Bindu-sarovara

A lwAys E mbr A c E d by K åñë A

Mallik had lost contact with Brajabandhu (who was now Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami) when Brajabandhu had left for Håñikeça in April 1974. When Sukadeva Mallik met Subhash Biswal, Subhash said to him, “You were doing this Gétä-yajïa and you brought along this Balaram Das to speak on the Gétä, but there was another bäbu you brought: Brajabandhu Manik. He is now in Nayapalli. He has taken sannyäsa and is there preaching.” Upon hearing this news, Sukadeva Mallik immediately set off for the Bhubaneswar-Nayapalli area, to meet up with his old friend Brajabandhu Manik. Sukadeva Mallik arrived in Bhubaneswar and saw Çréla Prabhupäda. He recalls, “Çréla Prabhupäda was very old, very, very old, at that time, and a lot of devotees came; I remember seeing fifty to sixty Western devotees. Some paëòitas from Puré were there, the King was there, Nityananda Kanungo was there, and the opening took place where the Lotus Temple is being constructed now [1994].”

Çré Garbha däsa: I spoke to Gurudeva [Çréla Gour Govinda Swami], and even though he was among so many people, Gurudeva was very happy to see me. During the years when I had lost touch with Gurudeva, I was still doing this Gétäyajïa, but with a bäbäjé, Balaram Das. This Balaram Das was from a deviant sampradäya. In Orissa they call them, ‘Not so good.’ Gurudeva was very happy to see me, and said, ‘I will not let you go. I will keep you here for three days.’ So, while I was there, Gurudeva served me prasäda with his own hands.

While Sukadeva Mallik was in Bhubaneswar, he asked Çréla Gour Govinda Swami to attend the next Gétä-yajïa and speak there. But Çréla Gour Govinda Swami said that he could not come back to the place where he had done the Gétä-yajïa previously. He said, it was not correct to go to where his family

C hapter 10 p rabhupäda in b hubaneswar - p art 2

members were, as he was now in the renounced order of life. But Sukadeva Mallik convinced him and said to him, “No, no, you have to do it.” Çréla Gour Govinda Swami agreed. After this Sukadeva Mallik left to do bhikñä [collect donations] for the next Gétä-yajïa.

31 January Initiations

Then on Tuesday 31 January, 1977 Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja went to see all the prospective initiates with regards to their up-and-coming initiation by Çréla Prabhupäda. At approximately 8.30–9.00 p.m. he arrived at the house of Choudhary Jagannath Prasad and explained to him and his wife that the next day would be their initiation. He told them to please make themselves ready. Since Çréla Gour Govinda Swami’s arrival in the area, he had been preaching vigorously and had encouraged some of the local people to take initiation from Çréla Prabhupäda.

Choudhary Jagannath Prasad: I was surprised. All of a sudden Gour Govinda Swami was at our door and told me, ‘Tomorrow Çréla Prabhupäda will give you initiation. Prepare yourself. Obtain new clothing and everything necessary for initiation.’

1 February

Choudhary Jagannath Prasad: On the next day, Wednesday 1 February, 1977, we took initiation from Çréla Prabhupäda. On the following day, 2 February 1977, the corner stone was laid by Çréla Prabhupäda. I cannot express the spiritual development I experienced after my association with Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja and Çréla Prabhupäda.