Shloka 45
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
अजानती प्रियतमं यदोपरतमङ्गना । सुस्थिरासनमासाद्य यथापूर्वमुपाचरत् ॥ ४५ ॥
ajānatī priyatamaṁ yadoparatam aṅganā susthirāsanam āsādya yathā-pūrvam upācarat
The daughter of King Vidarbha served her beloved husband as usual, though he sat in a steady posture, until she could ascertain that he had departed from the body.
It appears that the Queen did not even talk to her husband while serving. She would simply perform her prescribed duties without talk. Thus she did not stop rendering service until she could ascertain that her husband had passed from the body.
FAQs
This verse shows how delusion (ajānatī) can veil reality: even after the beloved has departed, attachment makes one continue habitual service, illustrating bodily identification and ignorance in saṁsāra.
In the narrative-allegory, her continued service reflects deep attachment and lack of discernment; symbolically it depicts the conditioned mind clinging to the body and past routines even when life’s situation has changed.
Cultivate awareness that relationships and roles are temporary; practice detachment and devotion so you can face change and loss with clarity rather than denial and mechanical habit.