Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂?

𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗲: My temple authority wants me to serve at the center he manages, making new devotees. But now I am serving you. What would you like me to do?
𝗚𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮: No, you are not serving me, you are serving Prabhupada. The society is founded by him. We are all serving Prabhupada, thereby serving Mahaprabhu and Krishna. When you are in the society founded by Srila Prabhupada and serving under the order of some authorities, temple president or secretaries etc., you serve Prabhupada. But it is essential that you be linked to Prabhupada by one of his disciples, then you will be linked. (From a darshan in Bhubaneswar on 23 May 1989)

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻?

𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗲: When does initiation actually begin, at the fire sacrifice?

𝗚𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗺𝗶: That is a formality, vidhi. Most important is the heart. By coming in touch with a pure devotee like Prabhupada. He met his guru in 1922, but took initiation in 1932 or 1934, after eleven years. But since 1922 he had accepted him as his spiritual master, in his heart, and he was in gṛhastha ashram. He had accepted and surrendered in the heart. That ritual is formality, ceremonial. It has its effect also, uttering Vedic mantras, and vows to not violate rules. We take vows in front of vaiṣṇavas. So it has affect but it is a formality. (From a darshan in Bhubaneswar on 23 May 1989)

𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱

𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶 564 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

"In the śāstras and in the Bhāgavata it is said that this nindā-karaṇa, criticizing and finding fault with others, is a great anartha. Don’t do it! It is not your lookout. That is guru’s business, it is his lookout. The sages say, 'Only see the good in others. Don’t see the bad. If you have the nature or tendency to see bad, then see what bad is there in you.' This is āptavacana, authoritative instruction: 'If you find something good in some person, then that is what you should accept. Close your eyes to the bad things and open your eyes to the good.'”

— Worship of Sri Guru. Chapter 2. From Gopal Jiu Publications. Bhubaneswar. From a talk in Bhubaneswar on 9 November 1994.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗵𝘂𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗮

𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

"I was born in Orissa in a Vaishnava family. From childhood, we knew hare kåñëa-kértana, Bhägavata, and Radha-Krishna deities. We knew many Vaishnavas, even disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, in Orissa. Now many have passed away, but there are still a few that are very old. I know them. At the time of my leaving home I had everything — family, wife, seven children, property, and a job. I was a government high school teacher earning a thousand rupees per month. But I gave up everything in search of a real spiritual master.

"When I was teaching in school, it was just material education. But what to do? I had to teach that way or else my superior would dismiss me. I taught English, mathematics, and geography. In English class there was a poem titled, 'Blind Boy'. The boy in the poem was blind from birth, and people would speak to him about the sun — 'Now is morning, the sun has risen, get up.' He heard them and wondered about the sun. 'I don’t know that sun. I make my own day and night; the sun makes their day and nights. When I am awake, it is my day. When I am asleep, that is my night.' While I taught this poem, I laughed to myself, 'Why am I teaching this nonsense?' Something inside me objected. I decided, 'No I shall not teach all this nonsense. Let me give up this job. I must teach real education that is spiritual.' At last, I gave it up. I knew I had to take shelter of a pure devotee who could give me cent percent Krishna. So I went from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari. I met many sadhus, yogis, Mayavadis and Vaishnavas and talked with them, but I was not convinced. My plan was, after traveling throughout all of India I would go to Vrindavan. I was confident that at last Krishna would shower his mercy in his dear land. When I arrived there, I appeared to be a wandering sadhu. I had not taken dīkṣā from any guru, but I was wearing saffron-colored cloth. There are many temples and ashrams in Vrindavan; I was going from one to another, staying a night in each place. Once when in Raman Reti, I saw a sign, 'International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada'. I saw many foreign devotees with shaved heads, śikhās, and bead bags. I entered and asked to meet Prabhupada. Fortunately he was there. It was difficult to meet him because he was often traveling throughout the world. It was 1974. There was no temple in Vrindavan. There were just a few cottages in which some of the devotees stayed. Gṛhasthas rented houses outside. Some devotees told me I had to speak with Prabhupada’s secretary in order to see him. I paid daṇḍavats to him and asked to meet Prabhupada. He asked why I wanted to talk with him. I said that Prabhupada was such a great mahatma and I had a few questions to ask him. It was midday. Prabhupada had eaten his lunch already and was sitting alone in his room on a chair. Brahmananda Swami told him that a sadhu was seeking his darshan. Prabhupada agreed, so I went in and paid obeisances. He asked me a couple of questions about where I was from and what my name was. I had already changed my karmī name. Gauranga Mahaprabhu and my family deities, Radha Gopinath or Gopal Jiu, had been very dear to me since childhood, so I had changed my name to Gour Gopalananda Das. Then Prabhupada asked me, “Have you taken sannyāsa?” I said, “No”, and then immediately Prabhupada said, “I will give you sannyāsa.” I was seeking such a mahatma who knew my heart, so I was greatly satisfied. Krishna is so merciful that I met such a pure devotee. I surrendered myself and Prabhupada allowed me to stay.
"Although I knew many Vaishnavas, I searched out guru, understanding it to be a serious matter. Within a few months, Krishna fulfilled all my desires. If one is eager, then Krishna will fulfill one’s desires." (From, "My Revered Spiritual Master" chapter 7. Darshan, April 1989)

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Srila Prabhupada walking with disciples in Mayapur in 1974. Gour Govinda Maharaja is in the very back right.

𝗜𝗻 𝗩𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗻𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗱

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺:
𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝘼. 𝘾. 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙝𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙙𝙖

"In Vrindavan everyone is overwhelmed with love of Krishna. When they cannot find Krishna, they become mad. Although they do not know that Krishna is God. This is pure love without any knowledge of the supreme powerful, almighty. No contamination - pure love." (From a lecture in Bombay, December 31, 1974)

𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗵𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗮

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

Mahaprabhu came not only to teach the yuga-dharma but also to give kṛṣṇa-prema through chanting the holy name. He indiscriminately distributed that prema which is difficult for even lord Brahma to obtain. That is his mission. He is the most munificent incarnation, mahā-vadānya avatāra.
cirād adattaṁ nija-gupta-vittaṁ
sva-prema-nāmāmṛtam aty-udāraḥ
ā-pāmaraṁ yo vitatāra gauraḥ
kṛṣṇo janebhyas tam ahaṁ prapadye
"The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Gaurakrishna, distributed to everyone — even the lowest of men — his own confidential treasury in the form of the nectar of love of himself and the holy name. This was never given to the people at any time before. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto him." Cc. madhya 23.1
He is Krishna himself, so he is distributing sva-prema-nāmāmṛtam — his own prema, through his name, which is like nectar. Krishnadas Kaviraja has described Mahaprabhu as adbhuta-audārya — wonderfully magnanimous. He gives cirād adatta, what has not been given up until now. What is he giving? nija-gupta vittaṁ — he is distributing his own confidential wealth indiscriminately, he is even giving it to the pamara, the most sinful, lowest of the low. Therefore I take shelter and surrender to that most munificent Gaura.
Krishna is līlā-puruṣottama, the topmost performer of pastimes; Lord Rama is maryādā-puruṣottama, the topmost maintainer of Vedic etiquette; but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is prema-puruṣottama the topmost embodiment of kṛṣṇa-prema. He gives prema indiscriminately.
These two forms, rasarāja and mahābhāva, are united in the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Krishna is rasarāja, he is the king and reservoir of all mellows. Radharani is the form of mahābhāva. Mahaprabhu is the combined form of these two: eki bhūta aṅga prema-puruṣottama. Therefore, from his mouth, these names are coming:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
These names are not just coming out of his mouth; the word udgirna is very significant. He is like a volcano vomiting lava. These very sweet nectarean names Hare, Krishna, and Rama are not just coming from his lips. What is inside, in the core of his heart is coming out through his mouth. It is like vomiting. Rasaraja Krishna in the form of Mahaprabhu is chanting these names, and thereby he is fulfilling his three unfulfilled desires.

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆: Ksh*tindranath Mazumdar 1891-1975

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮:
𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗦𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Gour Govinda Maharaja in Gadeigiri. Left, unknown mataji, right the back of Jagadish Pandit.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑦:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

"One may ask, 'I have been hearing and chanting for many years. I have been carrying out the order of sādhus, gurus, vaiṣṇavas for many years. Why am I still not making any advancement on the path of devotional service?'
In answer to this, Srila Jiva Goswami has said in his Bhakti-sandarbha that one may not be making advancement because in his heart there is duplicity and crookedness. It is in a subtle corner, not in a gross form. Although you have been performing śravana and kīrtana, hearing and chanting, and you may be offering some service, still you cannot make any advancement. Srila Jiva Goswami also states that although for hundreds of lives you may offer worship to Lord Vishnu, but if you disrespect a vaiṣṇava, a dear devotee of Lord Vishnu, then Lord Hari will never be pleased with you. You are duplicitous. You have not got complete faith, strong faith. Maybe you have a little faith — soft, pliable faith — but not unfinching faith. You have some desires other than bhakti and thus your attention is diverted to material objects, women, money, etc. You are not careful about your bhajana, you show laziness in your sādhana, and you are a very great, puffed-up fellow. 'Yes, I am a senior devotee. Don’t you know?' Such a big false ego you have. 'I have done this and that. And that, and other things.' You have so much dambha, pride.
This is a great disease with you. Although you are hearing from a sādhu, a vaiṣṇava, the disease is not cured. Then you should understand that you have committed many, many offenses." (Lecture in Bhubaneswar, 21 April 1995.)

𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺:
𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙖

"I only speak on one topic, kṛṣṇa-prema." (Fax message, May 1994.)