There was a king named Uttanapada. He had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi. He had a son named Dhruva from Suniti and a son named Uttama from Suruchi. One day Uttanapada was sitting on the throne with Uttama on his lap. Dhruva also wanted to sit on his father's lap. But when he tried to climb Uttanapada's lap, Suruchi forbid him (as she was jealous that Dhruva was the heir to the throne and not her son) and asked him to pray to Lord Vishnu to be born as her son and hence did not deserve to sit on Uttanapada's lap! Dhruva was only a five year old boy and hence did not understand the statement made by Suruchi. He immediately ran to his mother, Suniti crying. When Suniti heard of the incident, she told her son that Lord Vishnu was the controller of everything and asked him to pray to Vishnu. Then Dhruva made a firm resolve to do penance in the forest and bade farewell to his mother. Sage Narada appeared before him and told him he was still a child, but Dhruva was persistent. Narada was impressed with Dhruva's determination and taught him many mantras to meditate on Lord Vishnu. Dhruva meditated without food and water for six months! Then Lord Vishnu appeared before him and made him sit on his lap and granted him a boon. But Dhruva did not want any boon and said he wanted only devotion to him. Vishnu was impressed with this and granted him a boon that he would rule for 36,000 years and after that he and his mother would occupy a permanent position in the sky. Dhruva bowed down in reverence and Vishnu disappeared.
PS: Dhruva is the Pole Star.
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