390 Srimad-Bhagavatam [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 Maha-
raja, 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 Maharaja Dhruva. The specific signifi-
cance 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 Brahma. There are two kinds of dissolutions, one during
the night of Lord Brahma and one at the end of Lord Brahma’s life. At the
end of Brahma’s life, selected personalities go back home, back to God-
head. Dhruva Maharaja 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 Maharaja would go directly to
Vaikunthaloka, to a spiritual planet in the spiritual sky. Srila Vigvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura comments in this connection that Dhruvaloka is one of
the lokas like Svetadvipa, Mathura and Dvaraka. They are all eternal
places in the kingdom of Godhead, which is described in the Bhagavad-
gita (tad dhama paramam) and in the Vedas (om tad visnoh paramam
padam sada pasyanti surayah). The words parastat kalpa-vasinam, tran-
scendental to the planets inhabited after the dissolution, refer to the Vai-
kuntha planets. In other words, Dhruva Maharaja’s promotion to the
Vaikunthalokas was guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 22
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prasthite tu vanam pitra
dattva gam dharma-samsrayah
sat-trimsad-varsa-sahasram
raksitavyahatendriyah
