When all the bewildering illusions conjured before them had faded away, the gods found themselves once again seized by fear, anxious that they might soon be overcome. In their distress, they gathered together and approached Hari—the eternal source of the universe, without beginning or end, the refuge of all beings—troubled by the formidable austerities being performed. With humility, the gods addressed the Lord: “O God of gods, Lord of the universe, Supreme Lord, Best of Men, we are afflicted by the intense penance of Dhruva. It is for this reason that we have come to seek your refuge. Just as the moon waxes day by day, so too does Dhruva, the son of Uttānapāda, grow ever more powerful through his austerities, both day and night. O Janārdana, his penance fills us with dread, and so we have come to you; please, we beg you, turn him away from this relentless austerity. “We do not know what he seeks—does he desire the throne of Indra, or the radiance of the Sun? Does he wish to rule over the realms of Kubera, Varuna, or the moon? O Lord, be merciful to us; remove this thorn from our hearts, and turn the son of Uttānapāda away from his penance.” The Blessed Lord replied with assurance: “He does not seek the position of Indra, nor that of Sūrya, nor lordship over the waters. Whatever his true desire, O gods, I shall fulfill it entirely. Go now, each of you, to your own abodes in peace, free from distress. I myself shall visit the boy, whose mind is so deeply absorbed in austerity, and turn him from his penance.” Thus comforted by the words of the Lord of gods, the deities, led by Śatakratu, bowed before him and returned to their respective realms. Hari, the soul of all beings, pleased by Dhruva’s unwavering devotion, then went to see the boy. Appearing before him in his divine, four-armed form, the Lord spoke gently: “O son of Uttānapāda, blessings upon you! Your austerity has pleased me greatly. I have come to grant you a boon; ask, O steadfast one, for whatever your heart desires. Because your mind is fixed upon me and you are indifferent to worldly aims, I am deeply pleased; therefore, ask for the highest boon.” Hearing these gracious words from the Lord of gods, Dhruva slowly opened his eyes. There, before him, stood Hari, whom he had long beheld within his meditation. Seeing Acyuta adorned with conch, discus, mace, bow, and sword, crowned and resplendent, Dhruva bowed low, his head touching the earth. A thrill ran through his body, and, overcome with awe, Dhruva composed a hymn in his mind to the Lord of gods. Yet, in that moment, he wondered, “What words can I possibly offer in praise? How can I, a mere child, sing a hymn worthy of him?” Confused and overwhelmed, he sought refuge in the very Lord who stood before him. With humility, Dhruva spoke: “O Lord, if you are truly pleased with my austerity, grant me but this boon: let me have the ability to praise you. You are known by the Vedas to Brahmā and others, yet your path remains hidden. How can I, a mere boy, hope to praise you? My mind is devoted to you, O Supreme Lord, and wishes only to extol your feet; please grant me wisdom for this purpose.” Hearing this, Govinda gently touched the son of Uttānapāda, who stood with palms joined in reverence, with the tip of his conch. At once, Dhruva’s face lit up with joy. Bowing again, the young prince began to praise Acyuta, the sustainer of all beings. “O Lord,” Dhruva began, “earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, the primordial elements, and nature itself—all these are your very form. I bow to you. Pure, subtle, all-pervading, transcending primordial matter, you are the Supreme Person, the embodiment of all qualities. I bow to you. “You are the eternal presence among all elements and their attributes, among intellect and primordial matter, and you transcend even the Supreme Person. I take refuge in you, O Supreme Lord, whose form is pure, who is the soul of Brahman, and master of all worlds. “Homage to that vast and expansive form called Brahman, the inner self of all, grasped by yogis, unchanging. The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet; pervading everything, you extend beyond the earth by ten fingers’ breadth. “O Supreme Purusha, you are what has been and what will be; from you arise the Virat, Svarat, Samrat, and the supreme ruler. You surpass and support the earth in all directions—across, above, and below. From you, this universe was born, and from you, it will come to be. “All beings in this world dwell within you, who bear all forms. From you arise the sacrifice, the offerings, the clarified butter, and the twofold sacrificial animal. From you came the Rig and Sama hymns, from you the meters arose; from you the Yajur verses were generated, and from you, horses were given in a single act. “Cows arose from you, as did strength, birds, and wild animals. From your mouth came the Brahmins, from your arms the Kshatriyas were born. From your thighs came the Vaishyas, from your feet the Shudras emerged. From your eyes the sun, from your breath the wind, from your mind the moon. “From your breath was born the vital air, from your mouth arose fire; from your navel came the sky, and from your head, heaven was formed. From your ears came the directions, from your feet the earth; from you, everything came into being. “Just as the great banyan tree is contained within a tiny seed, so too the entire universe, as its seed, is contained in you in restraint. As the banyan tree arises from the sprout that comes from the seed and spreads out, so too does the universe expand from you at creation. “Just as in the plantain tree no part is seen apart from its layers and leaves, so too, O steadfast Lord, none other than you is seen in the universe. The powers of delight, cohesion, and consciousness—all are one in you, present in all. Pleasure and pain, and their mixture, exist in you, who are free from all qualities. “Homage to you, who are both distinct and one, the essence of all beings; homage to you, who are the soul of all that exists, the abundant source of all beings. The manifest, the primal matter and spirit, the Virat, Samrat, and Svarat—all these are perceived in the inner faculty, but you are imperishable in all beings.” Thus, with a heart full of devotion and wonder, Dhruva praised the Lord, his words flowing from the wisdom and grace bestowed upon him.