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| Damodardasji Sambhalavare meeting his true Guru Shri Vallabh |
Damodardasji was a kind boy who always loved to think about God. One special day, during a holy bath in Prayag, he met Krishnadas Meghanji. Krishnadasji said he wanted to become the follower of a great saint named Shri Mahaprabhuji. From that moment, Damodardasji dreamed of meeting Shri Mahaprabhuji too.
Later, while taking another sacred bath at the river, Damodardasji found a little copper box in the water where the Yamuna and Ganga meet. That night, Shri Krishnaji came to Damodardasji in a dream and told him, “You must find the person who can read the words on this box. That person should be your guru.”
The next day, Damodardasji showed his copper box to many holy people, but no one could read it. Then, he met Seth Purushottamdas, who told him that only Shri Mahaprabhuji could read the box and shared wonderful stories about his guru.
Some time passed, and while Shri Mahaprabhuji was traveling through India, he stopped at a garden near Damodardasji’s town. Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Krishnadasji to fetch supplies from town, but to keep his arrival a secret. “Only those with true love will find me,” he said.
On the main street, Damodardasji saw Krishnadasji and quickly guessed that Shri Mahaprabhuji must be close by. He sent his horse home and quietly followed Krishnadasji to the garden camp. When they arrived, Shri Mahaprabhuji greeted Damodardasji and asked, “Will you show me your copper box?”
Damodardasji asked, “But what will you do with it?” Shri Mahaprabhuji gently replied, “Your real guru will be the one who can read its secret message.” Then, Shri Mahaprabhuji explained the meaning of the box and became Damodardasji’s guru, giving blessings to Damodardasji, his wife, and a devoted young maid who lived with them.
Shri Mahaprabhuji told Damodardasji, “Find a special Krishna svarupa and offer the best seva you can.” So, Damodardasji bought a beautiful four-armed Shri Krishnaji statue, named Shri Dwarkanathji, and made a lovely temple. Shri Mahaprabhuji placed Shri Dwarkanathji in the temple and taught Damodardasji and his wife to serve with only the best.
From that day, Damodardasji and his wife offered only the finest things to Shri Krishnaji. They used the best fruits, clean water, and even golden bowls when the color matched their offerings. All their money went to Shri Krishnaji’s seva, and they only ate the blessed prasada.
Every day, Damodardasji brought water from the well for Shri Krishnaji. His in-laws saw this and felt embarrassed. “You should let a servant do such work, not our daughter,” they said. Damodardasji remembered a wise poem by Surdas that said true devotion is more important than what the world thinks. He kept fetching water, but after his in-laws asked again, his wife stopped helping to respect her parents’ wishes.
Damodardasji’s love for seva grew deeper. Shri Krishnaji often talked to him in dreams, asking for whatever He wished. Shri Mahaprabhuji noticed this and said, “Just as King Ambrisha served Shri Krishnaji with great devotion, so does Damodardasji. But Damodardasji is guided by grace, which is even more special.”
In the hot summer, Damodardasji slept on the cool roof while Shri Dwarkanathji stayed in the warm temple below. One night, the maid heard Shri Krishnaji ask her to open the window and fan Him. She did as He asked. The next morning, Damodardasji was surprised to see the open window. The maid explained, “Shri Krishnaji told me to do it.” Shri Krishnaji then gently scolded Damodardasji, “Why should I sleep in a hot room when you are cool upstairs?” After this, Damodardasji promised he would not eat any grains until a cool new temple was built for Shri Krishnaji. He quickly built a summer temple and invited all the Vaishnavas for prasada.
One day, Damodardasji found a cat’s mess in Shri Krishnaji’s room and joked, “This Lord cannot even keep His bedroom clean!” Shri Krishnaji was not happy and caused a tray to fall on Damodardasji’s head. He asked, “Are you the sevak, or am I?” Damodardasji felt very sorry and tried to make many delicious dishes for Shri Krishnaji, but the Lord did not speak to him for two months.
Once, Shri Mahaprabhuji’s dear devotee Damalaji visited and stayed with Damodardasji for five days. Damodardasji cared for him lovingly, but because Damodardasji’s wife was not fully devoted, Damalaji did not reveal deep secrets and only ate food cooked in ghee, not grains. When Shri Mahaprabhuji learned about this, He was not pleased. Damodardasji immediately went to see Shri Mahaprabhuji, who turned away from him. Damodardasji prayed to understand his mistake. Shri Mahaprabhuji explained, “Even though I sent my dearest devotee to your house, your wife’s heart was not one-pointed in devotion.” Later, Shri Mahaprabhuji explained that Shri Krishnaji sometimes tests His devotees in many ways and blessed Damodardasji before sending him home.
Whenever guests visited, Damodardasji gave them prasada and comfort, and also sent a golden coin and coconut with them to offer to Shri Mahaprabhuji, as he never liked to send greetings empty-handed.
One day, while Damodardasji was massaging Shri Mahaprabhuji’s feet, his guru asked if he wished for anything. Damodardasji answered, “Only your grace.” Shri Mahaprabhuji asked his wife if she wanted anything. She said she wished for a son. Shri Mahaprabhuji blessed her, saying she would have a child.
Later, a fortune teller came to town, and a friend asked on behalf of Damodardasji’s wife if her baby would be a boy or girl. The fortune teller replied, “A son.” Later, Shri Mahaprabhuji came and told Damodardasji that his wife’s devotion was no longer pure, because she believed the fortune teller and asked for a son, not a devotee. Their son grew up without faith.
Another day, Damodardasji was in the temple thinking about buying a horse. A Vaishnava came looking for him, and the maid said he was out buying a horse, though he was right there. When Damodardasji asked her why she said that, she answered, “But your mind was not in the temple.” Damodardasji was quiet, understanding her words.
When Damodardasji passed away, his wife hid his body. She told her maid and a few close Vaishnavas to take everything from the house, including Shri Dwarkanathji, put it on a boat, and send it to Shri Mahaprabhuji as a gift. Sixty miles down the river, she told them that her husband had passed. Soon after, her greedy son tried to chase after the boat but never found it.
Her in-laws came and asked, “Why did you empty the house? What will you eat now?” She replied, “Widows can take food from their relatives.” But her true wish was not to eat at all, for without Shri Dwarkanathji, she could not do any seva. After a few days of no food or water, she left her body too.
When the boat with Shri Dwarkanathji and all the wealth reached Shri Mahaprabhuji, his eldest son Shri Gopinathji said, “It looks like the goddess of wealth and Lord Narayana are coming to us.” Shri Mahaprabhuji asked if he was happy to see the treasure. Shri Gopinathji understood, “In our path, when someone desires the Lord’s wealth, they fall.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji took Shri Dwarkanathji, and told the devotees to throw all the wealth into the Yamuna river. The maid also went into the waters and joined Shri Krishnaji.
Some Vaishnavas later asked why Shri Mahaprabhuji did not accept Damodardasji’s wealth. Shri Mahaprabhuji explained that trouble would come because of the son’s greed, and said, “Because Damodardasji’s devoted wife sent it all with love, Shri Yamunaji gladly received everything.” By Shri Mahaprabhuji’s kindness, Damodardasji, his wife, and the maid overcame all troubles and found true happiness with Shri Krishnaji.
Poem: The Gift of Devotion
Tags: Vaishnav bedtime stories, Damodardasji, Mahaprabhuji, devotional parenting, Hindu values, Krishna devotion, child-friendly Hindu stories, StoryTimeLover, Pushtimarg, spiritual values for kids, seva, Vaishnav history
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