Pleased by the unwavering devotion of young Dhruva, the Lord—who is the soul of all beings—appeared before him. Hari manifested in his resplendent four-armed form and addressed the boy with gentle words: “O son of Uttānapāda, blessings upon you. Your austerity has delighted me. I have come to grant you a boon—choose whatever you desire, O steadfast one. Because your mind is firmly fixed in me, indifferent to worldly pursuits, I am especially pleased. Therefore, ask now for the highest boon.” Hearing these divine words spoken by the Lord of the gods, Dhruva slowly opened his eyes. Before him stood Hari, whom he had so often beheld in his meditation, now present in radiant form. Dhruva saw Acyuta, adorned with the conch, discus, mace, bow, and sword, crowned and glorious. Overwhelmed with awe, the boy bowed his head to the earth, his body trembling with wonder and devotion. Suddenly seized by a profound sense of reverence, Dhruva composed a hymn to the Lord of gods in his mind. Yet, as he tried to speak his praise, confusion overtook him—what words could be worthy? How could he, a mere child, offer a fitting hymn to the Supreme? In his uncertainty, Dhruva took refuge in the very Lord before him. He spoke: “O Lord, if you are truly pleased with my austerity, grant me this one 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, praise you? My mind is devoted to you, O Supreme Lord, and wishes only to worship your feet—please grant me the wisdom to do so.” Hearing this, Govinda, full of compassion, touched Dhruva—who stood with palms joined—with the tip of his conch. At once, Dhruva’s heart was filled with joy, and he bowed low, ready to praise Acyuta, the sustainer of all beings. Dhruva began his hymn: “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, and intellect, as well as the primordial elements and nature itself—all these are your form. I bow to you. Pure, subtle, all-pervading, transcending primordial matter, you are the Supreme Person, the embodiment of all qualities. Eternal among all elements and their attributes, among intellect and primordial matter, you are even beyond the Supreme Person. I take refuge in you, O Supreme Lord, whose form is pure, who is the soul of Brahman, the master of all worlds. “Homage to that form called Brahman, vast and expansive, the inner self of all, conceivable 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. This entire world, all beings within, dwell inside you who bear all forms. From you arise the sacrifice, the offerings, the clarified butter, and the twofold sacrificial animal. From you were born 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 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; 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 in 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. And 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, 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. “You are present in all, the essence of every being, bearing every form. All comes from you and returns to you—homage to you, the soul of all. You are the self of all, the Lord of all, abiding in every being. What more should I say to you, who know all that is hidden in the heart? O Soul of all, Lord of all beings, source of all living creatures, you are present in all beings and know the desires of every living being. “O Lord, the wish I cherished has been fulfilled by you. The austerity I performed has borne fruit, for I have seen you, Lord of the universe.” The Blessed Lord replied, “The fruit of your austerity is that you have seen me, Dhruva. For, O prince, the vision of me is never fruitless. Therefore, choose a boon as you desire. For when a person comes within my sight, everything becomes possible for him.” Dhruva answered, “O Lord, ruler of past and future, you dwell in the heart of all. What is unknown to you, O divine one, of what I have thought in my mind? Yet, O Lord of the gods, I will tell you what I, with my misguided and most unworthy heart, desire, though it is exceedingly difficult to obtain. For what could be unattainable, O creator of all worlds, when you are pleased? Even Indra, king of the gods, enjoys the fruits of your favor. “My stepmother once declared, in a loud and arrogant voice, that this royal seat is not fit for one not born from her womb.” Thus, Dhruva revealed his heart’s desire before the Lord, who had come to bless him in answer to his unwavering devotion.