Like a tree, each soul grows in its own way. It is often seen that a person who still has some desires feels unhappy living in a monastery. Similarly, a person whose mind is inclined towards the path of renunciation, and yet is forced to become a householder, cannot derive any happiness from married life. By the mysterious will of God, Purna had to marry. For the rest of his life he felt uncomfortable and out of place in the company of the worldly, because he had not been able to dedicate himself wholly to God. Although he had not taken any formal vows, the spirit of renunciation was truly there.
Once Swami Shuddhananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, told a young man the following incident about Purna:
Please study The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna thoroughly. Those words came directly from the Master’s lips. It is a wonderfully inspiring book. Listen to a story: Once Purna was passing through a very unhappy time and one day decided to commit suicide. He first took a bath and made himself ready. Then he thought: “Let me read a page from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Taking the beautiful message of the Master I shall depart from this world.” He opened the book at random, and his eyes fell on these sentences: “Purna balak bhakta. Thakur Purner mangal chinta karitechen.” [Purna is a young devotee. The Master was thinking of his welfare.] These words from the Gospel changed his plan of suicide. He felt great assurance that the Master was thinking of his welfare. (Source: They Lived with God)