Some people have doubts, saying, “You claim that Dhruv and Prahlad’s spiritual status was very high, but they did not attain ‘Satnam.’ Yet, there is a verse in Gurbani that says, ‘ਰਾਮ ਜਪਉ ਜੀਅ ਐਸੇ ਐਸੇ ॥ ਧ੍ਰੂ ਪ੍ਰਹਿਲਾਦ ਜਪਿਓ ਹਰਿ ਜੈਸੇ ॥੧॥’ Does this mean we should chant the same name that they chanted?”
The verse does encourage us to chant the Name in the same way that Prahlad did, with the same devotion and focus. However, it does not mean that we should chant the exact same name that Dhruv and Prahlad chanted.
Dhruv and Prahlad chanted the Name with great determination and focus. They remained fearless in the face of suffering and hardships caused by evil people. They made chanting the Name their only goal, day and night, giving up all other actions and staying firm in their faith.
This verse from Gurbani shows us the strong determination and unshakeable faith of Dhruv and Prahlad when they chanted the Name. It means that just like young Dhruv and Prahlad, who developed a deep love and trust in chanting the Name with pure devotion day and night, we too should be just as committed to chanting the Naam.
According to the Gurvaak “ਸੇਵਾ ਥੋਰੀ ਮਾਗਨੁ ਬਹੁਤਾ ॥” If one engages in devotion but only a little bit, while keeping the desire for the highest spiritual state, this kind of effort in chanting the Name is not complete; it is only partial. We should learn from the example of Dhruv and Prahlad to have determination and firm faith in the practice of devotion, but it does not mean that we must chant the exact same name they chanted.
When using an example, we should only accept the specific aspect that the example is intended to highlight, not everything about it.