It was a very bad omen
Srutakirti: In August of 1971, I was given Brahmana initiation by Srila Prabhupada at the Los Angeles temple. I had driven with Kirtanananda Maharaja and a few other devotees from New Vrindavan to Los Angeles in an enclosed van for four days. The ride was hellish, but worth every minute. The process of getting Brahmana initiation was blissful. I went into Srila Prabhupada's quarters, and offered my obeisances. He held a new Brahmana thread in his hands, and whispered the Gayatri mantra in my ear. It happened very quickly. When I left his room, I was given a sheet of paper with the mantra on it. After staying for a few days, we took the long drive back to New Vrindavan.
The return trip however didn't seem so bad. Then one morning about 3:00 a.m., I was bathing in a muddy pond in New Vrindavan. The area was totally dark. I was rushing, because I had to prepare the Deities plates for the mangala offering. While throwing a bucket of water over my head, I must have washed the sacred thread off my body. When I discovered it was gone hours later, I was brought to tears. The very thread that Srila Prabhupada had given me was gone forever. It was a very bad omen, and I feared my connection was lost.
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Uvacha by Srtuakirti Dasa
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