tasyam visuddha-karanah siva-var vigahya baddhvasanam jita-marun

manasahrtaksah sthule dadhara bhagavat-pratirupa etad dhyayams tad

avyavahito vyasrjat samadhau

TRANSLATION: In Badarikasrama Dhruva Maharaja's senses became completely

purified because he bathed regularly in the crystal-clear purified water. He
fixed his sitting position and by yogic practice controlled the breathing
process and the air of life; in this way his senses were completely
withdrawn. Then he concentrated his mind on the arca-vigraha form of the
Lord, which is the exact replica of the Lord and, thus meditating upon Him,
entered into complete trance.

PURPORT: Here is a description of the astanga-yoga system, to which Dhruva

Maharaja was already accustomed. Astanga-yoga was never meant to be
practiced in a fashionable city. Dhruva Maharaja went to Badarikasrama, and
in a solitary place, alone, he practiced yoga. He concentrated his mind on
the arca-vigraha, the worshipable Deity of the Lord, which exactly
represents the Supreme Lord, and thus thinking constantly of that Deity, he
became absorbed in trance. Worship of the arca-vigraha is not idol worship.
The arca-vigraha is an incarnation of the Lord in a form appreciable by a
devotee. Therefore devotees engage in the temple in the service of the Lord
as arca-vigraha, a form made of sthula (material) objects such as stone,
metal, wood, jewels or paint. All of these are called sthula, or physical
representations. Since the devotees follow the regulative principles of
worship, even though the Lord is there in His physical form, He is
non-different from His original, spiritual form. Thus the devotee gets the
benefit of achieving the ultimate goal of life that is to say, becoming
always absorbed in thought of the Lord. This incessant thought of the Lord,
as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita, makes one the topmost yogi. [End of
Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.18]

HH Radhanath Swami: I am very grateful to be with all of you in the holy

dham of Sri Mayapur. I am very humbled and honored to have this chance to
try to serve you by speaking something from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Today we are
reading from Canto four chapter twelve entitled 'Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back
to Godhead', text seventeen.

We read in this story how Dhruva, inspired by his mother from his very early
age went to the forest in search of God. It was in Vrindavan that he found
his spiritual master. Actually he was in the forest and he found Narada Muni
who then sent him to Vrindavan, specifically Madhuvan. And there worshipping
the deity of the Lord, made of clay with his own hands, constantly chanting
of the mantra om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, he meditated on the Deity within
his heart. Within just a few months he attained perfect self realization.

For many thousands of years he ruled the world under the direction of the
Lord and at the same time he renounced everything. He went to Badrikasrama
and there according to the verse we are reading today, "He concentrated his
mind on the arca-vigraha form of the Lord which is the exact replica of the
Lord thus meditating upon Him, entered into complete trance."

Today we are observing the disappearance of His Holiness Srila Gour Govinda
Swami Maharaj. And my dear friend Madhavananda Prabhu has given me some of
the manuscript of an incredibly outstanding book that he is compiling. I
would like to share some excerpts beginning with the parallels of Dhruva
Maharaj and Gour Govinda Maharaj.

Gour Govinda Maharaj was also from a very early time in his childhood
inspired by his mother to worship the Deity of Gopal and here at Sri Mayapur
Dhama like Dhruva Maharaj with a photo of Gopal in his hand surrounded by
devotees doing kirtana he entered into the ultimate trance and went back to
the spiritual world. He was born on Sept 2nd 1929 near Orissa in a village
called Jagannatha-pura. He was named Braja-bandhu. His family was very, very
serious devotees coming from the very old tradition of Gaudiya Vasinavaism.
His mother from a village of Gadeigiri worshipped for all her life the Deity
of Gopal Jui. That deity was worshipped in her family for over three hundred
and sixty years.

Srila Prabhupada tells us when he was a child he would see his father
worshipping the deity of Radha-Govinda and that had such a deep impression
on his life. He taught us that this is the most important responsibility of
raising children - from the very beginning to give them that deep impression
in their heart not only of the form of the Lord but seeing the parents
lovingly worshipping the Lord.

His family was renowned for the performance of nama-sankirtan. Actually when
he was just born a famous astrologer told his family members that he would
be a great devotee, a great scholar, he will be married for some time then
give up all material attachments, become a sadhu, preach all over the world.
He would make the village of Gadeigiri famous. And he concluded by saying
according to his reading that this child has been sent from the spiritual
world for this purpose. [Audience chant Haribol!]

His family members shared with devotees that by the time he was eight years
old he was well verse in reading Bhagavad-gita; Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta. He would be naughty and cry and the only thing that
would stop him from crying is if someone put a Srimad-Bhagavatam in his
hands. He would get absorbed in reading it.

By the time he was four, they had no electricity and at night it was dark.
His mother would be cooking and he would sit right close to the fire and in
its light continue his reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
When he was between twelve and fifteen he was living with his uncles in
Gadai-ghiri. The family told that his basic schedule was that he would wake
up early in the morning, do seva to Gopal, do his studies and then when he
would come back from his studies he would do kirtana for the rest of the
evening and in the night with his uncles sometimes go village to village
preaching the glories of the holy names.

He wasn't interested in playing or cinema. Whenever there was free time he

would do kirtana, serve the deities and read Srimad Bhagavatam. Everyone
around him could see that he was extraordinary although he always kept
himself in a very simple and humble demeanor.

By his mother's strong wish in 1952 he was married. Soon after that his
father passed away from the world. Braja Bandhu being the eldest son had to
take the burden of all the finances of the family on himself. He worked and
at night he studied and by taking tests he ultimately got degrees and became
a teacher in a secondary school.

He had four sons and three daughters. During that time and throughout his
life he kept a diary. Most of the entries into the diary were personal
letters to Gopal, his worshipable Lord. He would begin each passage, "With
the mercy of Gopal this day was spent thus." And then he would write his
realizations, his ., his activities for the day. Each entry would end with a
prayer to Gopal, "Please give me prema-bhakti, love for Krishna."

He performed his duties responsibly with his eldest son was old enough to
take care of the family in 1974; he was forty five years old when he had a
calling. Srila gour Govinda Maharaj explained to us that he was thinking
that he is spending so much of his life teaching these mundane subjects and
if he taught the children what was really in his heart, his superiors would
find it unacceptable.

He wanted to give his life to teach the eternal truth of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

That calling after twenty years, around twenty two years as a householder,
detached him from everything except the will to search out a pure devotee he
could accept as a guru.

Studying Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta he understood what

the truth was and that he had to have a spiritual master who could bless him
and give him everything. He had a dream at that time in his life after much
prayer Gopal appeared to him and told him to take sannyasa. In the middle of
the night he left his family. People tried to stop him in so many ways but
he was determined.

He explained to the devotees that he was staying at a temple across from his
house where his teachers and other friends and family members were coming
and trying to convince him to come back. And he turned to one sadhu and
asked him to sing a particular bhajan, a prayer to the mind describing the
temporary entanglements of this material world, the nature of this vanishing
body and the need to take shelter of the Supreme Lord Govinda. When he sang
the last line Braja-bandhu fainted. Everyone knew that they could not stop
him.

He went to Gadai-ghiri and prayed to Gopal for direction and it was then
that he had that vision, the order to become a sannyasi. He wandered to the
Himalayas, all the way down to Kanya-kumari searching for a spiritual
master. In the Himalayas he met many yogis, sadhus, swamis, gurus and heard
from them. But he was so deeply learned. He was looking for someone who
would teach him who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, how to surrender to that,
what is the greatness of bhakti and the holy name. And asrama after asrama
meeting gurus he would quote, "That in this age of Kali the recommended
process is the chanting of God's holy names. harer nama harer nama harer
namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21]Why are you not teaching this?" And his spiritual
leaders would usually tell him "Please get out from here."

In this way he wandered thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and
ultimately came to Vrindavan. There he would stay in a different asrama each
night, learn what they teach, meet the gurus from all the different
sampradayas but somehow he wasn't completely satisfied. Then one day he was
walking down the road in Raman Reti and he saw a sign, 'The International
Society for Krishna Consciousness.' He went in they were just digging the
foundation for the Krishna Balaram Temple. There were a couple mud huts and
one small room where Srila Prabhupada lived.

The devotees gave him a 'Back to Godhead Magazine' and where he saw
Srimad-Bhagavatam, he saw Lord Caitanya and he saw the maha-mantra he was
thinking, "This is it." He went to a devotee and said, "I want to meet this
person His Divine Grace A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Is it
possible?" he said, "You go to his secretary."

He went to HH Brahmananda Swami who said, "Why do you want to meet Srila
Prabhupada?" [Laughter] he said, "He is a paramahamsa. I want to offer my
obeisances and receive his blessings." It was noon time. Srila Prabhupada
had just taken prasad and was sitting on a chair and Brahmananda Prabhu went
in and he said, "There is a sadhu out there. He wants to see you."
Prabhupada said, "Bring him in."

Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj explained that when Prabhupada looked at him he
could feel with all certainty that Srila Prabhupada knew everything. As the
representative of the paramatma Srila Prabhupada knew exactly how to teach
and bless this devotee who had already taken upon himself the name Gour
Gopalananda. Srila Prabhupada then asked him, "Who are you? What is your
name? Where do you come from?" Then Srila Prabhupada asked, "Are you a
sannyasi?" Gour Gopalananda said, "No." Srila Prabhupada looked at him and
said, "I will give you sannyasa." [Audience say 'Haribol!']

He was speaking in Hindi and Srila Prabhupada was very impressed with his
command over the Hindi language. He said, "Would you like to translate my
books into Hindi?" he said, "Yes."

Gour Govinda Maharaj explained that on that first meeting he was certain
that ths was his guru and he surrendered his body, mind, words and life to
the service of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada had Brahmananda Prabhu
give one article from the 'Back to Godhead' and said, "Give him a pen and
paper and let us see how he can translate." He translated a couple of
paragraphs. Prabhupada read the article and said, "Yes, you will translate
my books." He told him, "You stay here. We will take care of you." He told
the Temple President. The Temple President said, "You cannot stay here!"
[Laughter]

So he stayed in an asrama outside and was coming everyday and he was doing
services. He was washing pots and rolling chapattis, he was carrying big
buckets of water and whenever possible he was translating. After some days
he met with Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada said, "Are you comfortable here?"
he said, "They won't let me stay." He said, "That is all right because they
think you might be a thief." [Laughter] So Srila Prabhupada explained to
them and they gave him a nice room. People were thinking, "Nice room. It's a
mud hut. Why is he getting like this?"Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj said that
the devotees would often refer to him as, "The Mayavadi sannyasi."
[Laughter]

Srila Prabhupada left that place and from Delhi he wrote him a letter and
told him to translate 'The Perfection of Yoga.' Srila Prabhupada wrote
another letter to him through Brahmananda Prabhu and told him that he was
just donated a property in Bhubaneswara and he wanted Srila Gour Govinda
Maharaj to go there to develop it, build a temple, train his disciples in
Hindi and preach to the people in the Oriyan language. He wasn't yet
initiated. Srila Prabhupada said, "Come to Mayapur right away and we will
discuss it."

In Mayapur Srila Prabhupada gave him first initiation and the name Gour
Govinda dasa. Sometime later he got another letter from Srila Prabhupada to
come to Bombay. When he came to Bombay he was given second initiation - just
couple months later. Then Srila Prabhupada had one disciple, Bhagavat Prabhu
who was traveling as a leader of a little brahmacari group. He sent them to
Bhubaneswara together to establish Iskcon.
When they got to the land it was far from the city, desolate, no electricity
or water anywhere near it. It was a jungle. And Bhagavat Prabhu who was
somewhat of an experienced devotee (In those days if you were a devotee for
a few years you were very senior.) He said, "We can't live here. It is
horrible and too dangerous. This is the type of place where there are so
many dacoits and you could be killed in broad daylight. We have to go."

Gour Govinda Maharaj said, "It is Srila Prabhupada's wish that we stay. I am
staying. Nothing will take me away from here." Bhagavat said, "Well we are
going." He said, "Then I will stay alone." Bhagavat Prabhu said, "You are a
brahmacari under me. Bramacaris cannot stay alone. You come." [Laughter]

Soon after that Srila Prabhupada was in Hyderabad where Gour Govinda Maharaj
met him. They were discussing developing Bhubaneswar and Gour Govinda
Maharaj said to Prabhupada, "Please give me sannyasa so that I could stay
over and develop the land properly for you because nobody else wants to stay
there." [Laughter] Srila Prabhupada said, "Yes, I will give you sannyasa at
the installation of Krishna Balarama on Ram Naumi in Vrindavan."

So he went to Vrindavan soon after that but the GBC had made a resolution
just recently that any candidates for sannyasa had to be approved by the
whole GBC body and then they had to be observed for a minimum of one year.
And Srila Prabhupada signed and approved that resolution. [Laughter]

Although there was an initiation for sannyasis in the Krishna Balarama

Temple Srila Prabhupada privately called Gour Govinda Maharaj to his room
and gave him the mantra, the danda and the dress of a sannyasi. In this way
Srila Prabhupada did not violate the rule. [Laughter] But at the same time
achieved his aim.

He took first, second and sannyasa initiation within eight months of joining
Iskcon and meeting Srila Prabhupada. There were complaints. People
complained to Prabhupada that, "This new man, he has so much
responsibilities, he is a sannyasi." And Srila Prabhupada replied, "He took
his birth as a devotee." It was Prabhupada speaking to his senior most
people. He said, "Gour Govinda Maharaj took his birth as a devotee. You are
all new men." [Laughter]

Gour Govinda Maharaj asked Prabhupada if he would give him some funding,
some men and some books to start the project in Bhubaneswara. Srila
Prabhupada said, "No." [Laughter] He said, "My Guru Maharaj, Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj gave me instruction to spread Krishna
consciousness. And when I went to America on the Jaladutta I had no money, I
had no funding, I had nothing."

Srila Prabhupada wanted to give Gour Govinda Maharaj the opportunity to do

what he did, but to make it easier for him Prabhupada said, "I went to a
foreign land. [Laughter] You are going to Orissa where you are from." So he
went to Bhubaneswar. He took that order as his life and soul. He had no
money. He had no one and the land was practically uninhabitable.

So he was going and living in the dharmsala for the night but after sometime
he had to get out. He was going from dharamsala to dharamsala to dharamsala.
He would go out house to house to beg for food. Then ultimately someone
built him a little thatched hut in which he stayed for some time.

Then he had another letter from Prabhupada inviting him to come to the
Kumbhamela and there Srila Prabhupada told him, After Kumbhamela I would
come with you to Bhubaneswar." So he rushed back to try to make arrangements
for Srila Prabhupada. He tried to arrange a water pipe so that there was
water there because there was no water in the land. He tried to arrange a
nice little hut made out of clay and straw. He tried to arrange some sort of
lighting. He was really working hard day and night trying to clear some of
the jungle land.

Then Prabhupada came to Bhubaneswar. He arranged a nice government house for

Srila Prabhupada but when Srila Prabhupada saw the very primitive thatched
hut on the property, he said, "I will stay here with my beloved disciple
Gour Govinda Maharaj." Prabhupada stayed for sixteen days and every day,
sometimes for hours and hours he and Gour Govinda Maharaj would discuss
intimate topics.

He told him that he wanted him to translate all of his books into Oriyan
language. He told him, "I want you to build a temple here. You will see that
in the near future this property will be the centre of Bhubaneswar. And the
temple that you will build will be one of the greatest temples in our
movement." Srila Prabhupada told him to preach all over the world. He
blessed him.

After Srila Prabhupada departed Gour Govinda Maharaj took this instruction
so seriously. He lived on the property and all the other people were some
coolies who were doing the hard labor. And he had Prabhupada's order.

vyavasayatmika buddhir, ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg 2.41]

Srila Prabhupada explained that this is how we advance in Krishna

consciousness. By being resolute in purpose and our aim should be one, which
is to make the order of our guru our life and our soul.

He heard that Srila Prabhupada was in his last stages in his earthly lila
and Gour Govinda Maharaj went to Vrindavan and spent beautiful intimate time
with Srila Prabhupada there in his last days. Srila Prabhupada asked Gour
Govinda Maharaj, "What is the climate like in Bhubaneswar?" He said, "It is
very nice." Srila Prabhupada said, "I want to go to Bhubaneswar." This was
in the very last days. And also around him was Srila Bhakti Charu Swami
Maharaj, Bhavananda Prabhu, Tamal Krishna was saying, "No. No. You can't
travel now." But he actually wanted to go to be with Gour Govinda Maharaj in
Bhubaneswar.

He sent Gour Govinda Maharaj back. He left. Bhakti Charu Swami tells the
story that Prabhupada asked, "How is he going to the railway station?"
Bhakti Charu Swami came back and said, "He is planning to take a bus." Srila
Prabhupada said, "Arrange my own personal car to bring him to the railway
station."

Soon Srila Prabhupada departed and in intense pains of separation from his
guru he found his vani his life and soul. And what was it like living there
for him? It really was a jungle. Madhavananda Prabhu explains in his book
that one day Gour Govinda Maharaj on the land gave a Bhagavad-gita class.
Then he got up after the class and a cobra fell from his lap. He did not
even know it was there. Every now and then there would be wild elephants
coming, deers and snakes - very austere.

He went in 1979 to Mayapur Dham. He came here and at that time one of Srila
Prabhupada's God brothers, HH Bhakti Daitya Madhava Maharaj had passed from
the world. There was a samadhi ceremony. Many of the leaders of the Mayapur
Candrodaya Mandir went. There was a beautiful kirtan and Gour Govinda
Maharaj was absorbed in the holy names and was swaying back and forth. Then
suddenly he fell to the ground, fainting. They did not know what happened to
him. Devotees picked him up and brought him back to his room and he was
crying out, "Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Gopal, Sri Radharani,
Krishna!" He was crying and crying Krishna's names and he persisted for
days.

They called on astrologer. The astrologer said, "As far as I could see he is
in divine ecstasy." But some of the devotees were thinking that nobody will
believe and astrologer saying that. So they called an ayurvedic doctor and
the ayurvedic doctor said, "This is some sort of madness that is very
incomprehensible." Then one day Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaj who was one of
Srila Prabhupada's best friends whom Prabhupada called a paramahamsa, they
brought him into Gour Govinda Maharaja's room and put a piece of straw under
his nose, took his pulse, felt his head and then Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaj
started laughing and he said, "It is krsna-prema." [Laughter and applause]
And then he walked away. [Applause]

Srila Prabhupada attracted such a variety of incredible personalities! He

was in that state for four months where he couldn't really do anything
except for cry out the names of the Lord. He was in Bhubaneswar. After that
four months he just came out of it and he asked devotees around him, "How
long was I sleeping?" [Laughter] They said, "Four months!" [Laughter] He was
amazed. He though it was just a few minutes!

Meanwhile living on the land - so exemplary, his humility, his simplicity

and his devotion every day he would go out at four o'clock in the afternoon
to beg. He had a quota. He would go to twenty one houses to beg for funds to
build a temple. He was doing this for months and months. Later when his
students said, "Let me do it, let me do it." The students did it. And he was
making a hundred and sixty rupees a month. That was the beginning stages of
building a temple in Bhubaneswar but he was never discouraged because it was
the order of his guru.

He was printing 'Back to Godhead Magazine' in the Oriyan language and the
person who was doing the publishing passed away. So for several months there
was no BTG. Then Tejas Prabhu came and started it going again. But about
four or five times a month Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj would have to go to
the press. From the land he would walk two kilometers. He would take a bus
then walk five and a half kilometers. He would go to the press. He would
spend most of the day proof reading, doing final editing then he would walk
five and a half kilometers back to the bus, take the bus then walk two
kilometers again back to the land. By that time it was dark.

Gour Govinda Maharaj would only eat once a day. In fact he had a standard
that until he finished a quarter of translating Prabhupada's books, a
quarter of the pages, he wouldn't even take a drop of water every day. On
the days that he went to the press often times it was night and he also had
a vow he would eat at night. So he would hardly eat.

One of his disciples said, "Why don't we get a rickshaw?" Gour Govinda
Maharaj said, "We can't waste so much money." The rickshaw was three rupees
in total. He will never accept it. He said, "This is Srila Prabhupada's
money. We must see it as sacred and never waste it." That was his spirit.
And we can see how that spirit can draw such incredible mercy of Lord
Krishna.

In 1985 another aspect of Prabhupada's instruction to him unfolded. He

travelled to Europe. He was from an Orissan Village. Now he was on a jet
plane and the person who was serving him on the plane explains it was really
a culture shock. There was an airline hostess dressed the way airline
hostess's used to dress in those days, going around and giving people food.
And he said, "What is happening? What is she doing? Why is this single lady
going up to everybody?" "She is giving everybody food." Hare Krishna he was
chanting.

The brahmacari assistant was very thirsty. He said, "Bring me some juice.
Can I have some juice?' Gour Govida Maharaj said, "I am sannyasi. You are
brahmacari. We cannot take food from a woman. We don't know who she is."
[Laughter]

They went to Rome and he gave a two hour Srimad-Bhagavatam class. But before
the class he said, "I have to pass water." So he went to pass water in the
bathroom and he was in it for a really, really long time. And everyone was
waiting for the class. They knocked on the door and said, "Is everything all
right?" They opened the door and he was completely soaking wet. They said,
"What happened?" He said, "I just turned on the water and it all soaked me."
[Laughter] He never saw a shower before. [Laughter] he turned the wrong tap
and got a full shower. [Laughter] but he went and gave class. Everyone was
spell bound by that class. He kept going on and on. The leader of the
community said, "It is time for Prasad."

He went to Spain. There was a massive drought for one and a half years. The
whole community was suffering like anything. Gour Govinda Maharaj said, "If
we just have kirtan then the Yajna-purusa, Krishna will send rain." He gave
his Bhagavatam class. I think it was a Gita class and then after the class
very intensely he was chanting kirtan for a long time. And thunder started
coming in the sky. Devotees said, "Sometimes there is thunder and lightning
but there is no rain.

Soon after the class and the kirtan there was a major rain storm. The
drought ended. The devotees were so impressed, mesmerized by this. He had
such faith and such boldness. They all came to see him. He was supposed to
spend many days there but he told his servant, "We should leave
immediately." He said now they are coming to glorify me. I am not one to be
glorified. Srila Prabhupada should be glorified. Let us go."

There are many things to be said. It is already gone overtime which is his
tradition [Laughter] but I am not so bold and courageous as him because I
have the GBC waiting for me also. [Laughter] But I must at least tell one
more story.

It was in 1996. Srila Prabhupada's centennial was being celebrated all over
the world. HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj was inspiring that. In Bhubanesvwar,
Gour Govinda Maharaj said to one of his close associates, "This material
world is a miserable place. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said it
is not a place for a gentleman and therefore he left this world prematurely.
I think I too will be leaving soon.' That shocked this devotee.

He said, "I will go to Gadeigiri and ask Gopal." He went before Gopal and
prayed before his worshipable Lord. One of his relatives, Ghanasyam, Gour
Govinda Maharaj said to him, "You will see the installation of the deities
in their new temple in Bhubaneswar, I would not." He said, "How you say
this? I am ten years older than you. I see it and not you?" He knew! He went
back to Bhubaneswar and spoke to tens and thousands of people the glories of
Srila Prabhupada's centennial for several days and came here to Sri Mayapur
Dham for the annual GBC meetings. It was yesterday. We are celebrating
today.

On the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada,

Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj was in his room and two devotees asked him to
speak about why Lord Caitanya had chose to live in Jagannath Puri he was
explaining the nature of Gambhira were Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in order to
taste the sweetness of Srimati Radharani's love in separation He spent the
last twelve years of His life in the ecstasy of tasting that
vipralambha-bhava.

He told of how when Krishna left Vrindavan what was the condition of the
Vrajavasis, especially Srimati Radharani, crying in the ecstasy of love day
and night in separation from Sri Krishna. And of Krishna's heart, crying in
separation from Sri Radha and how Krishna returned to Vrindavan after so
many years. And Sri Radharani came before Him. Seeing the ecstasy of Her
love for Him he went into such a state of ecstasy that His limbs entered
into His body and His eyes became very large in size. It was the form of
Lord Jagannath.

Narada Muni happened to see this and asked for the benediction that this
form of the Lord in ecstasy of love in separation from Srimati Radharani
upon Their meeting would be worshipped somewhere in this world and that
anyone who goes there to see would get that path/part. (?) That is the
eternal origin of Lord Jagannatha. He was telling this story; tears were
welling in his eyes. He became choked up and he said, "Krishna. Jagannath
looked into Sri Radharani's eyes and Sri Radha looked into Krishna's eyes."

Then he became so emotional, he could not speak any longer. He said, "Please
excuse me I cannot talk. Kirtan. Kirtan." Devotees gathered around,
performed beautiful kirtan. He asked for a photograph of his beloved Gopal
Jui, the deity he worshipped from his birth. And he held that in his hand
and gazed upon it as the kirtan was chanted; he chanted the holy name,
leaned back and closed his eyes.

Devotees became very worried. They went to get a doctor. Some doctors said,
"He is dead." But an auyurvedic doctor came and felt his pulse and he said,
"He is still living." There was no heart attack. According to this ayurvedic
doctor there was no physical reason for him to leave. He just decided to
leave or let us say Srila Prabhupada and Krishna just took him on Sri
Bhaktsiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur's appearance day, during the one hundred
anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's birth appearance in this world in the holy
land of Sri Mayapur Dhama after speaking the most intimate lilas in ecstasy
of divine love, surrounded by the kirtan of the holy name, His Holiness
Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj departed from this world. His blessings, his
grace and his incredible example will live forever in our hearts.

Srila Prabhupada had a special very unique love for this special, unique
disciple. Today is the day we can set aside to honor, appreciate and worship
that love. Thank you very much. [Applause] Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaj
Ki. Jai! Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai. Anantakoti Vaisnavavnrda Ki. Jai!

[To receive Mayapurlive lectures by email, write to mayapurlive@pamho.net]