolutions, one during the night of Lord Brahmā and one at the end of Lord Brahmā's life. At the end of Brahmā's life, selected personalities go back home, back to Godhead. Dhruva Mahārāja is one of them. The Lord assured Dhruva that he would exist beyond the partial dissolution of this universe. Thus at the end of the complete dissolution, Dhruva Mahārāja would go directly to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, to a spiritual planet in the spiritual sky. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura comments in this connection that Dhruvaloka is one of the  lokas  like Śvetadvīpa, Mathurā and Dvārakā. They are all eternal places in the kingdom of Godhead, which is described in the  Bhagavadgītā  ( tad dhāma paramam ) and in the  Vedas  ( om tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ ). The words  parastāt kalpa-vāsinām , transcendental to the planets inhabited after the dissolution, refer to the Vaikuṇṭha planets. In other words, Dhruva Mahārāja's promotion to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas was guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 22
प्रस्थिते तु वनं पित्रा दत्त्वा गां धर्मसंश्रयः ।
षट्त्रिंशद्वर्षसाहसं रक्षितान्याहतेन्द्रियः ॥२२॥
prasthite tu vanam pitrā dattvā gām dharma-samśrayaḥ ṣaṭ-trimśad-varṣa-sāhasram rakṣitāvyāhatendriyaḥ