Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
His Divine Grace Srila Govinda Maharaj
President-Acharya: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
BIOGRAPHY
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Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj made his Appearance in
this world on December 17th, 1929, at Brahmanpara, District Burdwan, only
about six miles from Sripat Hapaniya where his beloved Gurudeva made his
Advent, also situated in the holy area of Gauda-Mandal.
Revealing his pastimes to the conditioned souls of this worldly plane, at the tender age of only seventeen years Srila Govinda Maharaj manifest his coming to the Lotus Feet of his Gurudeva, Sri Srila Sridhar Maharaj, in April 1947, on the Holy Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimhadev.
On the Amavasya (dark-moon day) of August 12th, 1988, when Srila Guru Maharaj silently took his form of Holy Samadhi at his beloved place of bhajan, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Navadwip Dham, all the devotees felt that the exalted moon had disappeared from their vision; yet by his Divine Grace, Srila Guru Maharaj had already foreseen the devotees' need for uninterrupted light, for the smooth continuation of their devotional services, and therefore three years before he had conferred the holy order of Tridanda-Sannyasa upon Srila Govinda Maharaj, naming him as his illustrious successor, as the guiding light to perfectly ensure that no darkness could enter into his Sampradaya.
Highly learned in Sanskrit and Bengali, Srila Govinda Maharaj has, as did his illustrious Gurudeva, given us many divine prayers and songs most valuable for the cultivation of our spiritual life. His valuable natural talent, coupled with his fine delivery of Hari Katha (holy talks of the Supreme Lord and His Pastimes), and, on the practical side of devotional life, his untiring services to his Gurudeva in nurturing and upholding Srila Guru Maharaj's Indian and Worldwide Mission from the very beginning to the present (it was none other than he who designed and supervised the building of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math) have ever fulfilled the desires of Sri Gurudeva.
The elixir of nectar which has been carried around the world from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is still flowing by the mercy Sri Guru and Gauranga represented in the person of Srila Govinda Maharaj, and through him it has become doubly sweet.
Srila Guru Maharaj -- acclaimed by one and all as the "Maker of Gurus" -- has presented to us his most precious gem in the personage of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
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QUOTATIONS from Srila Govinda Maharaj's Books
- Golden Reflections:
- "In our practicing life some disturbance must always come, but we don't care for that. One who tries to serve must receive some disturbance in this mundane world. One who does not try to serve will not be disturbed: he will simply be alone chanting on his beads without trying to exert any effort to serve. In such a way he will remain without disturbance -- and without progress. But one who takes to the service-life must receive some disturbances, and that is also one kind of good symptom. If a sportsman runs but does not feel any pain in his legs, then that kind of running is not sufficient for him. It means he is not trying hard enough, and he won't win the race in that way. With a relaxed mood, service is not possible for the beginners. Service is always difficult, and who can do that must be benefitted."
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WORLD TOURS
World Tour 1994
Srila Govinda Maharaj and devotees at San Francisco International Airport
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Not since Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, who is
known as the world inaugurator of the Krishna Consciousness movement in the
West, has such a prominent spiritual personality as Srila Bhakti Sundar
Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj travelled around the world, illuminating so many
persons with the teachings of Lord
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Srila Govinda Maharaj has completed five world tours and has attracted thousands of people in such places as India, England, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, the United States, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, and Mauritius. Many of us may be unable to travel to such a far-away land as India, so the greatest wealth of India has come to us.
In our devotional literature it is said that a truly divine personality carries with him the essence of all the holy places. Certainly, Srila Govinda Maharaj is, in the words of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, a "natural paramahamsa," a saintly person from his very childhood. And his humility and affection has captivated people throughout the world.
Our greatest fortune is to be able to be with such a saint, because we can attain all success in life with even a moment of his association.
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