A Life of Loving Devotion

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Mission Fulfilled

In 1991, on Lord Nityananda's appearance day, after 16 years of struggle, Srila Prabhupada's last founded project, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir was completed. The magnificent temple and guest house was built single handedly by Srila Gour Govinda Swami, but he, with complete humility and simplicity, stayed in a portion of the mud hut that he had built for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is worshiped in his bhajan-kutir with full dedication and devotion.

The Perfect Example

His worldwide preaching took him to America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Mauritius, Australia, and India - especially to the rural villages of Orissa. He always practiced what he preached - compassion toward all living entities, true kindness, childlike simplicity, innocence, complete detachment, absolute tolerance, extensive spiritual blissfulness, exclusive devotion and complete surrender to Sriman Mahaprabhu, an unseen level of humility and unflinching faith in Srila Prabhupada. Without caring for his personal comfort and undergoing many austerities, he preached very dynamically and very purely all over the world. The mellifluous nectar emanating from his lotus mouth during his ecstatic kirtans made people dance and cry. His devotional discourses based on Sri Bhaktivedanta purports are full of sastric evidences and exuberant explanations. They inspired people to surrender to the chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna in the mood of separation, as taught by Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

A Fearless Preacher

Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja's knowledge of scripture was formidable. He would substantiate everything he said with evidence from all over the Vedic literature. He would always preach fearlessly and would never compromise the conclusions of the scriptures in the name of being practical. During his powerful, informative, heart shattering and devotional lectures, he inspired numerous devotees. He used every moment of every day to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desire to preach in every town and village the Holy Name of Krishna.

He is a perfect example of the trnad api sunichena verse. Although very meek and humble in his personal dealing, in his classes he would roar like a lion, smashing the pride and cutting the misconceptions from the hearts and minds of his disciples and followers. His authentic simplicity can be seen by looking at the small mud hut he lived in while he was in Bhubaneswar. His samadhi mandir has been built in the same mud hut.

Sri Nityananda Prema

Every year in Bhubaneswar, on Lord Nityananda's appearance day he would flood the audience with most nectarean, ecstatic and divine Nityananda prema bhajans and speak about Lord Nityananda's nectarean pastimes. During these ecstatic bhajans and lectures, his extreme ecstasy could not be checked. He would make everybody present there dip in the deep, nectarean sweetest ocean of Gauranga prema data Lord Nityananda's prema rasa kathamrita.