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Krishna Sent Him
Krishna Sent Him
Srila Gour Govinda Swami made his appearance into an ancient Oriya Vaishnava family famed for their devotional kirtans. He grew up surrounded by devotees, worshipping Sri Sri Radha Gopaljiu, chanting the holy names and reading Srimad Bhagavatam. Later in life, after becoming a wandering sadhu, he met Iskcon’s Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and instantly surrendered at his lotus feet, recognizing him to be the topmost of Lord Krishna’s dear devotees. Srila Prabhupada offered to award Maharaja the order of Sannyasa at their first meeting and, himself, later commented about his disciple Srila Gour Govinda Swami, stating that ‘Krsna has sent him’.
First Meeting With Srila Prabhupada
First Meeting With Srila Prabhupada
Whilst wandering through Vraja dhama, Sri Gour Gopalananda (Srila Gour Govinda Swami) 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 Bhagavatam, Krishna and Mahaprabhu – 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 sadhu 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 Srila Prabhupada. After some discussion, Brahmananda Swami took him in to speak with Iskcon’s Founder-Acarya Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and instantly Gour Gopalananda fell down flat offering his full dandavats. As he arose, Srila Prabhupada asked him about himself, “Have you taken sannyasa?” Upon hearing Gour Gopalananda’s negative response, Srila Prabhupada told him, “Then I will give you sannyasa!”
At that very moment Srila Gour Govinda Swami accepted Srila Prabhupada 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 maha-bhagavata spiritual master, was re-established.
We are most saddened to announce that our Guru Maharaja's dear disciple, Srimati Manjubhasini devi dasi, has left her body in Sri Vrndavana dhama on Akshaya Tritiya, 2026
We are most saddened to announce that our Guru Maharaja's dear disciple, Srimati Manjubhasini devi dasi, has left her body in Sri Vrndavana dhama on Akshaya Tritiya, 2026
Srimati Manjubhasini dd with her husband Krsnananda prabhu and Krishnapriya at KP's wedding last May.
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books
The Official Biography series, Krsnalingita Vigraha. The fourth book in the series, Volume 3 Part 2 (covering the year 1989), is now available, https://issuu.com/tvpbooks/docs/always_embraced_by_krishna_vol_3.2
Official book celebrating 50 years since Guru Maharaja accepted sannyasa https://issuu.com/tvpbooks/docs/golden_jubilee_-_tridanda_sannyasa
Vanisanga Publishing have just printed a book entitled Tattva Darshan: Perception of Reality, which is available to buy on amazon https://a.co/d/8OECLlM
Quotes on Guru tattva by Tattva-vichar Publications tvpbooks.com
50 Years of Sannyasa magazine by Gopaljiu.org
Ananda Sambada Newsletter
Ananda Sambada Newsletter
Ananda Sambada, est. April 1991, is a newsletter dedicated to the service of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, his disciples and his followers. Over the last thirty years, in our publication, we have published Srila Gurudeva's lectures and darshans, instructions from letters, recounting his amazing pastimes, and devotees' remembrances of him. We also always present news about the various temple projects in Orissa founded by Guru Maharaja, as well as information about his disciples, and even, on occasion, we have printed recipes that his cook Sadhu prabhu would prepare for him.
You can find several back issues of our Ananda Sambada newsletter on the website, and we will evetually be posting more as time goes on. Please visit us regularly, and sign up below for regular updates, and if you want to receive the newsletter whenever a new issue makes an appearance. Read More
Gaudiya Siddhantacarya
Gaudiya Siddhantacarya
As we are all aware, Srila Gour Govinda Swami was most expert at presenting our perfect Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta in such a way that would inspire any simple-hearted devotee to immediately accept it. He often says how he is only the pipe and Krishna the reservoir; Krishna is the source, "these are not my words" Maharaja explains.
Srila Gurudeva speaks topics including, The Origin of the Jiva,
Hearing from a Tape, Don't Disturb Gaura's Mood and more.
Do Not Disturb the Mood of Gaura (i.e. No Peacock Feather)
"If you put a peacock feather on the crest of Mahāprabhu He cannot cry. You disturb His mood. Looking at Himself He sees, “Oh, I am Kṛṣṇa.” How can He cry? It is a great disturbance in His mood. It is very painful to His mood. Don’t disturb the mood of Gaurāṅga."
Can you put a flute on Gaura? Although he is Krishna, you cannot put a flute on Gaura. Similarly, how can you put a peacock feather on he who is crying for Krishna like Radharani? His mood will be disturbed. Although he is Krishna, Gaura’s mood is different. Therefore Prabhupada has said, “Don’t disturb the mood of Gauranga.” It is very painful to Gaura. Our service is meant to give him pleasure, not pain.
To read more, please go to...
Latest News, Updates and Appeals
Latest News, Updates and Appeals
Please check this page, regularly, to see the latest news updates and appeals.
Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja Janmasthan Temple Project (Jagannath Pur, Orissa)
Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja Janmasthan Temple Project (Jagannath Pur, Orissa)
A sacred offering to preserve the birthplace of Srila Gurudeva for generations to come.
For those whose lives have been touched by His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, his birthplace is not simply land. It is the sacred place where our beloved Gurudeva appeared in this world the beginning of a life fully dedicated to Sri Guru, Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada, and giving Krishna consciousness to the world. Today we have a rare and precious opportunity to preserve that sacred birthplace. Following the mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who honored thebirthplace of Sri Isvara Puri, we wish to establish Srila Gurudeva’s Janmasthan as a permanent place of worship, remembrance, Hari katha, pilgrimage, and spiritual shelter.
For more information and to donate please contact
United States: Radhakanta Prabhu radhakanta@bhaktiprojects.org WhatsApp +1 925 352 3040
Australia: Jagadish Pandit Prabhu jagadishpandit@hotmail.com WhatsApp +61 41295 1180
UK: Bhaktivedanta Ashram Maharaja bvashram108@gmail.com WhatsApp +44 7459 587171
India: Upendra Misra Prabhu ( Bhubanesvara ) smrutimandir.ssggsg@gmail.com WhatsApp +91 98610 36321
Bhakta Svarupa Prabhu (Vrindavana ) bbk2701@gmail.com Whats App+91 92895 21671
Bali: Sundarananda Prabhu | | suryaudayana92@gmail.com Whats App +62 822 6630 0517
Mahabhava Prakash by Kahnai Khuntia, an Oriya eye-witness account of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes and teachings at Sri Ksetra Jagannath Puri, has recently been translated for the first time into the English language and published by Sripad Jagannath Misra das Prabhuji.
The book is available on Amazon in soft back and kindle formats.
ISBN is 9798196067075
Srila Gour Govinda Swami VANISANG WhatsApp Group
Srila Gour Govinda Swami VANISANG WhatsApp Group
Please join Vanisanga's group to receive daily quotes https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEIZfxPD99NCOHEJ8D93WD?mode=ems_share_t
Some Disciples - biographies
Some Disciples - biographies
Please visit our 'Some Disciples' page to read more about individual disciples of our most worshippable and beloved Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja.
Here we are presenting the biographies of many disciples of our Gurudeva... those most respected Swamis, Matajis, and Prabhus. Some biographies are quite extensive, others short, for now, We will regularly be updating these pages and biographies, adding more names, more information and more photographs as we receive them.
Sripad Caitanya Candra Maharaja
Sri Goloka Vrndavana dasa Prabhuji
Departed Godbrothers and Godsisters
Departed Godbrothers and Godsisters
We have a page dedicated to the disciples of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, who have passed away. These great devotees have pretty interesting life stories, and if you would like to read something about them, and perhaps remember them, please click on the link below.
Gour Govinda Swami Carita
Gour Govinda Swami Carita
by Sri Kalakantha prabhuji
English translation by Sri Jagannath Misra prabhu
So far, on our site, we have two chapters from the Bengali/Oriya language verse biography of Srila Gurudeva. Click the button below to have a read through.
Guru Maharaja Books
Guru Maharaja Books
Many books of Guru Maharaja's lectures have been published by both Tattva Vichar Publications and Gopaljiu Publications, along with a host of magazines, booklets and so on, plus GJP's related Bindhu e-mag. There are also a couple of Guru Maharaja biographies available in print form - 'When Good Fortune Arises' is a life and teachings book by Gopaljiu Publications, and the multi-volume biography by Tattva Vichar Publications is currently available as the volume one, parts one and two, 'Krishna lingita-vigraha, Always Embraced by Krishna', and volume three will be available shortly. Many further volumes will be published over the next few years.
Books by our Guru Maharaja's disciples
Books by our Guru Maharaja's disciples
Prema-Pradata Sri Guru is book of lectures delivered by our Guru Maharaja's dear disciple Sri Caitanya Candra dasa Maharaja.
Oriya Language Biographies of
Oriya Language Biographies of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Whilst the leading biographies of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu written in the Bengali language have been translated and are widely available in western languages, the Oriya language biographies, often written by eye-witnesses to the events, are not.
For the first time, these books are being translated into English, by our gurubhai, Sri Jagannath Misra prabhu. He has already translated Maha-Bhava Prakash (click to read more) by Kanhaiya Kunthiya, including the introduction by the late Dr Fakir Mohan Das, which was often quoted by our beloved Guru Maharaja; and he has also completed the Vaisnava Lilamrta (click to read more) which was written by a direct disciple of Gadadhar Pandit, a personal assistant of Ramananda Raya, called Madhava Pattanayak, in 1535. He is presently translating the Gauranga Bhagavat, which was also written at the time of Mahaprabhu, by Bhagavan Das and also the Caitanya cakada by Govinda das Babaji.
**Mahabhava Prakash is now available in the English kindle or paperback format for the first time. You can find on Amazon.
Do You Need Somewhere to Stay in Puri? ... Gour Govinda Ashram
Do You Need Somewhere to Stay in Puri? ... Gour Govinda Ashram
Our godbrother Sri Purandar Acarya prabhu has an Ashram in Sri Jagannath Puri Dham. He has seven rooms available for guests (and charges a small rental for those rooms.) If you would like to find out more, please contact him at purandara108@gmail.com and on WhatsApp 0091 9439780128, and have a look on Google maps https://maps.app.goo.gl/mK4SdypARmPRch2MA?g_st=iw
Please also visit the other pages on our website.
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