A Life of Loving Devotion

A brief life sketch of His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami

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Perfect Humility

Trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtanyah sada harih

“One should chant the Holy Name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street: one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the Holy Name of the Lord constantly.” (Sri Sri Siksastaka verse 3)

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja practically lived all his life based on this verse. He often said, “This is the most important teaching of Sriman Mahaprabhu! Srila Kaviraja Gosvami has said, “Make a garland of this verse and place it around your neck, then do hari-bhajan. This is Mahaprabhu’s most important teaching. Mahaprabhu is an ideal acarya. As an ideal acarya, He is teaching practically. He Himself practiced in His own life. He never spoke theoretically!”

An Ideal Acharya

Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja appeared on September 2nd, 1929 (the Holy appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura) in a small mud hut in the village of Jagannatha Pura in Orissa, India, in a family of pure vaisnavas. His grandfather was a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. By the age of eight he had read Caitanya-caritamrta, Srimad Bhagavatam , Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana, and was able to explain their meanings to others.

He regularly went on padayatra from village to village chanting Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra and songs of Srila Narottama Das Thakura and other Vaisnava Acaryas from his very childhood. His love for Srimad Bhagavatam was so deep and intense that at night, he would read Srimad Bhagavatam in the meager light of the cooking fire, as the family had no money for lamp oil.