Now, Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu had a sevak who was a carpenter by caste, working in woodcraft. He lived in Adhel. The feeling of his story is told as follows.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In the divine play, he is the manifestation of Shri Thakurji’s intimate friend Shri Dama. Whatever divine acts Shri Swaminiji and Shri Damodarji perform, he experiences them. Shri Swaminiji considers Shri Dama as her brother, and he is an intimate friend of Shri Thakurji. Hence, he assists in the divine play. Shri Swaminiji would ask Shri Dama about everything. One day, Shri Dama climbed onto Shri Thakurji’s shoulders while playing. When Shri Swaminiji heard of this, she became displeased. Although Shri Thakurji explained things to Shri Swaminiji, still, as described in Shri Subodhini Ji, Shri Dama is the garland-maker in the divine play and represents the form of the garland. Therefore, Shri Thakurji carried him on His shoulders. Even so, Shri Swaminiji did not feel pleased. So she cursed him, “Fall upon the earth.”
Then Shri Dama was born in the house of a carpenter in Adhel. When that carpenter turned twenty-three years old, upon having the darshan of Shri Acharyaji, his heart became deeply attached. Bowing down, he prayed, “Maharaj! Please accept me under your refuge.”
Then Shri Acharyaji said, “How will you follow the path of Pushtimarg? You have restrictions in food and family traditions.” The carpenter humbly prayed, “Maharaj! What do I have to do with home and work? I will sit near you and serve by taking your darshan. I cannot live even a moment without seeing you.”
Then Shri Acharyaji said, “Go, take a bath in Shri Yamunaji, and return.” The carpenter bathed and came to Shri Acharyaji. Then Shri Acharyaji had his name offered (formally accepted him).
Prasang 1 – The Carpenter’s Deep Attachment to Shri Acharyaji
That carpenter became fully absorbed in Shri Acharyaji’s divine form. He would sit near Shri Acharyaji and remain in his darshan. Because of this, all his family members at home began to suffer from hunger. His relatives, mother and wife went to Shri Acharyaji’s mother, Ilammagaruji, and said, “This carpenter stays day and night with Shri Acharyaji. He does no work at all. How shall we manage food and living? Therefore, please tell Shri Acharyaji.”
Then Mother Ilammagaruji said to Shri Acharyaji, “Why do you keep this carpenter with you? His family members are starving. Send him home so that he may attend to his work.” Then Shri Acharyaji told the carpenter, “Go home and do your work.” The carpenter said, “Maharaj! I cannot live without your darshan.” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “My mother is displeased, so go home and do your work. I will come to you.”
Then the carpenter bowed down and went home to work. Yet his mind remained fixed on Shri Acharyaji, constantly thinking, “When will He come? When will I have His darshan again?” Knowing the devotion and longing of that carpenter, Shri Acharyaji Himself went to his house. Then the carpenter immediately left his work and began to converse with Shri Acharyaji. This became his daily practice.
Then again, the family of the carpenter went to Ilammagaruji and said, “Now Shri Acharyaji Himself comes and sits with the carpenter. When he comes, the carpenter stops working and just talks. Please tell Shri Acharyaji not to do so.” Then Ilammagaruji said, “Why do you go to the carpenter’s house? This does not seem right. Do not sit with the carpenter.” Shri Acharyaji replied, “I will continue as I do.”
His affection was such that Shri Acharyaji would go to that carpenter once, give him darshan, and sit with him for an hour or two, conversing with him and showing great grace.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): The meaning here is this: first, Shri Acharyaji accepted him under refuge, allowed him to sit near, converse, and fixed his mind in the divine form. Yet, without the experience of separation, true sweetness does not settle deeply in the heart. Therefore, through the pretext of his family, Shri Acharyaji sent him home to create the experience of separation.
That pain of separation became unbearable for the carpenter. Therefore, Shri Acharyaji would Himself go and sit with him, and then again, through the pretext of his family, He would stay for one or two hours and depart. Later, when Shri Acharyaji was to go on His earthly pilgrimage (circumambulation of the Earth), if He were to leave the carpenter suddenly, the pain of separation would have driven him into deep anguish. Hence, He made him experience the separation gradually, so that within his heart he could have the unbroken darshan of Shri Acharyaji, twenty-four hours a day.
In this way, He blessed him with inner vision, like how Shri Thakurji appeared in Braj and gave darshan to the devotees to increase their love. Such was the intensity of their love that even the blink of an eye felt like an age. Later, to heighten that love through separation, Shri Thakurji performed the cow-grazing pastime, where all day the devotees sustained themselves by singing songs like Venugit and Yugalgit, waiting for His return in the evening. Then, when He went to Mathura, they experienced day-and-night separation but felt comfort knowing that Mathura was near, and He would return. But when He went to Dwarka, they felt complete separation, yet even in that pain, they experienced divine bliss through inner realization.
In the same way, Shri Acharyaji bestowed such grace upon that carpenter that he experienced complete separation and inwardly the joy of Shri Acharyaji’s divine form. Then his outer vision ceased, and with his inner vision, he remained absorbed in the Lord even while at home. Later, Shri Acharyaji proceeded on His pilgrimage of the Earth.
Thus, that carpenter was a recipient of extraordinary grace, truly belonging to the Lord. Therefore, the rest of his story is inexpressible and was not made public.
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