Our religious scriptures, it has been told about many such Indian children who did great things at an early age, which were not in anyone’s control. But on the strength of honesty, loyalty, and dedication, they did difficult tasks very easily. Today we are telling you about 8 such children-
Balak Dhruv
The story of child Dhruv is described in Shrimad Bhagwat. According to him, Dhruva’s father’s name was Uttanpad. He had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi. Dhruv was the son of Suniti. Once Suruchi removed the child Dhruva from the lap of King Uttanpad by saying that only the one born from my womb is entitled to the lap and the throne. Child Dhruv reached his mother Suniti crying. Mother suggested to him the way to get happiness of this world and the other world only through devotion to God.
After listening to his mother, Dhruv left the house and reached the forest. Here by the grace of Devarshi Narad, he took initiation of the Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya mantra. In Madhuvan on the banks of the river Yamuna, the boy Dhruv did severe penance by uttering this great mantra. Pleased with the penance of such a small child, Lord Vishnu appeared. Lord Vishnu granted Dhruvaloka to the child Dhruva. The Dhruv star visible in the sky is the symbol of the child Dhruv.
Guru Bhakta Aruni
According to the Mahabharata, there was a sage named Ayodhaumya. The name of one of his disciples was Aruni. He was a resident of Panchaladesh. Aruni used to obey every command of his Guru. One day Guruji sent him to tie the rams of the field. Aruni went to the field by the order of the Guru and started trying to tie rams. Even after a lot of effort, when he could not tie the ram to the field, he lay down in place of the ram so that water could not enter the field.
When Aruni did not return to the ashram for a long time, his guru along with his other disciples came to the field looking for him. After coming here, he called out to Aruni. Aruni stood up after hearing the Guru’s voice. When he told the whole thing to his Guru, Guru Ayoddhaumya was very pleased to see Aruni’s devotion to the Guru and blessed him with knowledge of all the Vedas and theology.
Ashtavakra the wise
In ancient times there was a Brahmin named Kahod. His wife’s name was Sujata. When the time came, Sujata became pregnant. One day when Kahod was reciting the Vedas, then the child in Sujata’s womb said – Father. You do Vedapath throughout the night, but it does not happen properly. When the unborn child said this, Kahod got angry and said – You talk such crooked things in the stomach itself, that’s why you will be born crooked from eight places. A few days after this incident, King Kahod went to Janak with the desire for money.
There he was defeated by a scholar named Bandi. According to the rules, he was immersed in water. A few days later Ashtavakra was born but his mother did not tell him anything. When Ashtavakra was 12 years old, one day he asked his mother about his father. Then the mother told him the whole thing truthfully. Ashtavakra also went to the court of King Janak to debate. Here there was a debate between Ashtavakra and Bandi, in which Ashtavakra defeated him.
Ashtavakra told the king that the prisoner should also be drowned in water according to the rules. Then the prisoner told that he is the son of Varundev, the lord of water. All the scholars he has drowned in the water after defeating them in the scriptures, are all in Varun Lok. At the same time, all the Brahmins who were drowned in the water came out again. Ashtavakra’s father Kahod also came out of the water. He was very happy to know about Ashtavakra and with the blessings of his father, Ashtavakra’s body became straight.
Astika Muni
According to the Mahabharata, it was Aastik who stopped the snake sacrifice of King Janamejaya. Astik’s father was sage Jaratkaru and his mother’s name was also Jaratkaru. Astik’s mother was the sister of Nagraj Vasuki. When King Janamejaya came to know that his father had died after being bitten by the snake Takshak, he decided to perform a snake sacrifice. Terrible snakes started falling from far away in that yagya. When Nagraj Vasuki came to know about this, he requested the believer to stop this yagya.
The Astika went to the place of sacrifice and started talking about knowledge, listening to which King Janamejaya was very happy. Janamejaya asked Astika to ask for a boon, then Astika requested the king to stop the snake sacrifice. King Janamejaya at first refused to do so, but later at the behest of the Brahmins present there he stopped the snake sacrifice and praised the Astika.
Bhakta Prahlad
The story of child Prahlad is described in Shrimad Bhagwat. Prahlad’s father Hiranyakashipu was the king of demons. He considered Lord Vishnu as his enemy but Prahlad was the supreme devotee of Lord Vishnu. When Hiranyakashipu came to know about this, he did many atrocities on Prahlad, but still, Prahlad’s devotion to God did not decrease. In the end, Lord Vishnu himself appeared in the form of Narasimha to protect Prahlad. Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu and loved Prahlad by sitting on his lap.
Guru Bhakta Upamanyu
The name of a disciple of Guru Ayoddhaumya was Upamanyu. He was a great devotee of Guru. By the order of the Guru, he used to go to graze cows every day. One day the Guru asked him – You are looking fat and strong compared to other disciples., what do you eat? Then Upamanyu told me that I accept by begging. The Guru told him that he should not eat the grain of alms without requesting me. Upamanyu accepted Guruji’s advice.
After a few days, Guruji again asked Upamanyu the same question, and he told that he satisfies his hunger by drinking cow’s milk. Then the Guru forbade him to do so, but even after this, when Upamanyu appeared as before, Guruji again asked him the same question. Then Upamanyu told that he consumes the foam that the calves spew after drinking cow’s milk. Guru Ayoddhaumya forbade him to do so as well.
Devotion of Upamanyu towards his Guru
When all the ways of eating and drinking were closed in front of Upamanyu, then one day he ate the leaves of Akda, distraught with hunger. Those leaves were poisonous. Upamanyu became blind after eating them and started wandering in the forest. Unable to see, Upamanyu fell into a well. When Upamanyu did not return to the ashram till evening, the Guru along with his other disciples went to the forest to find him. Going to the forest, the Guru called him, then Upamanyu told him that he had fallen into the well.
When the Guru asked the reason for this, he told the whole thing truthfully. Then Guru Ayoddhaumya asked Upamanyu to praise Ashwini Kumar, the physician of the gods. Upamanyu did the same. Pleased with the praise, Ashwini Kumar appeared and gave the fruit to Upamanyu and said that by eating it he will be as healthy as before. Upamanyu said that I cannot eat this fruit without requesting my teacher. Pleased with Upamanyu’s devotion to Guru, Ashwin Kumar gave him the boon of being healthy as before, due to which his eyesight also returned. With the blessings of the Guru, he got the knowledge of all the Vedas and theology.
Markandeya Rishi
According to religious texts, Markandeya Rishi is immortal. Markandeya Rishi’s name also comes in the list of eight immortals. His father was Markandu Rishi. When Markandu Rishi did not have any children, he worshiped Lord Shiva along with his wife. Appearing from his penance, Lord Shiva asked him whether he wanted a qualityless long-lived son or a virtuous 16-year-old short-lived son. Then Markandu Rishi said that he wanted a young but virtuous son. Lord Shiva gave him this boon.
When Markandeya Rishi was about to turn 16, he came to know about this from his mother. Knowing about his death, he did not get disturbed and got absorbed in his devotion to Shiva. During this, with the help of Saptarishis, he received the initiation of the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra from Brahmadev. The effect of this mantra was that when Yamraj came to kill him at the appointed time, Lord Shiva himself appeared to save Markandeya Rishi who was engrossed in devotion to Shiva, and neutralized Yamraj’s attack. Seeing the devotion of child Markandeya, Lord Shiva gave him the boon of being immortal.
Guru Bhakta Eklavya
The story of Eklavya is described in the Mahabharata. According to him, Eklavya was the son of Nishadraj Hiranyadhanu. He went to Guru Dronacharya to learn archery, but Dronacharya refused to teach him archery because he did not belong to the dynasty. Then Eklavya made a statue of Dronacharya and started practicing archery considering him as his guru. Once all the princes along with Guru Dronacharya went to the forest for hunting.
Eklavya was practicing in that forest. When the dog barked during the exercise, Eklavya closed the dog’s mouth with his arrows. When Dronacharya and the princes saw the dog in this condition, they started looking for the archer who had shot the arrows so skillfully. On finding Eklavya, Dronacharya asked him about his guru. Eklavya told that he has considered Dronacharya as his guru only in the form of a statue. Then Guru Dronacharya asked Eklavya for the thumb of his right hand as Guru Dakshina. Eklavya gave his thumb to Dronacharya without thinking anything.
