उत्तमोत्तममप्राप्यमविवेको हि वाञ्छसि । सत्यं सुतस्त्वमप्यस्य किं तु न त्वं मया धृतः ॥ १,११.
You desire the highest, which is unattainable; you lack discernment. Truly, you are also his son, but you were not borne by me.
एतद्राजासनं सर्व भूभृत्संश्रयकेतनम् । योग्यं ममैव पुत्रस्य किमात्मा क्लिश्यतेत्वया ॥ १,११.
This royal seat, the refuge of all kings, is fit only for my son. Why do you trouble yourself?
उच्चैर्मनोरथस्तेयं मत्पुत्रस्येव किं वृथा । सुनीत्यामात्मनो जन्म किं त्वया नावगम्यते ॥ १,११.
Your wish is lofty, just as my son's, but why in vain? Do you not realize that you were born from Suniti?
श्रीपराशर वाच उत्सृज्य पितरं बालस्तच्छ्रुत्वा मातृभाषितम् । जगाम कुपितो मातुर्निजाया द्विजमन्दिरम् ॥ १,११.
Śrī Parāśara said: Hearing these words spoken by his stepmother, the boy, angry, left his father and went to his own mother's dwelling.
तं दृष्ट्वा कुपितं पुत्रमीषत्प्रस्फुरिताधरम् । सुनीतिरङ्कमारोप्य मैत्रेयेदमभाषत ॥ १,११.
Seeing her son angry, his lower lip slightly trembling, Suniti took him onto her lap and spoke to him, O Maitreya.
वत्स कः कोपहेतुस्ते कश्च त्वां नाभि नन्दति । कोवजानाति पितरं वत्स यस्तेपराध्यति ॥ १,११.
Child, what is the cause of your anger? Who has not welcomed you? Who, O child, would blame your father, who has wronged you?
श्रीपराशर वाच इत्युक्तः सकलं मात्रे कथयामास तद्यथा । सुरुचिः प्राह भूपालप्रत्यक्षमतगर्विता ॥ १,११.
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus addressed, he told his mother everything as it happened—how Suruci, proud, spoke before the king.
विनिश्वस्येति कथिते तस्मिन्पुत्रेण दुर्मनाः । श्वसक्षामेक्षणा दीना सुनीतिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १,११.
Hearing this from her son, Suniti, distressed, sighed deeply, her eyes filled with tears, and spoke these words.
सुनीतिरुवाच सुरुचिः सत्यमाहेदं मन्दभाग्योसिःपुत्रक । न हि पुण्यवतां वत्स सपत्नैरेव मुच्यते ॥ १,११.
Suniti said: Suruci has spoken the truth, my son; you are unfortunate. Indeed, O child, the virtuous are not freed from co-wives.
नोद्वेगस्तात कर्तव्यः कृतं यद्भवता पुरा । तत्कोपहर्तु शक्नोति दातुं कश्चाकृतं त्वया ॥ १,११.
Do not be disturbed, dear one, by what has been done in the past. Who can give or take away what you have not done?
तत्त्वया नात्र कर्तव्यं दुःखं तद्वाक्यसम्भवम् ॥ १,११.
Therefore, you should not let sorrow arise in you because of those words.
राजासनं राजच्छत्रं वराश्चावरवारणाः । यस्य पुण्यानि तस्यैते मत्वैतच्छांम्य पुत्रक ॥ १,११.
The royal throne, the royal umbrella, boons, and elephants—these belong to the one whose merit is great. Understand this, my son, and be at peace.
अन्यजन्मकृतैः पुण्यैः सुरुच्या सुरुचिर्नृपः । भार्येति प्रोच्यते चान्यां मद्विधा पुण्यवर्जिता ॥ १,११.
By the merit of deeds in previous births, Suruci became the king's wife, while another like me, lacking merit, is called otherwise.
पुण्योपचयसंपन्नस्तस्याः पुत्रस्तथोत्तमः । मम पुत्रस्तथा जातः स्वल्पपुण्यो ध्रुवो भवान् ॥ १,११.
Her son, endowed with accumulated merit, is thus Uttama; my son, Dhruva, was born with little merit.
तथापि दुःखं न भवान् कर्तुमर्हसि पुत्रक । यस्य यावत्स तेनैव स्वेन तुष्यति मानवः ॥ १,११.
Even so, my child, you ought not to make yourself unhappy; a person should be content with whatever is his, as long as it lasts.
यदि ते दुःखमत्यर्थं सुरुच्या वचसाभवत् । तत्पुण्योपचये यत्नं कुरु सर्वफलप्रदे ॥ १,११.
If you have been greatly distressed by Suruci's words, then strive for the accumulation of merit, which bestows all results.
सुशीलो भव धर्मात्मा मैत्रः प्राणिहिते रतः । निम्नं यथापः प्रवणाः पात्रमायान्ति सम्पदः ॥ १,११.
Be virtuous, devoted to righteousness, friendly, and intent on the welfare of living beings; just as water flows downward, so too do riches come to one who is worthy.
ध्रुव उवाच अम्ब यत्त्वमिदं प्रात्थ प्रशमाय वचो मम । नैतद्दुर्वाचसा भिन्ने हृदये मम तिष्ठति ॥ १,११.
Dhruva said: Mother, though you have spoken these words to calm me, they do not remain in my heart, which has been wounded by harsh speech.
सोऽहं तथा यतिष्यामि यथा सर्वोत्तमोत्तमम् । स्थानं प्राप्स्याम्यशोषाणां जगतामभि पूजितम् ॥ १,११.
Therefore, I shall strive in such a way that I attain the highest and most excellent position, honored by all the worlds and never fading.
सुरुचिर्दयिता राज्ञस्तस्या जातोस्मि नोदरात् । प्रभावं पश्य मेंब त्वं वृद्धस्यापि तवोदरे ॥ १,११.
Suruci is the king's beloved, but I was not born from her womb; mother, see my power, though I was born even from your aged womb.
उत्तमः स मम भ्राता यो गर्भेण धृतस्तया । स राजासनमाप्नोतु पित्रा दत्तं तथास्तु तत् ॥ १,११.
My brother Uttama, who was carried in her womb, let him obtain the royal throne given by our father; so be it.
नान्यदत्तमभीप्स्यामि स्तानमम्ब स्वकर्मणा । इच्छामि तदहं स्थानं यत्र प्राप पिता मम ॥ १,११.
Mother, I do not desire any other position given by someone else; I wish for that place which my father attained through his own actions.
श्रीपराशर उवाच निर्जगाम गृहान्मातुरित्युक्त्वा मातरं ध्रुवः । पुराच्च निर्गम्य ततस्तद्बाह्योपवनं ययो ॥ १,११.
Śrī Parāśara said: Having thus spoken to his mother, Dhruva left the house and, going out from the city, entered the forest outside.
स ददर्श मुनींस्तत्र सप्तपूर्वागतान्ध्रुवः । कुष्माजिनोत्तरीयेषु विष्टरेषु समास्थितान् ॥ १,११.
There Dhruva saw sages who had come from seven generations before, seated on grass mats and covered with garments of bark.
स राजपुत्रस्तान्सर्वान्प्रणिपत्याभ्य भाषत । प्रश्रयावनतः सम्यगभिवादनपूर्वकम् ॥ १,११.
The prince approached all of them, bowed down, and addressed them with humility, properly offering his respects first.
ध्रुव उवाच उत्तानपादतनयं मां निबोधत सत्तमाः । जातं सुनीत्यां निर्वेदाद्युष्माकं प्राप्तमन्तिकम् ॥ १,११.
Dhruva said: O noble ones, know me as Dhruva, son of Uttānapāda, born of Sunīti, who has come to you out of disillusionment.
ऋषय ऊचुः चतुःपञ्चा ब्दसंभूतो बालस्त्वं तृपनन्दन । निर्वेदकारणं किञ्चित्तव नाद्यापि वर्तते ॥ १,११.
The sages said: O child, son of Uttānapāda, you are only four or five years old; what cause for disillusionment could there be for you at this age?
न चिन्त्यं भवतः किञ्चिद्ध्रयते भूपतिः पिता । न चैवैष्ट वियोगादि तव पश्याम बालक ॥ १,११.
There is nothing for you to worry about; your father, the king, is alive, and we do not see any separation from what you desire, O boy.
शरीरे न च ते व्याधिरस्माभिरुपलक्ष्यते । निर्वेदः किन्निमित्तस्ते कथ्यतां यदि विद्यते ॥ १,११.
Nor do we perceive any illness in your body; if there is any reason for your disillusionment, tell us, if you know.
श्रीपराशर उवाच ततः स कथयामास सुरुच्या यदुदाहृतम् । तन्निशम्य ततः प्रोचुर्मुनयस्ते परस्परम् ॥ १,११.
Śrī Parāśara said: Then he told them what had been spoken by Suruci; hearing this, the sages spoke among themselves.