The story of Polaris or Polestar according to the Hindu mythology is as follows.

King Uttanapada was a great and just king. He had two wives. His first wife's name was Suniti. She was a quite and gentle lady. Dhruv was her son. The king's second wife was Suruchi. She was very beautiful and the king was infatuated with her. He would do anything to please her. As a result he was totally indifferent to his first wife. Dhruv was the elder son and the rightful heir to the throne. This made Suruchi very jealous and cruel. She was determined to see that her son, Uttam become the king.

One day the king and Suruchi were relaxing in the royal gardens. Uttam was in the lap of the king. Dhruv came running and tried to climb on to his father's lap. Suruchi, enraged by this ,pulled him down and said rudely, "Get lost. Only Uttam can sit on the king's lap because he is my son. If you want to sit on your father's lap, go and meditate and pray that in your next birth you will be born as my son".

The five year old could not understand this injustice. He went crying to his mother who consoled him saying that Lord Vishnu will take care of him. "Pray to him, my child," she advised.

Dhruv left the palace in the dead of the night in search of Lord Vishnu. He wandered into a forest where he met the great sage 'Narad'. He tried to dissuade the boy and persuade him to go back to the palace. But Dhruv was adamant. He wanted to meet Vishnu.

Narad asked him to chant a mantra with total concentration. According to the legend, he chanted the mantra and did severe meditation for six months. Seven wise sages, worried about the boy, stood guard protecting him. Lord Vishnu was very pleased with him and appeared before him. But Dhruva had forgotten his original reason and said he wanted to join him in His world. But Lord Vishnu said he can do that only after fulfilling his duty as a human being. He advised him to go back to the palace.

The king was heartbroken at his son's departure and so when Dhruv reached back, he was welcomed with extreme joy. Even the jealous queen Suruchi apologized to him.

Dhruv ascended the throne after his father's death and ruled for a long time. He was kind and just and people loved and revered him. After his death, he ascended to the highest spot in the celestial sphere and became enthroned as the Pole Star, visible to everyone. The seven sages who protected him during his meditation also were placed as seven stars below him. In Hindu mythology they form the constellation of Saptarishi (Seven sages) known as the Great Bear in the Western world. Pole Star is called Dhruv Nakshatra in India.