Ananda Sambada
GourGovindaSwami.org
Krishna Sent Him
Srila Gour Govinda Swami made his appearance into an ancient Oriya Vaishnava family famed for their devotional kirtans. He grew up surrounded by devotees, worshipping Sri Sri Radha Gopaljiu, chanting the holy names and reading Srimad Bhagavatam. Later in life, after becoming a wandering sadhu, he met Iskcon’s Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and instantly surrendered at his lotus feet, recognizing him to be the topmost of Lord Krishna’s dear devotees. Srila Prabhupada offered to award Maharaja the order of Sannyasa at their first meeting and, himself, later commented about his disciple Srila Gour Govinda Swami, stating that ‘Krsna has sent him’.
First Meeting With Srila Prabhupada
Whilst wandering through Vraja dhama, Sri Gour Gopalananda (Srila Gour Govinda Swami) eventually headed to the Iskcon property at Raman Reti, where the Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Temple was still very much under construction. There he was given a copy of Back to Godhead magazine in which he found the teachings what he was looking for – he discovered in that magazine the very person he was looking for, the person who could perfectly reveal Bhagavatam, Krishna and Mahaprabhu – and he was also quite struck with amazement to see that this was and International society, that Westerners had taken to the path of bhakti, that they had shaven heads with sikha, wearing tilak and dhoti. He decided that he must meet the sadhu who was responsible for this most wonderful feat.
He discovered that the founder of this International Society for Krishna Consciousness was staying on the property at that time, so he approached one of these amazing Western Vaishnavas and asked if he could pay his respects to Srila Prabhupada. After some discussion, Brahmananda Swami took him in to speak with Iskcon’s Founder-Acarya Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and instantly Gour Gopalananda fell down flat offering his full dandavats. As he arose, Srila Prabhupada asked him about himself, “Have you taken sannyasa?” Upon hearing Gour Gopalananda’s negative response, Srila Prabhupada told him, “Then I will give you sannyasa!”
At that very moment Srila Gour Govinda Swami accepted Srila Prabhupada as his eternal spiritual master… Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja later related how he felt, “I immediately knew, “Oh, this is paramatma; what I am looking for now, it is here. Yes, I have gotten now. I have gotten now.” You see this is Krishna’s arrangement. How we can find our Guru? What is your inside, he’ll speak, you see. Only two or three questions he asked. I immediately surrendered!”
From that moment their relationship of sat-sisya, the totally surrendered disciple, and sat-guru, bona fide maha-bhagavata spiritual master, was re-established.
sri damodara svarupa, sri rupa, sri sanatana, sri ragunatha, sri jiva, bhatta yuga, sri krsna dasa kavirajadi,
srimad bhaktivinoda, srimad gaurakisora dasa, srimad bhaktisiddhanta sarasvate,
srimad bhaktivedanta svami, srimad gour govinda svami padaìka sarvebhyo gurave namah
nama om visnupadaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
srimate gour-govinda svamin iti namine
namaste abhayapriya gourbhava prakasine
nityananda-krpa-sindho gopal sarvadasine
srimate gour-govinda svamin iti namine
namaste abhayapriya gourbhava prakasine
nityananda-krpa-sindho gopal sarvadasine
Hey! Krsna-prestha, holder of the names Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Srila Gurudeva, please accept my prostrated dandavat pranam at the holy dust of your lotus feet. Hey! Abhay-Priya (dearmost disciple of Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupadaji Maharaja), the revealer of the inner mood of Sriman Gouranga Mahaprabhu, the ocean of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's mercy, and the omni-seer of Sri Gopal, please accept my repeated dandavat-pranam at your most gracious lotus feet.
Ananda Sambada Newsletter
Ananda Sambada, est. April 1991, is a newsletter dedicated to the service of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, his disciples and his followers. Over the last thirty years, in our publication, we have published Srila Gurudeva's lectures and darshans, instructions from letters, recounting his amazing pastimes, and devotees' remembrances of him. We also always present news about the various temple projects in Orissa founded by Guru Maharaja, as well as information about his disciples, and even, on occasion, we have printed recipes that his cook Sadhu prabhu would prepare for him.
You can find several back issues of our Ananda Sambada newsletter on the website, and we will evetually be posting more as time goes on. Please visit us regularly, and sign up below for regular updates, and if you want to receive the newsletter whenever a new issue makes an appearance. Read More
Gaudiya Siddhantacarya
As we are all aware, Srila Gour Govinda Swami was most expert at presenting our perfect Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta in such a way that would inspire any simple-hearted devotee to immediately accept it. He often says how he is only the pipe and Krishna the reservoir; Krishna is the source, "these are not my words" Maharaja explains.
Srila Gurudeva speaks topics including, The Origin of the Jiva,
Hearing from a Tape, Don't Disturb Gaura's Mood and more.
Do Not Disturb the Mood of Gaura (i.e. No Peacock Feather)
"If you put a peacock feather on the crest of Mahāprabhu He cannot cry. You disturb His mood. Looking at Himself He sees, “Oh, I am Kṛṣṇa.” How can He cry? It is a great disturbance in His mood. It is very painful to His mood. Don’t disturb the mood of Gaurāṅga."
Can you put a flute on Gaura? Although he is Krishna, you cannot put a flute on Gaura. Similarly, how can you put a peacock feather on he who is crying for Krishna like Radharani? His mood will be disturbed. Although he is Krishna, Gaura’s mood is different. Therefore Prabhupada has said, “Don’t disturb the mood of Gauranga.” It is very painful to Gaura. Our service is meant to give him pleasure, not pain.
To read more, please go to...
Latest News, Updates and Appeals
Please check this page, regularly, to see the latest news updates and appeals.
Atmarama prabhu takes sannyasa
On 15th February, 2025, in Sri Mayapur Dham, His Grace Atmarama prabhu, a dedicated disciple of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, accepted the sacred order of sannyasa, and was honored with the revered title His Holiness Bhaktivilakshana Atmaramananda Krishna Caitanya Swami.
A shortened version of his name would be H.H. B.V. Atmaramananda S.K.C. Swami Maharaja.
Srila Gurudeva Acceptance of Sannyasa Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Some Disciples - biographies
Please visit our 'Some Disciples' page to read more about individual disciples of our most worshippable and beloved Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja.
Here we are presenting the biographies of many disciples of our Gurudeva... those most respected Swamis, Matajis, and Prabhus. Some biographies are quite extensive, others short, for now, We will regularly be updating these pages and biographies, adding more names, more information and more photographs as we receive them.
Sripad Caitanya Candra Maharaja
Sri Goloka Vrndavana dasa Prabhuji
Departed Godbrothers and Godsisters
We have a page dedicated to the disciples of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, who have passed away. These great devotees have pretty interesting life stories, and if you would like to read soemthing about them, and perhaps remember them, please click on the link below.
A new book by our Guru Maharaja's disciple
Srimati Anuradha devi dasi
Gour Govinda Swami Carita
by Sri Kalakantha prabhuji
English translation by Sri Jagannath Misra prabhu
So far, on our site, we have two chapters from the Bengali/Oriya language verse biography of Srila Gurudeva. Click the button below to have a read through.
Guru Maharaja Books
Many books of Guru Maharaja's lectures have been published by both Tattva Vichar Publications and Gopaljiu Publications, along with a host of magazines, booklets and so on, plus GJP's related Bindhu e-mag. There are also a couple of Guru Maharaja biographies available in print form - 'When Good Fortune Arises' is a life and teachings book by Gopaljiu Publications, and the multi-volume biography by Tattva Vichar Publications is currently available as the volume one, parts one and two, 'Krishna lingita-vigraha, Always Embraced by Krishna', and volume three will be available shortly. Many further volumes will be published over the next few years.
Oriya Language Biographies of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Whilst the leading biographies of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu written in the Bengali language have been translated and are widely available in western languages, the Oriya language biographies, often written by eye-witnesses to the events, are not.
For the first time, these books are being translated into English, by our gurubhai, Sri Jagannath Misra prabhu. He has already translated Maha-Bhava Prakash (click to read more) by Kanhaiya Kunthiya, including the introduction by the late Dr Fakir Mohan Das, which was often quoted by our beloved Guru Maharaja; and he has also completed the Vaisnava Lilamrta (click to read more) which was written by a direct disciple of Gadadhar Pandit, a personal assistant of Ramananda Raya, called Madhava Pattanayak, in 1535. He is presently translating the Gauranga Bhagavat, which was also written at the time of Mahaprabhu, by Bhagavan Das and also the Caitanya cakada by Govinda das Babaji.
Do You Need Somewhere to Stay in Puri? ... Gour Govinda Ashram
Our godbrother Sri Purandar Acarya prabhu has an Ashram in Sri Jagannath Puri Dham. He has seven rooms available for guests (and charges a small rental for those rooms.) If you would like to find out more, please contact him at purandara108@gmail.com and on WhatsApp 0091 9439780128, and have a look on Google maps https://maps.app.goo.gl/mK4SdypARmPRch2MA?g_st=iw
Please also visit the other pages on our website.
