Glories of Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

Om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge. Obeisances unto my spiritual master, who is as radiant as Lord Gaurachandra, the abode of Śrī Rādhikā, unto Śrī Krishna, to His devotees, and to the devotees of His devotees.

Now, everyone together, please raise your hands and chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

First of all, I bow down to the lotus feet of my most worshipful spiritual masters:
Om Viṣṇupād Paramahaṁsa Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
Om Viṣṇupād Paramahaṁsa Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
I also offer my countless obeisances at the lotus feet of all the ācāryas in our disciplic succession. I bow to Śrī Vana Mahārāja, Śrī Narasiṁha Mahārāja, and to all Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs.

Today, especially, on the auspicious appearance day (āvirbhāva tithi) of Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja, I humbly bow at his lotus feet. On this divine occasion—being a close associate (parikara) of Śrī Bhaktivedānta Swami Mahārāja—I first offer flowers (puṣpāñjali) at his lotus feet before proceeding further.
When Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja once met Gurudeva in Jagannātha Purī, he revealed, “I had first come to you, desiring initiation from you. At that time, however, you were not in Mathurā but in Navadvīpa. Therefore, I went to ISKCON. Otherwise, I would never have gone there.”

Truly, the relationship between guru and disciple is eternal.
Once, someone asked Srila Gaur Govinda Mahārāja, “Why don’t you preach on the Vṛndāvana side?”
He replied, “Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja is already preaching there; I feel no need to go.” This is what he used to say.
Now, first we should understand what ‘appearance’ (āvirbhāva) means. Āvirbhāva means manifestation, or divine appearance. Related to this is the term ‘upasarga’ (symptom, sign, indication). There are said to be twenty types of upasarga. An upasarga means a symptom that reveals or makes something known. For example, if someone has a fever, how will you know? By touching the body, you feel unusual heat. That bodily heat is the symptom (upasarga) of fever. If someone catches a cold, their nose begins to run. That running nose is the symptom (upasarga) of the cold. If someone has a cold, their nose will run, or their throat will be obstructed. Water may come from their eyes. These are “upasargas.” And what is inside? Lung problems. “Coughing” means a cold! What is it? Some problem in the lungs—these are called upasargas. Āvirbhāva is formed from the prefixes ‘ā’ and ‘vi’ and the verbal root ‘bhū,’ meaning “to be” or “to happen.” ‘Ā’ means thoroughly, and ‘vi’ means specifically. Those who appear before us thoroughly and specifically are called “āvirbhāva.” If they do not mercifully manifest before us, we cannot see them. That is why this is called “āvirbhāva.” And his name is “Gaur Govinda Gosvāmī Mahārāja.”

What is the significance of the name “Gaur Govinda”? Why is it this name? The seventh Goswami, Śrīla Goswami Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, explained this in his greatest work, Jaiva Dharma. In Jaiva Dharma, he showed the path from the lowest to the highest level, how people can reach the highest level from the lowest. He showed how a practitioner (sādhaka) can reach the highest level in that book.

Once in Brahma’s day, a blessed Kali-yuga comes. In the 28th Catur-yuga’s Dvāpara-yuga, Krishna appears, and in the Kali-yuga immediately following that, Śrīman Mahāprabhu appears. That Kali-yuga is called Dhanya Kali. Dhanya Kali has a special characteristic. It is stated, “Mānasa pāpā na hoya pāpā”—a sin committed in the mind is not considered a sin. This is one. What is the second point? This is secondary; what is primary? In this Dhanya Kali-yuga, by taking shelter of a bonafide guru and performing bhajan, in the state of perfection (siddhi), the soul will be divided into two parts. One will go to Mahāprabhu’s abode, the all-merciful magnanimous form, and serve Him. The other will go to the abode of Yugal Kiśora Sri Sri Radha Krishna and serve Yugal Kiśora. This is a special feature of Dhanya Kali. It is not possible in any other Kali-yuga or any other Satya, Tretā, or Dvāpara-yuga. That is why it is only possible in Kali-yuga, and that too, only in Dhanya Kali, not in all Kali-yugas! This Kali-yuga comes only once in Brahma’s day. It comes once within approximately 984 or 996 such yugas. So, who is the worshipable deity of Kali-yuga? “Śrī Gaurasundara.” And who is the worshipable deity of Dvāpara-yuga? “Govindaji.” So what is the name? Gaur Govinda!

Who is called a sādhū?
“Sādhanoti sādhayati ca kṛṣṇa prema”
One who is performing sādhanā (spiritual practice) to attain Krishna prema (divine love for Krishna) and is also helping others to do so, is a sādhū!

Why is Śrīla Gaur Govinda Gosvāmī Mahārāja named Gaur Govinda? He himself serves Gaurasundara in his eternal form and also serves Radha Govinda. Those who follow his path will also, in the perfected stage, go to Gaura-dhāma with one body and to Govinda-dhāma (Vraj) with another body. That is why his name is Srila Gaur Govinda Gosvāmī, telling the world, “Come! Your welfare is guaranteed!” And among all of Krishna’s pastimes, what did Krishna do first? He met the gopis face-to-face in which pastime? In the Govardhana-dhāraṇa pastime! And it was in the Govardhana-dhāraṇa pastime that Krishna was named “Govinda.”

How many syllables are in Govinda?
G O V I N D A
Seven. G, O, V, I, N, D, A – 7 syllables in Sanskrit, 7 in English. Tāṇḍava dance is performed to govern or rule someone. Sura Das sings, “Tāṇḍava gati muṇḍan par nāchat Giridhārī, Tāṇḍava gati muṇḍan par nāchat Giridhārī.” And during annihilation, Shiva performs the Tāṇḍava dance. There are many types of dance; I am not going into all that.

Now, let’s come to when Śrī Gaur Govind Mahārāja was stopped at the airport. When he was stopped at the airport and not allowed to enter, Gurudeva was also stopped at the airport. At that time, I had some back pain; I had a slipped disc. Me, Brajnath Prabhu and Gurudeva took a flight together from Delhi. Upon landing in Singapore, I had another flight within half an hour, so I immediately went to catch my next flight. Gurudeva and Brajnath were stopped at the airport and not allowed to proceed. I was having my treatment and taking prasāda around 2, 2:50, or 3 AM after landing that morning. Then a call came from there, saying, “Madhava Mahārāja needs to go to Singapore immediately!”
Gurudeva called and said, “I will not fly without my Madhava!”
Within 5 minutes, my name was announced at airport. Gurudeva had not eaten at the airport. A disciple of Gurudeva made food at home and delivered, and then he ate. After Gurudeva’s documents were cleared, he went to Singapore 2-3 more times. The vice chairman of the Chambers of Commerce and the president of the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Singapore are Gurudeva’s disciples, and they cleared his documents. There was one family that had previously stopped Śrīla Gaur Govind Gosvāmī Mahārāja at the airport. The same family had also stopped Gurudeva (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja).
When Guru ji (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja) met Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja, he said, “I am very unhappy.”
Gurudev (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja) asked, “Why?”
Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja said, “I cannot speak Hari Kathā in my Math. I have to take permission from someone. A junior devotee knows nothing, and I have to take permission from him to speak Hari Kathā!”
Gurudeva (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja) said, “I don’t care about that. I am a lion’s cub (Srila Bhakti Pragyana Keshava Goswami’s disciple)! I am a lion! I will roar and everyone will run away!”
Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja said, “This is only possible for you; it is not possible for me. I am bound by the rules of society.”
Gurudeva said, “I am also in society. I am not outside of society. When new people come into society, society gives them shelter. After that, through their talent and devotional practice, they illuminate the name of society greatly. At that time, whether they remain in society or not, it does not matter; they can create many new societies. I am also in society, but if anyone obstructs my Hari Kathā, I will not care and will leave society at that very moment!”
Gurudeva also demonstrated this. Many discussions took place. Śrīla Gaur Govinda Mahārāja and Gurudeva (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja) discussed many questions, and Gurudeva answered them. I have presented this in Śrīla Gurudeva: The Supreme Treasure Volume 2. I am working on the third volume. Upon the arrival of the week, I will start its recording. It will contain 18-19 questions, all of which will come in the third volume. The recording is done, but now we need to look for sponsors. Everyone’s business is stalled during the lockdown, so there might be difficulties with sponsorship. However, by Guruji’s grace, there will be no inconvenience with the publication.

Srila Gaur Govinda Goswami Maharaj was very strong in rules, regulations, and principles. Gurudeva also used to say, “First, become a human being by following Lord Rama. What to do after that? Then become a Krishna devotee. But first, become a human being.”
I will tell you how Gurudeva and Gaur Govind Maharaj were alike in their strict adherence to rules, regulations, and principles. Just like Krishna used his left hand to hold Giriraj Govardhan, why did Krishna use His left hand? To show Indra that what he was doing was a piece of cake for Him, implying that holding it with His left hand was an effortless task. In other words, most men are right-handed; some are left-handed. Right-handed means the right hand is strong and does major work, such as writing, playing, etc. Similarly, with left-handed people. However, the majority of men are right-handed. And while some females might be left-handed, most are also right-handed. Krishna held the Govardhan Giriraj with His left hand, specifically with His little finger, to show how small this task was for Him. It’s like the difference in lifting one liter of water with the index finger, which is strong, versus lifting it with the little finger, which is the weakest finger, making it a tougher task. The purport is that everyone will have to abide by the rules.

Varnashram has its own rules. Just like Gaur Govind Maharaj and Gurudeva, both were very strict in this regard. If any Brahmachari (celibate) roamed around with his loincloth, he would be scolded by Gaur Govind Maharaj and Gurudeva. That’s why I request everyone, because nowadays you can’t order anyone, whether it’s your disciple or anyone else. One time, Guru Maharaja (Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaj) said, “They are not my disciples; they are like brothers-in-law.”
Gurudeva (Srila Narayan Maharaj) asked, “What are you saying?”
Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaj said, “I have only two disciples, Gopi Kanta and Narsingh, who do whatever they’re told. Everyone else just does whatever they want and pleases themselves. Just like we have to do seva (service) for our brothers-in-law by making their favorite dishes; only then will they stay, or else they’ll leave all Matha and bhakti.”

Just like this, in Kaliyuga, even our guru varga cannot order properly, then how can we order someone? That’s why I can only request that you all never roam around with your loincloth in the Matha. When you’re going to take a bath, that’s a different matter. But you say, “We have to do seva.” However, we also did seva; you can fold your dhoti in half and then do seva. Srila Gaur Govind Goswami Maharaj and Gurudeva were very strict in this matter. Roaming in a loincloth is making a mockery of sanyasis and guru varga, as if saying, “I am not afraid of you.”

In Srila Gurudeva: The Supreme Treasure 2nd Volume, I presented a very good discussion by Srila Gaur Govind Maharaj and Gurudeva on raganuga and rupanuga bhakti. If anyone wants to challenge that Srila Gaur Govind Maharaj did’nt came to Gurudeva, they can do so. At that time, Satsvarupa Maharaj stayed at that place with his disciple Madhumangal at the Singhaniya house. This was around the year 1993. After that, Gaur Govind Maharaj called Satsvarupa Maharaj to Bhubaneswar, and Satsvarupa Maharaj gave a lecture there. The lecture is still available in the book “Back to God.”

There are many beautiful questions in the book Srila Gurudev: The Supreme Treasure Vol 1-2. Specifically, it discusses Raganuga and Rupanuga. Who are called Raganuga and Rupanuga? According to the teachings, in the world, those who are the eternal associates of Krishna are called Ragatmika. Rupa Goswami Padma as Maharaj explained, “If you want to know someone, know them from the scriptures.”
Rupa Gosvāmīpāda says:
iṣṭe svārasikī rāgaḥ paramāviṣṭatā bhavet.
tan-mayī yā bhaved bhaktiḥ sātra rāgātmiko ‘ditā.
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.272)

“That which is a cause of intense natural absorption in the object of one’s desire [i.e., intense desire constituted of prema] shall be [called] rāga. That bhakti which is constituted of that [i.e., such rāga] shall be called rāgātmikā [-bhakti].”

Iṣṭe svārasikī rāgaḥ – Iṣṭa means in one’s desired object; svārasikī means spontaneous; rāga means their affection, pride, intimate love, and then rāga, and because of this rāga, paramāviṣṭatā bhavet – intense absorption in one’s beloved deity, constantly thinking of the beloved deity.
Tan-mayī yā bhaved bhaktiḥ – The devotion that exists within them due to this absorption is called rāgātmika bhakti.
In Dāsya Rasa in Vraja, there are Rakta, Patraka, Chitraka, etc. But Rakta and Patraka do not have pure Dāsya in Vraja, because they are not Krishna’s servants! They are Nanda Baba’s servants. A servant never takes his master on his lap, kisses him, or scolds him. Hanumān has pure Dāsya. Did he ever take Rāma on his lap? People say he carried him on his shoulder during war. That’s a different matter. Taking on the lap and fighting by climbing on the shoulder are not the same. And what else? Did Hanumān or Viṣvaksena, Jaya-Vijaya, etc., ever kiss Lord Nārāyaṇa? Rakta and Patraka also kiss Krishna. Did Hanumān, Rakta, Patraka, Viṣvaksena ever scold Nārāyaṇa? Absolutely not! Not even in dreams. But Rakta and Patraka scold Krishna. And Viṣvaksena, Garuḍa, Cit, and others never exchanged letters with Nārāyaṇa out of their own love. Never! Rakta and Patraka even exchange Radhika’s letters. What are they? Vātsalya-miśrita Dāsya (servitude mixed with parental affection). But whose servants are they? Nanda Baba’s. Not Krishna’s. If Krishna did something naughty, they would scold him, “Hey! Lala! If you do this, I’ll tell Nanda Baba! Remember!” Krishna would get scared. They are like His uncles. And what else? They take the small child on their lap and kiss Him. Sometimes Krishna would give letters to Rakta and Patraka, and they would give them to the gopis. Therefore, there is no pure Dāsya in Vraja.

And what about Sakhya (friendly relationship)? In Sakhya, it is, “Tumī kaun baṛe loga tumī āmi saba” – “Who are you, son of a great person? Am I any less than you?”
Krishna says to Śrīdāma, “Look! My father has nine lakh cows.”
(Śrīdāma): “Oh, leave it! Your father has nine lakh cows, my father has eleven lakh cows. Eleven lakh! That’s two lakh more than you.”
Krishna says, “I am my father’s only son! I am the owner of so much property.”
(Śrīdāma): “I am also my father’s only son. Not only that, I have two beautiful sisters whom you desire. In what way am I inferior to you?”
That is why there is friendly behavior with the sakhās. Among them, there are five types of sakhās. Among them, the foremost are Subala, Madhumaṅgala, Ujjvala, Lavaṅga, Bhṛṅga, Kokila, Vasanta – these are the beloved intimate sakhās. There are other sakhās too. By observing their behavior with Krishna and listening to Hari Kathā, if someone’s mind has such feelings, “Oh! What if I also do this?” then those who perform bhajan in this world thinking of them are called Raganuga devotees in Sakhya-rasa.

All those whose names I mentioned are Rāgātmika devotees! Rāgātmika associates of Krishna.
tan-mayī yā bhaved bhaktiḥ sātra rāgātmiko ‘ditā ||
Those who follow the Rāgātmikās are called Rāgānugā (devotees).

Now let’s come to Vātsalya (parental affection). In Vātsalya, the foremost are Mother Yaśodā, Nanda Baba, Mother Rohiṇī, Upananda, Abhinanda, Sunanda, Nandan, Tuṅgī, Pivarī, Kuvalā, Atula, and many others. These are Rāgātmikās. Hearing about the service mood of Mother Yaśodā, Nanda, and others towards Krishna, if someone’s mind thinks, “What if I also serve Krishna like this? But how should I do it?” then those who follow them are called Raganuga devotees in Vātsalya-rasa. Then in Madhura-rasa, there are five types of sakhīs. Then there are four types in one way. Among them, there is one Kāmatmikā, one Saṁbhoga-icchāmayī, and one Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī.

The Jīvas (living entities) are authorized to enter into Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī and not into Saṁbhoga-icchāmayī. Saṁbhoga-icchāmayī means directly meeting with Krishna, for example, Krishna with Rādhājī, Krishna with Lalitā, or Krishna with Viśākhā, etc. Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī means, “Tat” meaning Krishna and “Tat” meaning Rādhikā. Those who have the foremost desire for arranging the meetings of Krishna and Rādhikā, they come under this category. Someone may ask, “Tat” is a masculine pronoun, but Rādhājī is not a male, then why “Tat” is used for Rādhājī? The reason is, “Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ”—there is really no difference between Śakti (Rādhājī) and Śaktimān (Krishna). A similar example, “Brajeśa-sutayo’ nuveṇu-juṣṭam.” In this śloka, it seems like referring generally to the sons of Vraja, i.e., Krishna and Balarāma, since there’s a mention of Dvīvacana or dual (2 personalities) number. But the Gopis are more often involved with Krishna and not Balarāma. With Balarāma, it is more of a respect as Guruvarga.

So what does “Sutayo” mean here? “Sutaś ca Sutaś ca Sutayo,” the Sutā or daughter (Rādhikā) of Vṛṣabhānu Baba and the Suta or son (Krishna) of Nanda Baba, both combined can be called as Sutayo (Dvandva Samāsa in Sanskrit, Sutaś ca + Sutaś ca = Sutayo). Similarly, Tā and Tat combined become Tat-tat (Dvandva Samāsa in Sanskrit, Tā + Tat = Tat-tat). So this Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī, or having foremost desires of arranging meetings of Rādhikā and Krishna, they come under this category. There are 2 groups of Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī, one under Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and the other under Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī.

All the 8 Sakhīs of Rādhikā have the attributes of an independent protagonist. Even all the Mañjarīs are qualified as independent protagonists, but still they don’t like meeting with Krishna alone. The Mañjarīs are Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī. And Anaṅga Mañjarī, alongside being a Mañjarī, is also Rādhikā’s younger sister. So Anaṅga Mañjarī can meet Krishna directly and independently like Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Anaṅga Mañjarī’s Kuñja is at the center of Rādhākuṇḍa. There are 8 Kuñjas in Rādhākuṇḍa. No, there are 16 Kuñjas. Initially, these 8 Kuñjas belonged to the 8 prime Sakhās of Krishna. But Rādhikā’s 8 Sakhīs seized it from them (hijacked) forcefully and authoritatively. So with each Sakhi’s Kuñja, like Lalitā’s Kuñja, or Viśākhā’s Kuñja, there is one Kuñja for a Mañjarī as well. And of these 8 Kuñjas, 4 Kuñjas have swings attached. For example: Maulśrī in Lalitā’s Kuñja, Kadamba in Citrā’s Kuñja, Campaka Puṣpa in Campakalatā’s Kuñja, Ām (Mango) in Tuṅgavidyā’s Kuñja. Also, from Lalitā Ānandad Kuñja, there is a bridge that connects to an island in the center of Rādhākuṇḍa. There is another Kuñja on that island called Anaṅga Mañjarī’s Kuñja. Krishna experiences the utmost happiness in this Kuñja itself. Anaṅga Mañjarī arranges the meetings of Rādhikā and Krishna in her Kuñja. And Rādhikā is so happy with Anaṅga Mañjarī’s service that She vacated Her own place on the left of Gopināthajī for Anaṅga Mañjarī, and She herself went to the right side (generally Rādhājī is on the left of Krishna). The same Anaṅga Mañjarī is called Śrī Jāhnavā Devī in Kali-yuga. That was the extent of Rādhikā’s happiness. So there are 2 ideologies of performing bhajan either under the guidance of Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī or Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura or the Seventh Goswami showed the significance of Bhajan under the guidance of Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī. And our Guruvarga and other Gosvāmī Varga showed the significance of Bhajan under the guidance of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī.

tambularpana pada mardana payo danabhisaradhibhir
vrndaranya-mahervarim priyataya yas tosayanti priyah
prana-prestha-sakhi-kulad api kilasaíkocita bhumikah
keli-bhumisu rupa-manjari-mukhas ta dasika samsraye
(Vraja-Vilasa-Stava, verse 38, Raghunatha dasa)

Tambulārpana pada mardana – If someone has a greed to offer tambul to Yugala Kiśora, perform foot massage, offer water, arrange for abhisāra. I am not explaining further; I do not have the proper authority. I take refuge in such Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī. Who are these Rūpa Mañjarī and Anaṅga Mañjarī? They are all Rāgātmikā associates. If, after hearing about their service, a practitioner’s mind develops greed, “Oh! If I could also perform such service!” then those people will be Tat-tat-bhāva-icchāmayī Rāgātmikā devotees. Specifically, Gurudeva (Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja) has said that those who, in their sādhaka form, fully follow Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and, in their siddha form, follow Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī like this:

saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ
kālāvasānī-kṛtau nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa-smṛter madhurimānandena sammohitau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
(Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-Gosvāmī-Aṣṭakam, verse 6)

Engaging in humbly bowing down to Kṛṣṇa, counting their chanting of His names, and fully regulating their sleeping, eating, and so on; always in ecstasy from the bliss of the sweetness of remembering the virtues of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. I offer my respectful obeisances to Rūpa and Sanātana, to the two Raghunāthas, and to Jīva and Gopāla. Those who exclusively follow Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in their sādhaka body and Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī in their siddha body will be Rūpānuga. Not all Rāgānugas are Rūpānugas. Rāgānugas can be of Sakhya-rasa, Vātsalya-rasa, and Mādhura-rasa. But Rūpānugas are only of Śṛṅgāra-rasa, meaning Mādhura-rasa. All Rūpānugas are Rāgānugas, but not all Rāgānugas are Rūpānugas. I have discussed this topic in Śrīla Gurudeva: The Supreme Treasure Vol 2.

We pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gaur Govinda Goswami Maharaj and our Guruvargas that just as they rendered seva (service), we may also receive the opportunity to serve, and may we be granted the seva (service) of our Guruvarga birth after birth.