He Was the Perfect Example

A lwAys E mbr A c E d by K åñë A

They Were Amazed to See Him Always Undisturbed

Most of the Western devotees that had been sent there to assist him were unable to tolerate the austere conditions. They were amazed to see him always undisturbed, eating only once a day, and hardly sleeping. He would simply translate, preach, chant, and write in his notebooks day and night.

Struck by His Depth of Sincerity

Çrédhara däsa (USA) had the following to say about his godbrother Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja:

“I met His Holiness Gour Govinda Mahäräja on a number of occasions and I was always struck by his depth of sincerity and devotion to Çréla Prabhupäda and his mission. I always thought His Holiness Gour Govinda Mahäräja to be like some Vaiñëava sädhu right out of the pages of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s Jaiva Dharma. He was very humble, pure, simple, renounced and fixed on remembrance of Rädhä-Kåñëa and Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and all of His pure devotee followers; an assembly to which he belonged.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi Come to Bhubaneswar

Chapterthirteen

Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi Come to Bhubaneswar

“…I am also very pleased that Gour Govinda Maharaja will be joining the Bullock cart Sankirtan. He is a very good preacher and ideal Vaisnava* so his addition to the Party will increase the activities…” **

Çréla Gour Govinda Swami would often relate the story about how Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi came to Bhubaneswar. It was in connection with Lokanätha Mahäräja’s bullock cart, the cart that had gone from Våndävana to Mäyäpura, then from Mäyäpura to Jagannätha Puré, and finally from Puré to Bhubaneswar. On the way, in Bhadrack, in the Balasore district, one bullock was sick, and the padayäträ party stayed in Bhadrack for some days. Then they left for Bhubaneswar. By the time the bullock cart arrived at the ISKCON land in Bhubaneswar, most of the devotees had left, and only three remained with Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Mahäräja. A very interesting and mysterious incident occurred, which clearly revealed, more evidence of Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi’s wish to stay

* In 1969 Çréla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda said: “…The post is paramahaàsa. Vaiñëava. Vaiñëava means paramahaàsa…” (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.5.9-11—June 6, 1969, New Vrindaban) ** Letter to Lokanatha Swami, July 30, 1977, ACBSP.

A lwAys E mbr A c E d by K åñë A

in Bhubaneswar and to accept the loving service of Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja.

Çacénandana däsa: Lokanätha Mahäräja, along with a group of devotees, had come on padayäträ to Jagannätha Puré by bullock cart, along with Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi. Their Lordships, out of Their causeless mercy, wished to come to Bhubaneswar, and They did. Çréla Gurudeva, with great pleasure, was rendering services to and taking care of GauraNitäi.

Unfortunately, while the padayäträ bullock cart and the deities were in Bhubaneswar, the sick bullock died. Çréla Gour Govinda Swami personally buried it with the help of one brahmacäré. From the time of the arrival of the Deities, Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja would daily cook for Gaura-Nitai and offer aräti to Them. He said at that time that he only knew how to cook kicharé, dälmä, rice and capätés. Whoever tasted those offerings was amazed by their sweet flavour. The problem, however, was how to replace this bullock. These bullocks were huge. Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja could not find another bullock that size in Orissa. As a result, the bullock cart program was cancelled. In Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja’s own words. “The deities did not seem to want to move from the ISKCON land in Bhubaneswar.” Lokanätha Swami was in charge of the bullocks, and had gone to Delhi, but when he came back some time later to the Bhubaneswar land, he wanted to take the deities and move to Bhadrack.

Çréla Gour Govinda Swami: At that time Çréla Prabhupäda said, ‘Let the bullock cart stay in Bhubaneswar. Let Gour Govinda Mahäräja take charge of it and he may go out and