Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.26.12

ātmānam arhayāḿ cakre

dhūpālepa-srag-ādibhiḥ

sādhv-alańkṛta-sarvāńgo

mahiṣyām ādadhe manaḥ

SYNONYMS

ātmānam — himself; arhayām — as it ought to be done; cakre — did; dhūpa — incense; ālepa — smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak — garlands; ādibhiḥ — beginning with; sādhu — saintly, beautifully; alańkṛta — being decorated; sarva-ańgaḥ — all over the body; mahiṣyām — unto the Queen; ādadhe — he gave; manaḥ — mind.

TRANSLATION

After this, King Purañjana decorated his body with suitable ornaments. He also smeared scented sandalwood pulp over his body and put on flower garlands. In this way he became completely refreshed. After this, he began to search out his Queen.

PURPORT

When a man comes into good consciousness and accepts a saintly person as a spiritual master, he hears many Vedic instructions in the form of philosophy, stories, narrations about great devotees and transactions between God and His devotees. In this way a man becomes refreshed in mind, exactly like a person who smears scented sandalwood pulp all over his body and decorates himself with ornaments. These decorations may be compared to knowledge of religion and the self. Through such knowledge one becomes detached from a materialistic way of life and engages himself in always hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures. The word sādhv-alańkṛta used in this verse indicates that one must be absorbed in knowledge gathered from the instructions of saintly persons. Just as King Purañjana began to search out his better half, the Queen, one who is decorated with knowledge and instructions from saintly persons should try to search out his original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One cannot return to Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he is favored by the instructions of a saintly person. Therefore Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings: sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. If we want to become saintly persons, or if we want to return to our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must associate with sādhu (a saintly person), śāstra (authoritative Vedic literature) and guru (a bona fide spiritual master). This is the process.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness