After coming home, Puranjana bathed, ate a nice dinner and then rested. (After becoming tired of sinful life, one should retire from it and purify himself by accepting a bona-fide spiritual master and hearing from him.) Thereafter, the king dressed very nicely and decorated himself with ornaments and garlands and smeared Sandalwood paste over his body (this represents adorning oneself with knowledge of religion and the self). Having become completely refreshed, Puranjana began to look for his queen (his original consciousness, Krishna consciousness).
Actually, after having eaten and rested, instead of becoming elevated to a higher consciousness, King Puranjana once again became captivated by Cupid. Thus, he searched for his wife, who had kept him satisfied in household life. (Sometimes an initiated devotee, in the name of prasada, eats voraciously and then falls down due to becoming attracted by Cupid.)
Becoming very anxious, the king inquired from the household ladies, “My dear beautiful women, are you and your mistress all very happy like before, or not? (After becoming refreshed by the association of devotees, one consults his mind as to how he can return to his original, steady consciousness.) I do not understand why all of my household paraphernalia does not attract me like before. It seems that if there is neither a mother nor a devoted wife at home, it becomes like a chariot without wheels. Where is the fool who would sit upon such a useless chariot? Please tell me where I can find that beautiful woman who always saved me when I was drowning in the ocean of danger by giving me good intelligence at every step (a good wife enables one to keep his good intelligence and thus avoid the dangerous conditions of material existence).”
The palace women replied,
“O master of the citizens, kindly look- your wife is lying down on the bare ground, and we cannot understand why.”
This is a section of the book “A Sidelong Glance”.
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