This is an excerpt from Maitrāyani Upanishad of Sāmaveda where King Bṛhadratha of Ishvāku race, king of Vedic era, feels remorse to his birth conditions and aversion from life. He speaks with Śākāyanya further how to attain salvation in this ever-changing world where nothing is static. Maitri Upanishad belongs to the Maitrayāniya branch of Krishna Yajur Veda, which upanishad was taught to Śākāyanya by Maitri or Maitreya, the son of Mitra.
[Thereupon the King touched the feet of Śākāyanya and recited the (following) verse:]*
“What is the use of these to me or any other? Oceans dry up. Mountains sink down. The positions of Dhruva (the Polar Star) and of trees change. Earth is drowned. The Suras (angels-deities) run away, leaving their (respective) places. (While such is the case), I am He in reality. Therefore of what avail to me is the gratification of desires, since one who clings to the gratification of desires is found to return again and again to this Saṃsāra (mundane existence)? Thou art able to extricate me (out of this Saṃsāra). I am drowned like a frog in a dry well. Thou art my refuge.”
Even in this remorseful condition King Bṛhadratha marks observational astronomy and take them as one of the reasons of “change to return”. He remarkably observes that pole point is shifting due to which Dhruva star along with Suras running away, leaving their respective places. He also notes that ocean dries, mountain sinks, and earth drowns and these seems to be noted hydrological, geological memories against remorseful exaggerations which he was alluding to. The shifting of pole point is also a time consuming process and gets associated with shifting of equinox point westward known as Precession of Equinoxes. Change of one nakshatra to another would take nearly 960 years. The king Brihadratha had this knowledge and thus says Suras-devas running away. Here we have an interesting synonym of Asura from Halāyudha kosha= PuurvedevāH( earlier they were devas). This further connect the dots to the Taittiriya Brahmana’s phrase- devanakshatraani dakshinena pariyanti, which would mean that half of the total nakshatras, which were first designated as deva nakshatra, eventually moved to Asura bhaaga-i.e, they were not seen in northern hemisphere during vernal equinox.
The observation of pole point shifting along with Suras running away, leaving their respective places are nothing but a long observational astronomy phenomena called “Axial Precession with observed Precession of Equinoxes” simultaneously.
*atha kimetairvānyānāṃ śoṣaṇaṃ mahārṇavānāṃ śikhariṇāṃ prapatanaṃ dhruvasya pracalanaṃ sthānaṃ vā tarūṇāṃ nimajjanaṃ pṛthivyāḥ sthānādapasaraṇaṃ surāṇaṃ so’hamityetadvidhe’sminsaṃsāre kiṃ
kāmopabhogairyairevāśritasyāsakṛdihāvartanaṃ dṛśyata ityuddhartumarhasītyandhodapānastho bheka ivāhamasminsaṃsāre bhagavaṃstvaṃ no gatistvaṃ no gatiḥ
Rupa Bhaty 
Since precession of equinoxes is a very slow process, it is difficult to believe that a person say about 100 years of his life is able to really realize the same.
Since India has had a hoary tradition of observational astronomy, it appears that the pole star/skies was under observation for may be 1000 years or more before King Bṛhadratha or any one of his times to benefit from the learnings of the past. It also appears probable that the credit for such a discovery is attributed to the king of that time. Your comment is noteworthy as it shows the tradition of observational astronomy practiced for thousands of year. The graphic also clearly demonstrates that Vega could never be a pole star, unless something is missing in the software. I am also of the opinion that Vega could not be a pole star at any point of time. By the way, which software you use to generate the graphics ?
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Yes, the precession of equinoxes is a very slow process and King Brihadratha had noted the change which had been diligently observed by many generations. Interestingly he also append hydrological and geological changes with the change of astronomical features due to astronomical phenomenas. The graphic is showing current pole star condition. Indeed Vega once served as one of the brightest pole star during 12,000-13,000BCE with its highest declination, it was just little away from pole point yet served best during that time. This graphic is from wikipedia.
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Vega or Abhijit seems interesting. Some people included it in the lunar mansions making the total no. as 28 and the others don’t accept it. Similarly, it is interesting that the same star, as you say once served as the Pole star. Interesting, isn’t it ? Probably the phenomenon requires more rigorous study as the modern Astronomers cannot accept accept the two points mentioned here.
If wikipedia is to be believed, as you clearly show cannot be a pole star or anywhere near to the north pole.
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There are 7 designated pole stars-1. Alpha Cepheus,2. Delta Cygni, 3. Alpha Lyrae(Brahma rashi-Abhijit), 4. Tau Hercules, 5. Alpha Draconic, 6. Alpha Ursa Minor-Polaris, 7. y Cepheus, who are the best visible candidates to be very near pole point conditions in last 25,750 years. Brahma has his flaws not to make them exactly at the earth axis pointing directly to stars.. :). This star was so bright that due to its lowest declination and RA, and due to near ecliptic conditions, was used in 28 nakshatra system as well at one point of time. Thuban, among the bunch of pole stars, has been the nearest, almost on the north celestial polar circle of axial precession during 3000BCE and thus was named Dhruva( one should understand why it was named Dhruva). Today’s Polaris is not exactly at the pole point but best serving pole star.
Vega has been the brightest Brahmarashi also mentioned in Ramayana where it has been interestingly noted as brightest Brahmarashi and Saptarishis are revolving around dhruva point( dhruva.m sarve pradakshina.m ). In observational astronomy, during Ramayana times, Brahmarashi being most near to dhruva point, made the best candidate referral star for north direction ( remember they had only stars to refer and not voyager). This is why all the Grihya sutra mention first watching of Vasistha, the bright one and then Arundhati the faint one, and after this process the newly wed is suppose to watch the pole star or access the pole point. Symbolicallly, it is to make aware of sky conditions through observational astronomy for their further journey on earth.
In Ramayana when Vanara were set to find true south they faced Vega “abhijit abhimukhaam disham” then turned south and watched Agastya( who was southern pole star then) from Mahendragiri parvat to proceed for Lanka in Southern direction.
Abhijit has been the most auspicious star thus the Abhijit Muhurta, because during Sun overhead your shadow points exact north or opposite north from 11:30am to 12:45 noon depending upon sun being in northern or southern hemisphere. Abhijit thus became eponym and synonym to North direction forever.
Wiki also gives list of pole stars – Your kind self can read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_star to understand Pole stars better.
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I also quoted this story in Indic Choronology Group some time earlier. My inference is though different. This story relate to a time period in history when Earth’s axis were pointing away form any star as such. During this time period people were not seeing any pole star. Earlier people were noticing the pole star. During the period of this story pole star has actually shifted too away from actual pole point so that it is being said as drifted.
It is not related to precession equinoxes as such.
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It is also absolutely related to precession of equinoxes simultaneously with axial precession, from the fact that he is observing Suras leaving their place also. It is genius of Brihadratha to watch both the phenomena which would obviously happen together. These are few facts even ignored by Shri RN Iyengar. It depends upon individuals how much one extract information honestly from the available phrases and test objectively. Kindly then interpret what yourkindself expound out of that. I also see Brihadratha’s smriti of change in geology, hydrology etc. and I don’t deem them as a poetical exaggerations. The truth to you can be different, I take and objectively test each word of the phrase. You said >During the period of this story pole star has actually shifted too away< ; I would only say, "this cannot be observed alone in his life time". I totally disagree on your approach.
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