The Bhagavata Purana highlights the hallmarks of many devout souls who have strived to attain realisation through intense prayer, yoga and bhakti. Dhruva got instruction from Narada and attained the grace of the Lord even within a short period. In the line of Dhruva’s progeny, one of his sons Utkala is by nature a realised soul who is not deluded by the attractions of the world and is not keen on taking the mantle of kingship.
Utkala, like great sages in meditation, exemplifies the truth that there is no greater wealth than atma swaroopa meditation, pointed out Sri Kesava Dikshitar in a discourse. From time immemorial man has been engaged in seeking his identity. Among all types of births, human birth alone provides the fortunate experience to each one to strive to seek one’s true identity. Who is the ‘I’ in our form as a human entity? Is the ‘I’ the body, prana, mind, indriyas, buddhi or atma? Intuitively one knows that the atma within is not as tangible as the mind, intellect, prana, etc, about which we are aware to a certain extent. But the atma swaroopa jnana is gained only through the Vedas and the sastras.
Atma swaroopa awareness is very precious as it is powerful to destroy all other delusions. It is the source of jnana and confers the state of ‘Sama darsana,’ a harmonised vision, where all differences get dissolved. To such a person there is no question of high or low, that is, superior or inferior. There is no difference in his perception between a learned or a foolish person, a cow or an elephant or a dog, etc. He sees only the underlying reality of oneness in the entire creation that is the result of his insight into the reality of things. Knowing the value of atma swaroopa awareness and meditation, Utkala rejected kingship and wished to engage in this quest.
