samāhitaḥ paryacarad
tām upoṣya vibhāvarīm
samāhitaḥ paryacarad
ṛṣy-ādeśena pūruṣam
After taking bath at Madhuvana and fasting that night, Dhruva, being purified, then worshipped the Lord with full attention as instructed by Nārada.
What did Dhruva do at Madhuvana? This verse answers. Abhiskitaḥ means “having bathed.” Prayataḥ means purified.
|| 4.8.72 ||
tri-rātrānte tri-rātrānte
kapittha-badarāśanaḥ
ātma-vṛtty-anusāreṇa
māsaṁ ninye 'rcayan harim
Eating kapittha and badara berries only every third night to maintain the body, he passed one month in worshipping the Lord.
He accepted eating only kapittha and badara fruits to maintain life in the body.
|| 4.8.73 ||
dvitīyaṁ ca tathā māsaṁ
ṣaṣṭhe ṣaṣṭhe 'rbhako dine
tṛṇa-parṇādibhiḥ śīrṇaiḥ
kṛtānno 'bhyarcayan vibhum
In the second month the boy ate only dry grass and leaves every six days, while worshipping the Lord.
|| 4.8.74 ||
tṛtīyaṁ cānayan māsaṁ
navame navame 'hani
ab-bhakṣa uttamaślokam
upādhāvat samādhinā
In the third month he drank only water every nine days, worshipping the Lord in samādhi.
|| 4.8.75 ||
caturtham api vai māsaṁ
dvādaśe dvādaśe 'hani
vāyu-bhakṣo jita-śvāso
dhyāyan devam adhārayat
In the fourth month, having controlling his breathing, he took only air as food every twelve days, and worshipped by meditating on the Lord.
|| 4.8.76 ||
pañcame māsy anuprāpte
jita-śvāso nṛpātmajaḥ
dhyāyan brahma padaikena
tasthau sthāṇur ivācalaḥ
In the fifth month, controlling his breath, the prince, meditating on the Lord, stood motionless like a pillar on one foot.
|| 4.8.77 ||
sarvato mana ākṛṣya
hṛdi bhūtendriyāśayam
dhyāyan bhagavato rūpaṁ
nādrākṣīt kiñcanāparam
Controlling the mind completely, meditating on the form of the Lord which is not perceivable by material senses, he did not see anything else.
Bhūtendriyāśayam, referring to the form of the Lord, can mean “that which does not reside (aśayam) with the senses of the living beings.” Or it can mean “that to which the living beings’ senses are completely sleeping (āśayam), that which is beyond their senses.”
|| 4.8.78 ||
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