Steering Toward the Supreme 67
Are you God?” In this way he was questioning all
the animals. Seeing that Dhruva was very much in-
quisitive, Sri Krsna sent Narada Muni to see about
the situation. Narada quickly went to the forest and
found Dhruva.

“My dear boy,” Narada said, “you belong to the
royal family. You cannot suffer all this penance and
austerity. Please return to your home. Your mother
and father are very much anxious for you.”

“Please don’t try to divert me in that way,” the
boy said. “If you know something about God, or if
you know how I can see God, please tell me. Other-
wise go away and don’t disturb me.”

When Narada saw that Dhruva was so determined,
he initiated him as a disciple and gave him the mantra,
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Dhruvachanted this
mantra and became perfect, and God came before
him.

“My dear Dhruva, what do you want? You can
take from Me whatever you want.”

“My dear Lord,” the boy replied, “I was under-
going such severe penances simply for my father’s
kingdom and land, but now I have seen You. Even
the great sages and saints cannot see You. What is
my profit? I left my home to find merely some
scraps of glass and rubbish, and instead I have found
a very valuable diamond. Now I am satisfied. I have
no need to ask anything of You.”

Thus even though one may be poverty-stricken or
in distress, if he goes to God with the same determi-
nation as Dhruva, intent on seeing God and taking
His benediction, and if he happens to see God, he
