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Nimai Pandit Das, following the 2020 Vyasa-puja celebration of his esteemed Gurudeva, Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, presents a series of talks describing the life, personality, and extraordinary events surrounding this extraordinarily exalted Gaudiya Vaisnava Acarya Gour Govinda Swami personally requested his secretary, Nimai Pandit, to publish his life and teachings. The glories of a contemporary Indian Saint (1929-1996).Featured Publications* Trinad Api Sunicena (hardcover)$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- The Exalted Bhakta-Bhagavata$5.00UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- Sri Radha – The Embodiment of Krishna-prema$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- Envy — The Competitor of Divine Love$24.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart
In 1973 HDG Srila Gour Govinda Swami, who was a devotee of the Lord from his birth, renounced family life and became a wandering sādhu known as Gour Gopalananda. He wore saffron cloth and carried with him a copy of the Bhagavad-gīta, a pen and notebook as he travelled through the sacred sites of Bharat-varsa, India, searching out that divine personality who could clearly explain to him the meaning of the Bhāgavatam in light of Mahaprabhu’s teachings.
After visiting many of the pilgrimage places in northern India where he spoke with a variety of sādhus, yogis and holy men, knowing that his quest had met with no success, he decided to head down to Lord Krishna’s own sacred land of Sri Vrindavan dhama, where surely the Lord would fulfill his desires. Upon arriving at Mathura-Vrindavan he visited different ashrams, where because of his outward appearance of matted hair, beard and torn saffron gamcha it was usually assumed that he was simply another wandering sādhu, not a Vaishnava. During this time he spent four days at Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura.
- Trinad Api Sunicena (hardcover)$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cartWhilst wandering through Vraja dhama, he eventually headed to the ISKCON property at Raman Reti, where the Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Temple was still very much under construction. There he was given a copy of Back to Godhead magazine in which he found the teachings what he was looking for – he discovered in that magazine the very person he was looking for, the person who could perfectly reveal Bhāgavatam, Krishna and Mahāprabhu – and he was also quite struck with amazement to see that this was and International society, that Westerners had taken to the path of bhakti, that they had shaven heads with sikha, wearing tilak and dhoti. He decided that he must meet the sādhu who was responsible for this most wonderful feat.
He discovered that the founder of this International Society for Krishna Consciousness was staying on the property at that time, so he approached one of these amazing Western Vaishnavas and asked if he could pay his respects to Śrīla Prabhupāda. After some discussion, Brahmananda Swami took him in to speak with Iskcon’s Founder-Acarya Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, and instantly Gour Gopalananda fell down flat offering his full dandavats.
As he arose, Srila Prabhupada asked him about himself, “Have you taken sannyāsa?” Upon hearing Gour Gopalananda’s negative response, Srila Prabhupada told him, “Then I will give you sannyāsa!”**
Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gour Govinda Swami wearing a red cheddar
At that very moment Srila Gour Govinda Swami accepted Srila Prabhupāda as his eternal spiritual master. Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja later related how he felt, “I immediately knew, “Oh, this is paramatma; what I am looking for now, it is here. Yes, I have gotten now. I have gotten now.” You see this is Krishna’s arrangement. How we can find our Guru? What is your inside, he’ll speak, you see. Only two or three questions he asked. I immediately surrendered!”
From that moment their relationship of sat-sisya, the totally surrendered disciple, and sat-guru, bona fide mahā-bhagavata spiritual master, was re-established.
— Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 17.16, 10 March 1995
An exclusive interview in New Govardhana on April 2019, Australia, with his grace Lagudi prabhu on his personal realizations of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, both dear disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON Founder-Acharya.
SOURCE: Vanisanga YouTube channel
Featured Publications* Trinad Api Sunicena (hardcover)$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- The Exalted Bhakta-Bhagavata$5.00UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- Sri Radha – The Embodiment of Krishna-prema$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart- Envy — The Competitor of Divine Love$24.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cart
Re-posted from www.gourgovindaswami.org
From a class on Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.92 Bhubaneswar
The Gaudiya sampradaya, the parampara of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is a bona fide Vaisnava sampradaya. One should accept the instructions with a simple heart, which are coming from the acaryas in this parampara as it is, and practice them in one’s life. Then you will get the mercy of Sriman Mahaprabhu.
Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gour Govinda Swami (hand in beadbag)
We are not speaking anything pseudo-sampradayist. We should not hear the words of pseudo-sampradayists. When Mahaprabhu ordered, “You become guru and deliver this world,” that instruction has come unto my guru, Srila Prabhupada, and my guru gave me this same order. So I will never develop any duplicity or crookedness in executing this order. That means I will never come in murkha-sampradaya or kapatya-sampradaya or phalgu-sampradaya, the schools of fools, hypocrites and pretenders. I will never teach duplicity or crookedness to anybody.
Those who are visayis, materialistic persons, are duplicitous, crooked and envious; they come under pseudo-sampradaya. They are selfish persons. Those who are under the bonafide sampradaya coming from Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu, they are so powerful that they kick all such sampradaya. They are always, twenty-four hours, day and night, engaged in loving service to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna, executing the order of their guru. They never desist from rendering pure service without duplicity (niskapata seva.) An Acarya is natural, not pretending, he is not pretentious. He is not pretending as acarya. He is a natural acarya, not artificial. He is more humble than a blade of grass lying on the street and as tolerant as a tree. He gives respect to one and all, seeing Krsna in everybody and never demands respect for himself.
Our teachings, which are coming through our parampara are true, coming from Mahaprabhu. They are our sadacara, our regulative principle. They are law for all humanity. And this law, this sadacara, has come down to us through parampara. If we disrespect it, if we don’t execute in our life, if we add any deliberation, if we twist it, then we will become offenders. We will commit offence by not obeying the orders of guru. Yes, namaparadha. Then we will be far away from the lotus feet of our guru. Guru will never keep us at his lotus feet. If, in order to execute, to obey the order of my guru, it is needed to become very proud, I will never hesitate to become very proud. If it is needed to become an animal, I will never hesitate to become an animal. If it is needed to go to hell for my guru, I will never hesitate to do it. Do you follow me? That is how to execute the order of the guru. That is how to become a true follower of guru.
One speck of dust …I will never hesitate to do it. I will never hear from anyone but my guru. Those who are saying something different from this teaching coming through bonafide parampara, coming from Sriman Mahaprabhu – we will never listen to them. If somebody says something different, then like Bhimasena, with my fist, I will crush it. I will destroy it. I will defeat it. I am so proud. With just one speck of dust from the lotus feet of my guru, crores and crores of people of this world will be delivered. You should understand how powerful one little speck of dust of my guru’s lotus feet is. There is no such a scholar as my guru. I will never accept anyone else as a scholar. There are no such teachings as those that my guru has imparted, to be found in any human being, or in any demigod, I know it very well. No one else can give such teachings. There is nothing in this world that is as heavy as a tiny speck of dust from the lotus feet of my guru. This is the follower of true parampara. I am following such parampara. This is the teaching; one should understand it very well.
…He (Srila Prabhupada) is empowered! Can’t you understand this thing? Why couldn’t they (Srila Prabhupada’s god brothers) do this thing? Why do they come at this time and do now, when the atmosphere is created, the platform is there, foundations are already laid, some construction is there? Now they are coming. Now you are going there, leaving ISKCON camp. Such foolishness! You are such a fool! Can’t you understand this thing? Thereby they are committing such offense. [Srila Prabhupada’s god brothers say] He has given only elementary knowledge ABC, nothing higher. You can’t understand what he (Srila Prabhupada) has said. When a tiny seed is there, it contains, like the seed of a banyan tree, so tiny, but it contains a great banyan tree inside. You, fool, cannot understand this thing. So intolerable. As a disciple of my Guru Maharaja and as a member of his founded society ISKCON, it is our duty to keep up the prestige. Yes, it is our duty now.
Kṛṣṇa is viṣaya-vigraha, the object of love, and guru-vaiṣṇava is āśraya-vigraha, the abode of love. The only activity of such guru-vaiṣṇavas is hari-kīrtana. They have no other activity. Unless the āśraya-vigraha-avatāra ācārya-śrī-gurudeva does kīrtana, how can you understand the tattva of the viṣaya-vigraha? How can you understand the tattva of the nāma, rūpa, guṇa, parikara, and līlā of viṣaya-vigraha? We cannot understand unless ācārya-gurudeva does kīrtana.
- Trinad Api Sunicena (hardcover)$19.95UAdd to WishlistAlready In WishlistAdd to Wishlist Add to cartNo one can understand the grantha-avātāra, śāstra-avatāra, the incarnation of all śāstras, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is the vāṇī incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
No one can understand the bhāgavata-tattva, the purport of this śāstra-avatāra, unless ācārya-gurudeva, who is āśraya-vigraha, does kīrtana. Śrī-nāma and śrī-mantra have appeared in this material world as śabda-avatāra, but unless ācārya-avatāra does kīrtana in the ears of the śiṣya, disciple, it will not be effective at all.
You will find that the mantra and the holy name are written there in śāstra, grantha. One may say, “Yes, the mantra is written here, so I’ll chant it.” But unless the mahanta-guru, āśraya-vigraha-ācārya does kīrtana in the ears of the śiṣya, it will never be effective at all. It is absolutely necessary. Śrī-nāma, śrī-mantra, and grantha-bhāgavata are all viṣaya-vigraha, but without the kīrtana of the āśraya-vigraha they will never manifest. Try to understand this. Mahāprabhu will help you. Nityānanda Prabhu will help you.
— Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 17.16, 10 March 1995
We are presenting these publications for the pleasure of His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, whose Vyasa-puja it is today 08.09.2021. Sri Guru Part Three, in hardcover and softcover. And the all new Biography, enlarged and revised edition. Volume One, Parts One & Two; in total 730 pages. Both parts are hardcover. Please view […]
Out Soon! New Magazine Will Be Offered To His Divine Grace On The 25th Anniversary Of His Disappearance (Tirobhav)
Appearance & Disappearance Have the Same Purpose On the auspicious occasion of the holy appearance day of Om VishnuPad Paramahamsa Parivrajacharya AstoTaraSata 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura we also celebrate the disappearance of Om VishnuPad Paramahamsa Parivrajacharya AstoTaraSata 108 Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. Compelled by Mercy The Vaiṣṇavas’ appearance in this world and their disappearance […]
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami (A lecture delivered by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja on Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami 18th August 1995 in Bhubaneswar, India.) The Bhāgavata says, to hear this transcendental līlā-kāhāṇī of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is all-auspicious. If you hear with full faith and concentrated attention, all of the material contamination in your heart will be […]
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latā A brilliant lecture on Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.50-57 by Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja. Given on the 5th December, 1991 in Bhubaneswar, India. The significance of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma – plough and flute – is cultivation and attraction. First Lord Balarāma will use His plough and repeatedly cultivate the land. Only […]
In 1991 Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja established the annual Ratha-yātrā in Bhubaneswar, which is held at the same time and date as the Jagannātha Purī Ratha-yātrā. The locals come in the 10’s of thousands each year to attend this festival. He also fulfilled Srila Prabhupada’s desire for a magnificent Temple in Bhubaneswar where lord Śrī Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā-devī give darshan to […]
The Mystery Behind Gundica-Marjana-Lila A lecture delivered by His Divine Grace Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja on 1st July 1992, Bhubaneswar, India. Today is the day Śrīmān Mahāprabhu exhibited His līlā of guṇḍicā-mārjana, the cleaning of Guṇḍicā Temple, and tomorrow is Ratha-yātrā. When Mahāprabhu was in Purī, He would clean the inside and outside […]
The History of Lord Jagannātha’s Snāna-Yātrā Śrī Jagannātha Mahā-Bhāva-Prakāśa An evening lecture by Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja, given on the 23rd June 1994, in Towaco, USA. Today is Snāna-pūrṇimā, the auspicious full moon day of Lord Jagannātha’s snāna-yātrā, bathing ceremony. Jagannātha takes a public bath today. You may have seen in […]
108 Transcendental Jewels A collection of 108 Jewels spoken by His Divine Grace Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja, on essential topics ranging from Guru-tattva to understanding how to enter into the process and eventually attain the goal of Pure Bhakti; Jīva, Gaura and Nāma Tattvas; how to beg for Lord Nityānanda’s limitless mercy; and how […]
When Gadādhara Paṇḍita saw this he became ashamed, and chastised himself within his mind, “What have I done? I have committed a great offence by thinking such a mahā-bhāgavata to be a great materialist. How can I be freed from the reactions for this offence? I must be punished. If I am not punished by this mahā-bhāgavata then my offences cannot be destroyed ..."