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#### APPEARANCE DAY OF SRILA GOUR GOVINDA MAHARAJA
29 August 2011
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- [Gour Govinda Maharaja](https://www.purebhakti.com/component/tags/tag/gour-
govinda-maharaja)
![[Gourgovindaeafaf.jpg]]
Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja.
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
For the Appearance Day of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja
- For the divine Appearance Day of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja we are presenting an
excerpt from Srila Gurudevas book, The Origin of Ratha-yatra, Chapter 8:"
We have already related two histories explaining Lord Jagannathas appearance, and
there is one more, a third history, which came from the heart of a very advanced
devotee. This history has extraordinarily deep and secret rasa, transcendental
flavor. I used to relate it in Mathura and Vrndavana, and in Jagannatha Puri as
well. When I told it, everyone listened silently, and they were moved, for they had
never heard such secrets before. They wondered, "Where has he discovered this?"
A few years later I saw a magazine article by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja, a
prominent disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja As I began to read it, I
thought, "Oh, he has written the same thing here with a few small changes. How has
he taken this from my heart? I became happy and thought, "This person, Gour Govinda
Maharaja, is one of the rare people in this world who are genuinely in the line of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Gosvamis. Only a real devotee can know all these
truths.
A few years ago, while I was translating some books in Jagannatha Puri, Gour
Govinda Maharaja came with only one disciple to meet me. He heard my hari-katha
very patiently, and he was charmed. We became friends, and he told me, "I saw you
in Vrndavana at the time of Srila Prabhupadas disappearance, when you placed him in
samadhi. I was there, but at that time I was quite insignificant. You moved me very
much, and I wanted to meet you and hear your classes, but I could not do so at that
time. Now I have come.
He continued, "There are some problems. I cannot speak the glories of Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krsna. I am controlled by some people who don't want to hear
them. They are creating problems, and even stopping me from going to Australia,
Germany, and other countries. I cannot open my heart and tell these glories", and
he began to weep. I embraced him and said, "Dont worry – be strong like me. If
problems come, jump over them like a lion. Be like Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami
Maharaja and my Gurudeva. I consoled him so much, and then he went away. The next
year he went to Mayapura, and there he departed from this world while relating this
very history. Many of his disciples came to me weeping, and I told them, "I will
help you. Dont worry. His ideas were very similar to my own, and this story is
therefore also related to him.
What I explained there in Jagannatha Puri and during our grand Navadvipa Chariot
Festival has also been published in our monthly magazine, Bhagavata Patrika. I also
searched for the scripture in which this pastime was originally written, but no one
could tell me where it was. I asked many learned pandas in Jagannatha Puri, and
they could only tell me, "Weve read it, and well have to search for the original
book", but they could not produce it.
Krsna returns to Vrndavana.
All the Vrajavasis feel great separation when Krsna goes to Mathura and Dvaraka,
especially Mother Yasoda and Nanda Baba, and above all, Krsnas beloved gopis.
Sometimes they faint and lose consciousness, appearing as if dead, and one may even
think, "Oh, they have died!" Krsna also feels separation from the gopis, and
especially from Radhika. Sometimes He also loses external consciousness, and He
remains in that state for many days.
![[OfferingGourGovindacffc.jpg]]
As we hear and discuss these elevated topics, we feel proud and think, "My Gurudeva
and I are in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami as rupanuga Vaisnavas. The senior
devotees are especially aware that our guru-varga, the gurus in our disciplic
succession, are all rupanuga Vaisnavas. We should therefore understand Srila Rupa
Gosvamis mood at this Festival of the Chariots.
As discussed previously, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was reciting a verse of Sahitya-
darpana over and over again, even though it was originally written in the base mood
of mundane lovers and is thus against moral etiquette:
*yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas
te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthate*
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 1.78
> That very personality who stole my heart during my youth is now again my master.
These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of
malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba
forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind
is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva
under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.
One person, Svarupa Damodara, understood Caitanya Mahaprabhus inner meaning, and
there was a second person who did as well – a very young man who later became Srila
Rupa Gosvami. No one other than them understood Mahaprabhus deep meaning.
Mahaprabhu had empowered Rupa Gosvami at Prayaga, and given him His full mercy, so
that now he was able to write the meaning in his own sloka:
*priyah so 'yam Krsnah sahacari kuru-ksetra-
*militas tathaham sa radha tad idam ubhayoh
sangama-sukham tathapy antah-khelan-madhura-murali-pancama-juse
mano me kalindi-pulina-vipinaya sprhayati*
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 1.79
> Now I have met My very old and dear friend Krsna on this field of Kuruksetra. I
am the same Radharani, and now we are meeting together. It is very pleasant, but
still I would like to go to the bank of the Yamuna beneath the trees of the forest
there. I wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note
within that forest of Vrndavana.
The verses from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila 13.126–31) that follow this
one further explain its meaning:
*avasese radha krsne kare nivedana sei tumi, sei ami, sei nava sangama*
> In the mood of Srimati Radhika, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke thus to Lord
Jagannatha:) "You are the same Krsna, and I am the same Radharani. We are meeting
again in the same way that we met in the beginning of our lives.
*tathapi amara mana hare vrndavana vrndavane udaya karao apana-carana*
> Although we are both the same, My mind is still attracted to Vrndavana-dhama. I
wish that You will please again appear with Your lotus feet in Vrndavana.
*ihan lokaranya, hati, ghoda, ratha-dhvani tahan pusparanya, bhrnga-pika-nada suni*
> In Kuruksetra there are crowds of people, elephants, and horses, and also the
rattling of chariots. But in Vrndavana there are flower gardens, and the humming of
bees and chirping of birds can be heard.
*ihan raja-vesa, sange saba ksatriya-gana tahan gopa-vesa, sange murali-vadana*
> Here at Kuruksetra You are dressed like a royal prince, and You are accompanied
by great warriors, but in Vrndavana You appeared just like an ordinary cowherd boy,
accompanied only by Your beautiful flute.
*vraje tomara sange yei sukha-asvadana sei sukha-samudrera ihan nahi eka kana*
> Here there is not even a drop of the ocean of transcendental happiness that I
enjoyed with You in Vrndavana.
*ama lana punah lila karaha vrndavane tabe amara mano-vancha haya ta' purane*
> I therefore request You to come to Vrndavana and enjoy pastimes with Me. If You
do so, My ambition will be fulfilled.
Srimati Radhika is saying, "I am the same, My beloved Krsna is the same, and we are
meeting now after a long time; but I am not happy here. I want to be in Vrndavana,
under the shade of the very fragrant kadamba trees, where the Yamuna is flowing. We
were not married at that time, and we met freely there without any messenger. Our
love increased simply by our glancing at each other, and that love reached an
extreme height. Now we are meeting again, here in Kuruksetra, but I am not
satisfied. I want You to come to My heart, that is, Vrndavana. I want to meet You
there again.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has made the meaning clear in his sloka. If one remembers and
follows these ideas, he is actually a rupanuga Vaisnava, and if not, he is outside
the disciplic line. Those who forbid others to think about these things aren't
rupanuga Vaisnavas in the line of Rupa Gosvami. Try to under¬stand this. It is
egoistic to think, "My Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has not
encouraged us to understand this. Your Gurudeva has explained this thousands of
times, but you have no eyes to see, or ears to hear. He was a rupanuga, as were all
our past acaryas, down to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and my Gurudeva.
When my Gurudeva remembered these topics, his complexion used to become reddish,
yellowish, and whitish, and then he used to become faint. And when I would tell him
these pastimes, he would weep continuously. All bona fide gurus are in one line,
and if you aren't in this line, you are derailed. Granted, we should not explain
this subject matter to unqualified people, but if we do not explain it at all, then
all these ideas will be gone – washed away from this world forever. Srila Krsnadasa
Kaviraja Gosvami has replied to all doubts in this regard. Try to realize this
reply.
Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23) states:
*sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam*
> Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities,
paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remember¬ing them, serving the lotus
feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of
paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the
Lord ones best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words,
serving Him with the body, mind, and words) – these nine processes are accepted as
pure devotional service.
Those who tell us only the general or external meaning of this sloka should go to
the Ramanuja or Madhvacarya sampradayas, for they only know general principles. We
should add the mood of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu to these principles. For example, in
the first line of this sloka, "Visnu" means Krsna with Radhika and the gopis. This
is the understanding of those in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Try to understand
this. If you never remember, realize, and explain this to those who are qualified,
you are derailed from our guru-parampara. You must come in the proper line.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.33.39, 36) also states:
*vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh
sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah*
> A sober person who faithfully hears or describes the Lords play¬ful affairs with
the young gopis of Vrndavana will attain the Lords pure devotional service. Thus he
will quickly conquer lust, the disease of the heart.
*anugrahaya bhaktanam
manusam deham asthitah
bhajate tadrsih krida
yah srutva tat-paro bhavet*
> When the Lord assumes a human-like body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages
in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to
Him.
Tat-paro bhavet means, "You must do this; otherwise you are derailed. You should
not do anukarana; that is, you should not imitate Krsnas pastimes. However, those
of you who are coming gradually to the stage of madhyama-adhikara must try to hear
these pastimes; otherwise you are derailed. It is essential to follow the
statements of Sri Rupa Gosvami at the Chariot Festival.
Dont be confused. Have no doubt at all. You can think in this way: "The whole world
may criticize and be against me – I don't care. I care for my Gurudeva, for Srila
Rupa Gosvami, and for our acarya-varga. Krsna has given you good intelligence. Use
your own intelligence and don't run after others' Try to judge, and see, and read
the authorized sastras. If you say, "We are rupanuga-varga", you must follow Rupa
Gosvami, not conceal him. Use your intelligence and see for yourself, and then you
will realize what is correct and what is incorrect. If I conceal my fathers name,
is it right? Is it correct to conceal the name of my father?
You can read the translation of this sloka, and after that you can read the
explanation of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and especially that of Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
Now I am coming again to the point – the third history. When the gopis became
unconscious because of being absorbed in feelings of separation from Krsna, He also
became unconscious in Dvaraka, thinking, "Radhika, Radhika!" This had become a very
big problem, and Narada, Uddhava, Baladeva Prabhu, and others began discussing how
to bring Him back to conscious-ness. At first, they suggested that Narada should
play on his vina and glorify Vraja, Mother Yasoda, the gopis, and all other
Vrajavasis, but Narada objected: "Do you know what will happen when Krsna awakens?
He will go to Vrndavana at once, and no one will be able to stop Him. He will stay
there with the gopis and never return. You should consider this when you are
decid¬ing what to do.
Now they were in a dilemma. They thought again, and decided, "Uddhava should go to
Vraja and tell Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, and the gopas and gopis that Krsna is
coming. He will tell them, 'Now you can welcome Him.' No one can know what state
the Vrajavasis are in now. Some are even lying here and there unconscious. When
they hear that Krsna is coming, they will return to consciousness and make
arrange¬ments to welcome Him. Then Uddhava will somehow bring Krsna to Dvaraka
again by a trick. There will be no problem. Uddhava must go there. Krsna sent him
previously, and therefore he should go now and tell them that Krsna is coming.
Uddhava was very unhappy when he heard this proposal. "Listen to me", he told them.
"If I go to Vrndavana and say that Krsna is coming, they will not believe me
because I bluffed them before. I told them, 'I am going, and very soon I will bring
Krsna here. I will definitely bring Him.' After that I requested Krsna many times,
but He gave all kinds of excuses, so what could I do? Its useless for me to go,
because they will not believe me. They will say, 'Oh, the liar has come. The
cheater has come!' Especially Mother Yasoda will say this.
Narada Muni said, "Then Baladeva Prabhu can go. He can pacify all the gopis and
gopas. But Baladeva Prabhu replied in the same way: "I told Krsna so many times to
go there, and He always answered, 'Yes, I will go,' but He never went. Finally I
went alone and I pacified them by saying, 'I promise that I will go to Dvaraka and
bring Krsna.'
- I don't know why this cruel Krsna never wants to go there. He used to be very
soft and sweet, but now His heart has turned to stone. What can I say? If I go, the
Vrajavasis will also say about me, 'Oh, this cheater and liar has come!' There is
no use in my going because they will not believe me, either. They cannot be
consoled without Krsnas direct presence. Krsna should go Himself.
While they were discussing what to do, Krsnas sister Subhadra came in and heard
everything. "Dont worry", she said, "Im going. I will go to Vrndavana and take
darsana of Mother Yasoda. First I will sit on her lap, and then I will caress her
and tell her, 'Mother, Krsna is coming. He was traveling with me, but on the way
many kings surrounded Him and began performing arcana to Him, praying to Him, and
offering Him many presen¬tations. That is why I have arrived here first. Krsna will
be a bit late, but Hes on His way. It may be some hours, or one or two days, but He
is coming.' I will go door-to-door to the gopis' homes. I will console them and
tell them, 'Oh, now be happy.
Dont feel separation. Krsna is coming!' They will become happy, and then I will
tell them, 'You should all be ready to welcome Krsna.' Later, I will play a trick
and tell My brother, 'Oh, You are sitting here, while Your mother Devaki, Your
father Vasudeva, and all Your queens are living there in Dvaraka?' I will bring Him
back to Dvaraka by some trick, so don't worry. Let me first bring a good chariot.
After that Narada should sing the glory of Vraja accompanied by his vina, then
Krsna will return to conscious¬ness, and after that He will come to Vrndavana,
where everything will be ready.
A chariot was brought and Subhadra was ready to go. Then Baladeva said, "If my
brother and sister are going, I must go. I want to meet with my mother and father,
Yasoda-maiya and Nanda Baba, and I want to meet all my friends and the gopis. I
cannot remain here. I must go. Subhadra said, "Yes, we will go together. Baladeva
Prabhu will go first, and I will follow Him. So another chariot was brought, and
Baladevas ratha was placed in front of Subhadras. As they were about to leave,
Baladeva Prabhu told Daruka, Krsnas chariot driver, "Bring your chariot here and be
ready. When Krsna returns to consciousness, take the chariot and fly to Vrndavana.
Narada Muni was then requested to glorify Vraja and, accom¬panied by his vina, he
began to sing very beautifully. As Naradas sweet glorification of Vraja entered
Krsnas ears, He regained consciousness and thought, "It is morning, and I am in
Vraja. Where is My sweet vamsi? He asked. "Where, where? Oh, I know. The gopis are
very tricky. They have stolen it. Ill give them a good lesson. Then He stood in a
beautiful threefold-bending form, as He had previously done in Vraja, and He
appeared in a way that no one in Dvaraka had ever seen before.
As He began searching, He said, "Oh, Lalita has taken it! If not Lalita, then
Radhika Herself has stolen it with Visakhas help. He acted as though He was
searching them to see where they had kept His flute. In the meantime, He saw
Uddhava and asked, "Uddhava, why are you in Vrndavana? Then He saw Narada and
asked, "Oh, you are also in Vrndavana? From where have you come? Narada replied,
"Oh my Lord, You aren't in Vrndavana. You are in Dvaraka. This is not the Yamuna;
it is the ocean in Dvaraka Puri. Please remember where You are.
Krsna was so absorbed that He forgot Uddhava and Narada and everyone else, and He
was ready to run away to Vrndavana to quickly meet the gopas and gopis. Uddhava
told Him, "Prabhu, Your chariot is ready, because we knew that You would do this.
You can mount Your chariot and go to Vrndavana immediately.
Krsna wanted to ascend His chariot, but He was so mad in radha-prema that He could
not walk alone. Many people began to assist Him as He walked by, holding Him and
helping Him from the front and back, and from both sides. He was like a mad person,
lost in Radhas love and affection. Somehow He was taken to the chariot and raised
upon it, and Daruka at once drove off with great speed toward Vrndavana. Balarama
and Subhadra were ahead, and Krsna followed behind.
In the meantime, in Vrndavana, Radhika was in the last stage of Her life, feeling
unbearable separation. She was just about to die, not breathing in or out, and all
the Vrajavasis were very worried, thinking, "She is going to leave Her body!"
Everyone had lost hope that She would remain alive, and they were totally grief-
stricken. They all thought, "We cannot save Her! She will certainly die!" Lalita
and Visakha were trying hard to revive Her, but there were no signs of revival.
While this was going on, all the other sakhis also assembled there, and they were
also extremely upset – and even Candravali came to show her sympathy. Somehow
Radhika said in a very low voice, "If I die, My dead body should be placed around a
tamala tree. Let the air in My body be mixed with the air of Nandagaon where Krsna
takes His breaths. Let the fire in My body mix with the sun-rays at Nanda Babas
house so that it will shine there and I will touch Krsna. May the earth of My body
mix with the courtyard of Nanda-bhavana, so that Krsna can walk on Me and I can
touch Him. As She lamented in this way, She again became unconscious.
In the meantime, three chariots arrived in Vraja – Subhadras and Baladevas in
front, and Krsnas following. As soon as Krsna reached there, He heard, "Radhika is
going to die, and She will not remain alive for even one more moment. He ran very
quickly to the spot where She was giving up Her body, and when He saw Her, He began
to cry bitterly. Becoming more and more absorbed in radha-prema, His hands began
melting. The lower part of His body also melted, then His face as well; and only
two large round eyes remained. Just then, Baladeva Prabhu and Subhadra arrived, and
when they saw this scene, they could not control themselves and they also became
like Krsna.
In the meantime, Lalita spoke repeatedly in the ear of Radhika, "Radha, Radha!
Krsna has come. Krsna has come to meet You! Dont die. Visakha said in the other
ear, "Krsna has come to meet You!" Gradually Radhika regained Her external
consciousness, opened Her eyes, and thought, "Oh, beautiful Krsna has come!" She
became further absorbed in the ecstasy of love and affection. Seeing Her, Krsnas
love also increased, and He lost external con¬sciousness. In that same state He
began rolling on the earth.
Radhika told Visakha, "Please help Krsna; otherwise He may die. You know the mantra
to revive Him. Say in His ear, 'Radha, Radha!'" When Krsna heard this sweet
injection of the powerful mantra from the lips of Visakha, "Radha, Radha, Radha,
Radha!" He opened His eyes and became so happy again. Gradually He revived, and
They met together and everyone became happy.
Narada also arrived, and he requested Krsna, "Prabhu, please manifest these three
forms that You revealed when You were absorbed and melted. In that way everyone
will see and realize these truths about You. Please manifest these forms somewhere
in this world. Krsna replied, "Tatha 'stu, tatha 'stu evam bhavatu! So be it. I
will always remain in this shape in Nilacala, which will be like Dvaraka, and
everyone will be able to come and see Me there.
I have told this very beautiful pastime in brief. This lila is in the hearts of
pure devotees, and Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja has also touched it. I have also
reconciled some points to clarify any doubts or misunderstandings about this lila.
You should know that there are four groups of gopis in Vraja: svapaksa (belonging
to Radhikas own group), vipaksa (belong¬ing to the group of Her rivals), tatastha-
paksa (belonging to the group that is neutral to Her), and suhrt-paksa (belonging
to the group that is friendly to Her), and Krsnas pastimes cannot take place
without them. However, there are no parties when Krsna disappears, or when He goes
to Mathura or Dvaraka and a sepa¬ration mood manifests in the gopis' hearts. At
that time, all the parties become one for Krsna, and they help each other.
Candravali, or Bhadra, or any of the others may come and pacify Srimati Radhika,
because Her separation is the highest. They are very sympathetic towards Her,
because their separation mood is not as high in comparison. They tell Her, "O
Radhika, You should not weep. Krsna will come. Even Candravali, who has a deep
separation mood of her own, will also come and speak like this.
The interactions here are very mysterious, and I want to give you realization and
entrance into these very extraordinary pas¬times, but you have to become qualified
first. Try to follow regu¬lated bhakti – sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam –
otherwise you will not be able to maintain your spiritual life. You will become
lusty, and after some time you will think that Krsnas pastimes are the same as your
pastimes of getting divorced. I have not read scriptures like Govinda-lilamrta, but
I know that most of you have copies of all these books. Many of those who read
these have fallen down, so you should not read them at this time, nor should you
give classes on these topics. Be very, very careful. Our aim and object is to
realize Krsnas pastimes, but you cannot jump to this. If you want to be situated on
a tree, you must first try to climb up from the root, and from there you can go to
the highest places. If you try to jump, you will fall down.
I request you to read Upadesamrta, Manah-siksa, and books like them. Try to chant
more. Chanting only sixteen rounds will not suffice. Your Gurudeva has given
sixteen and then one, six¬teen and then one, sixteen and then one; there are four
sets of sixteen.3 Has he given this without a purpose? A man may be very expert in
speaking hari-katha and performing related services, but if he does not chant
because he has no taste, he is a very weak devotee, and after some time he may fall
down.
*tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu
smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya
tisthan vraje tad-anuragi-jananugami
kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram*
Upadesamrta 8
> The essence of all advice is that one should utilize his full time – twenty-four
hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lords divine name,
transcendental form, qualities, and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging
his tongue and mind.
Be in Vrndavana, under the guidance of a rasika-tattvajna Vaisnava guru, and always
chant the names with their meaning, knowing and remembering SriRadha-Krsnas
pastimes. Then you will become fully qualified for this highest object of life.
***
