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“At midnight, during the month of Sravan (roughly corresponding to the end of July and the first half of August) on the eleventh day of the bright half, Purnaprusotam Shri Krishna appeared in person before Me. What special orders He bestowed on Me I will now reproduce. All those who take Brahma Sambandha will have all impurities removed from their soul and body. These impurities fall into five separate categories. The five impurities mentioned in the scriptures are those relating to social and religious affairs, namely those of natural occurrence, place, time, union and touch. After one takes Brahma Sambandha these impurities should no longer be believed in. Without Brahma Sambandha all of one’s sins cannot be absolved, therefore it is one’s duty to offer everything including one’s soul to Shri Krishna and to avoid accepting anything, which has not been offered. Therefore, after taking Brahma Sambandha all should observe the regulations of first offering everything to Thakurji, they themselves intend to use. Things half or partially used should never be offered to purnaprusotam, Shri Krishna. In every affair all things should first be offered to Shri Krishna. According to daktaprahara (the act of gifting) those things once offered to Bhagwan become his and consequently unauthorized for our personal use. This statement is concerned with the path of puja and not with Pustimarg (Path of Grace).
As people in the world successfully carry out their work, similarly by offering every undertaking to the Shri Krishna, everything acquires His divine likeness. As all types of impure water upon entering the sacred Ganga river become a part of her holy flow, similarly those who offer everything to Shri Krishna have all their impurities absolved and acquire the Bhagwan’s own transcendental qualities.”
Later, Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Damala, “Did you hear anything last night?” Damala replied, “I heard the Thakurji’s voice, but I was not able to understand what he said. Shri Mahaprabhuji then enlightened him; “Last night the Shri Thakuji ordered Me to give people the divine formula of Brahma Sambandha, and through it the Shri Thakurji will accept them, thus absolving all of their sins. Therefore it is necessary to take Brahma Sambandha.
The reason why Damala said he did not understand what the Shri Thakurji had said was that if he had understood, then he would be on the same level as Shri Mahaprabhuji, but Damala wanted to hear the explanation from Shri Mahaprabhuji for true knowledge can only be gained through the guru’s grace. For this reason, Damala had no real interest in hearing Shri Thakurji, for he was only concerned with becoming the devout disciple of Shri Mahaprabhuji. Shri Mahaprabhuji, after giving Damala Brahma Sambandha, told him, “Damala this Path has been established for you,” that is, devotees having qualities similar to him. Just as Shri Mahaprabhuji’s descendants have appeared in order to give Brahma Sambandha to Vaishnvas and to carry out the teachings of Shri Mahaprabhuji, similarly Damala appears ten times in the form of different Vaishnava in order to enlighten the Vaishnava community.
Once in Jatipura at the Sundar Shilaji while Shri Mahaprabhuji was resting in Damala’s lap, Shrinathji appeared nearby. Damala forbade Shrinathji to approach for he feared that being restless in nature Shrinathji might awaken his beloved Guru. Shrinathji obeying Damala’s command stood afar and waited for Shri Mahaprabhuji to arise. When Shri Mahaprabhuji awoke and saw the Shrinathji standing a short distance away He asked Him why he had not come. Shrinathji replied, “I intended to come, but your disciple Damala stopped Me from doing so”. Upon hearing this, Shri Mahaprabhuji started to repremand Damala for his seemingly unjust action; but the Shrinathji interrupted saying, “Don’t be angry with Damala, he is only keeping his dharma as your servant, and for him to have acted like this is certainly justified.” Shri Mahaprabhuji then took Shrinathji in His lap and affectionately pressed His cheeks.
Shrinathji then exclaimed, “I am very fond of cows.” Shri Mahaprabhuji then called his disciple Sadhupanda and gave him His golden ring which He had received as a child upon undergoing His sacred thread ceremony and told him to sell it and to use the money towards purchasing cows for Shri Nathji which he later did.
Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Shrinathji three times not to let Damala leave his body before he would. The reason for this was that when Shri Mahaprabhuji would enter the Sanyasa order of renunciates, His two sons Shri Gopinathji and Shri Gosainji would only be young boys and it would be necessary for someone to teach them the principles of the Pusti Marga. For this work Damala was the perfect person for Shri Mahaprabhuji always read and discussed Shrimad Bhagavatam and other religious works in the presence of Damala, and keeping nothing secret from him. Shri Mahaprabhuji firmly established in Damala’s heart the lilas of Shri Krishna.
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