By Madhavananda Das
From chapter 15 of When Good Fortune Arises
“I MAY LEAVE”
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Shortly after hearing his comments following the 1995 GBC meetings, a couple of disciples of Gour Govinda Maharaja approached their spiritual master: “Guru Maharaja, we don’t need these people. We can leave ISKCON and start our own society. You have so many disciples, it won’t be any problem.”
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Hearing their suggestion, Gour Govinda Swami became very grave. Shaking his head no, he said, “The only way I will leave ISKCON is if someone cuts off my head.” Many times Gour Govinda Maharaja would repeat an instruction regarding the devotees in ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada gave him during his visit to Bhubaneswar: “Tolerate, tolerate, tolerate, cooperate.”
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In late January 1996, Gour Govinda Swami mentioned, “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta said that this material world is not a fit place for any gentleman. Therefore, because he was disgusted, he left this world prematurely. I may also leave. I don’t know. Let me ask Gopal. I will do whatever he wants.” The next day he went to Gadeigiri to see Gopal.
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VISIT TO GADEIGIRI
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Ghanashyam recalls his discussion with Gour Govinda Swami during this last visit to Gadeigiri: “We were talking about Gopal’s new temple and installing large deities of Radha Gopal to go with the existing small ones. Suddenly Gurudeva told me, ‘I won’t see this deity installation. You will see it, but I won’t.'”
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I said, “How is that? You are ten years younger than I am. If you won’t see it, how will I?”
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Gurudeva said, “No, no. You will see the inauguration of the temple and the deity because you have served Gopal so nicely. Uncle [Gopinath Giri] died thirty years ago and you went through so much difficulty to take care of Gopal. You continued all of the festivals, sarat-rāsa, vasanta-rāsa, etc. That is why Gopal is kind to you. So you will see Gopal’s new temple.”
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That was the last discussion I had with Gurudeva. After that he went to Bhubaneswar for a few days and then to Mayapur where he stayed forever.
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After returning from Gadeigiri, for the next four days Gour Govinda Swami lectured before thousands of people at the Prabhupada Centennial festival in Bhubaneswar. Maharaja invited many dignitaries to the function, including the king of Puri. The festival was a huge success with thousands of people coming and taking prasādam. To the devotees who were attending the function, Maharaja’s classes in Odia each evening seemed even more enthusiastic and powerful than usual. After the Centennial festival was over, Gour Govinda Swami left for the annual ISKCON management meetings in Sridham Mayapur.
LAST DAYS
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On the 6th of February 1996, Gour Govinda Maharaja flew to Kolkata, where a few devotees who had driven his car from Bhubaneswar were waiting. Gour Govinda Swami spoke with them for a few minutes and went to the nearby Airport Hotel where he stayed the night.
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Upon arrival the next morning in Mayapur he went to room 80 on the 4th floor of the Conch building where he normally stayed. That day, he attended a GBC sub-committee meeting on education. He returned to his room about 6:00 p.m. where he did some translating of Srila Prabhupada’s Śrīmad Bhāgavatam into Odia. That continued until 9:30 p.m., when he took some light prasādam.
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The next day, his routine was similar. That day, Friday, 8th February 1996, Maharaja wrote what would be his last diary entry:
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“By Prabhu Gopal’s mercy, somehow or other I have spent the day in Mayapur. What this servant has done today in Sri Sri Guru Gauranga’s service, that Prabhu Gopal knows and sees.
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“This was the 6th day of the GBC meetings. The whole day we sat through the ISKCON constitution framing committee. We sat through two sessions. The chief aim was rejected. The secondary thing was given great stress, because for the members of ISKCON, secondary bhakti is needed, not the chief. Gradually they will come from the secondary to the chief. That which is necessary for them, that’s what they will speak about. We had to sit there silently — there was nothing else we could do.
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“Prabhu Gopal, please give mercy, make kṛṣṇa-prema and bhakti available to this servant. Please make available a proper group of devotees, friends, comrades and associates. Allow this servant to be successful in the service of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.”
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The next morning his secretary, Atmaram, told him that as it was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s appearance day, there would be fasting to midday and a feast about 12:30 p.m. Maharaja then went to the GBC meeting and returned at 12:15 p.m.
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Rasikananda Das had arranged for Jagannath mahā-prasādam that afternoon. Aside from those items, Anupam Das and his wife Madanalalasa, and Shashila, Rasikananda’s wife, had also cooked some preparations. After taking prasāda, Maharaja completed chanting his japa and had brief meetings with a few devotees, which finished around 4:20. Atmaram recalls that he looked grave. He sat on his chair gazing at the ceiling without saying anything.
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WHY DID MAHAPRABHU STAY IN PURI?
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Shortly thereafter, Bhaktarupa Das arrived along with two senior mātājīs who were teaching in the Vrindavan gurukula.
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Bhaktarupa Das: “I was requested by these two senior devotees to make an appointment so they could see our beloved Guru Maharaja. They had both read the books and magazines published with the writings of Srila Gurudeva and were very much inspired by his sweet nectarean kṛṣṇa-kathā. One of the ladies had spent at least an hour writing a long list of questions she was going to ask. At 6:30 we entered Srila Gurudeva’s room. We paid our obeisances and sat down. Rasikananda Prabhu, Atmarama Prabhu, and two or three other devotees were also there. I introduced the ladies and Guru Maharaja acknowledged them, then mātājī posed her first question. She asked about the significance of Jagannath Puri Dham. She specifically wanted to know the reason why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chose Jagannath Puri Dham as the place to perform his final pastimes. As he had not had the opportunity to speak any kṛṣṇa-kathā for several days, Gurudeva was inspired hearing this nice question. Earlier in the week we had requested Gurudeva to give a darshan for devotees that wanted to come, but he had declined, saying that he did not want to attract any attention to himself. So upon hearing this nice question, he was inspired to speak some kṛṣṇa-kathā. He began to speak the story that many ISKCON devotees know about when Rohini Mata in Dwaraka was requested by the wives of Krishna to speak about the pastimes of Vraja. He was sitting on his bed in Mayapur, and we were sitting on the floor. I had rarely seen him so enthusiastic to share kṛṣṇa-kathā. He told that pastime, and then he called for his servant to open up his suitcase and bring his stack of notebooks. The notebook that he wanted was not in the first stack, so he called for the second bundle of notebooks. He very carefully unwrapped them, selected the proper book, and immediately turned to the particular page. These were his notes on a little known traditional story from Puri.”
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Gurudeva began to speak about how one day in Dwaraka, Krishna suddenly fell unconscious, feeling separation from Srimati Radharani. Guru Maharaja said that Narada Muni, Uddhava, and Balarama came there to try to figure out what to do. Eventually it was decided that Narada Muni would play on his vina and sing some pastimes of Vraja to revive Krishna to external consciousness. While he was telling the story, Gurudeva was demonstrating with his hands how Narada Muni would play on his vina.
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He related how three chariots were prepared for Baladeva, Subhadra and Krishna to go to Vraja. Balarama and Subhadra went ahead to prepare the residents of Vrindavan for Krishna’s arrival, so that Krishna would not see them in their condition of separation. However, Balarama and Subhadra were unable to accomplish their mission because as soon as they saw the condition of the residents of Vrindavan, they immediately felt ecstatic symptoms of mahābhāva — their eyes became dilated and their hands, arms and legs shrunk within their bodies — they assumed the deity forms of Baladev and Subhadra as in Puri. While he was speaking, Gurudeva was demonstrating with his hands and gesturing very enthusiastically. Then he spoke of Krishna’s arrival in Vrindavan. By providential arrangement, Krishna’s chariot arrived at the entrance of Radharani’s kuñja. At this point in his narration, I noticed that he was becoming particularly enthusiastic. He often told us that he felt a lot of pressure and anxieties when he attended the GBC meetings in Mayapur. As he continued to speak, clearly all those things were far, far away from him; he was just absorbed in the ecstasy of kṛṣṇa-kathā. As he narrated the story he began breathing a little heavily. Then he spoke of how Krishna came into the kuñja and saw Radharani in a dying condition. Seeing her, Krishna experienced the symptoms of mahābhāva — his eyes dilated and his arms and legs shrunk into his body — the form of Lord Jagannath in Puri. Krishna fell unconscious, but the scent of his body entered into the nostrils of Radharani and she regained external consciousness. At this point in his narration it was clear that Gurudeva wasn’t aware of anything around him. His breathing was becoming very heavy and he struggled to speak, but still he was focusing on the līlā-kathā. He related how Lalita was there and how she told Srimati Radharani, “Krishna has come.” At this point, Guru Maharaja seemed to realize that due to his heavy breathing all he could do was to quickly summarize the rest of the pastime. He described how Radharani told Visakha how to take care of Krishna so he could regain external consciousness. Then when Gurudeva got to the point of Radha and Krishna’s reunion in Vraja, he folded his hands and said, “I cannot speak any more right now. Please excuse me.”
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We offered obeisances and left the room. I looked back and saw that Gurudeva was standing up and trying to open his kurta to get more air. I was thinking that he would lie down and rest for a few minutes, and then he would be all right, so we left. We were standing outside the room on the veranda, and the mātājīs were happily discussing how pleased they were with the opportunity to hear such kathā. But a few minutes later, Rasikananda came rushing out of the room, and said, “We have to get a doctor right away!”
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Rasikananda Das: “After Bhaktarupa Prabhu left the room, Guru Maharaja told us, ‘Kīrtana! Kīrtana!’ The devotees there began to chant and Guru Maharaja calmly lay back on his bed, breathing slowly and deeply. He asked for a picture of Gopal Jiu, which his servant put in his hand. Then, gazing lovingly at that picture of his worshipable deity, Guru Maharaja said, ‘Gopal!’ Then he closed his eyes and lost external consciousness.”
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NO MEDICAL SYMPTOMS
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After hearing of the situation from Rasikananda, Bhaktarupa and he quickly ran to bring a doctor.
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Kaviraj Dr. D. K. Brahma (Damodar Swarup Das): “Just before sandhya ārati a devotee came to my residence and told me that Gour Govinda Swami was having some problem breathing and could I come to see him. When I arrived, Maharaja was lying down. Some doctors had come before me and had said that Maharaja had already passed away. Others were saying that we should take him to Krishnanagar and give him treatment in the government hospital. I took his pulse and found that he was still alive.”
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“I told them, ‘Just wait. Give me another twelve minutes time, then I may tell you to take him.’
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“If they would have taken him to the government hospital, it means that they would have been pumping his chest, thinking it was a heart attack. However, according to his pulse there was nothing wrong with him. His pulse only showed that he was taking rest. The Ayurvedic science teaches how to diagnose a patient by taking his pulse. If something is wrong we can feel it. But I never found anything wrong with Maharaja. According to his pulse, everything was normal.
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“By the second or third time I read Maharaja’s pulse it had become clear that he had left. Some say that he had a heart attack, but if someone dies from a heart attack generally we find that they suffer a lot. They also generally have some previous history of a weak heart. In Maharaja’s case, none of these things were there. Maharaja had the symptoms of aṣṭa-sāttvika-vikāra, ecstatic transformations, on his body. One kind of vikāra is that one doesn’t want to stay here any longer; they want to go back to the spiritual abode, back to Krishna. Nothing in Maharaja’s body failed, he just left. I am 100% sure of that. I’d never seen this kind of death before.”
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Devaki Pran Das: “I was visiting Harivilas Prabhu in his room in Mayapur. Suddenly a devotee came and banged on the door. He said, ‘Gour Govinda Maharaja just left!’ Immediately we rushed to Maharaja’s room. When we went inside there were only a few devotees there. One devotee was massaging Gour Govinda Maharaja’s heart, another was crying like anything, while two or three others were chanting the holy names. Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja looked like a very peaceful, sleeping child. We were not even sure if he had actually left or not and they were just trying to revive him.”
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Niranjan Swami: “I was in a flat near Prabhupada’s Samadhi Mandir, speaking with Dhanurdhara Swami and Bhurijana Prabhu. My servant, Vedasara Das, knocked on the door, entered, and said that H. H. Gour Govinda Maharaja had left the planet about 30 minutes prior. I was shocked. My mind was reeling, and the only thing I could think of was, ‘Why would Krishna take him from us now?’ Somehow I couldn’t believe it. I jumped up, quickly, put on my shoes, and moved faster than my legs have ever been able to carry me since my right one was broken here in Nabadwip two years before.
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“The three of us walked briskly to the Conch Building where Maharaja always stayed. I had to force my way through a crowd of devotees who had gathered outside his door. The chanting of Hare Krishna was emanating from within the room and outside as well. The room was full. Present were many senior vaiṣṇavas, GBC men and sannyāsīs. About twenty-five of Gour Govinda Maharaja’s disciples were also there. I looked towards the bed and saw Maharaja’s body propped up against the back of the bed with his legs extended forward. I immediately dropped to pay full daṇḍavats. At this point, somehow I still could not believe that he had departed. ‘Maybe he’s in samādhi,’ I thought. About six to eight of his disciples were feverishly massaging Maharaja’s legs. Another was holding a picture before his eyes. Another disciple was holding onto Maharaja’s head so that it would not fall forward. I looked intently at his face. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes closed, his face seemed effulgent and had a very peaceful appearance. His body was covered with dozens of garlands. He was not wearing a kurta, though it could barely be noticed since the many garlands hung around his neck, were covering the whole front of his body.
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“Naturally everyone was quite sober. Some of his disciples were crying loudly, some softly, tears streaming down their faces as they stared intently, seemingly waiting for a sign that he would come back to external consciousness. Seeing their faces, and then looking back and forth between them and Maharaja’s face, I gradually began to feel my eyes start welling up too. It wasn’t long before I found myself crying, though not incessantly as some of his disciples were, but enough to realize that I was experiencing separation from someone who was very dear to me. I remembered the lamentation I felt when I found out that Srila Prahupada had left the planet. Though not as intense, still, I was lamenting that I had not taken advantage of Gour Govinda Maharaja’s association while he was with us, and now I was facing (though still not fully convinced) the thought that I may not ever have that opportunity again.”
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Madanalasa Dasi: “When I came in the room and saw Guru Maharaja sitting on the bed surrounded by his dear disciples chanting the holy name, I thought: “My Gurudeva is just in trance, he will come back for sure.” It was only a day later after his samādhi had finished that it dawned on me that he had really disappeared from our vision.”
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Niranjan Swami: “All I could do was stand in awe, chant, and within my mind pray that maybe Krishna would let Gour Govinda Maharaja stay with us a little while longer. I stood motionless for about twenty minutes, continuing to chant and then finally decided to move elsewhere towards the back of the room where I could see several GBC men having a discussion. I walked over, and saw that Jayapataka Maharaja was holding a pad of paper on which there was a diagram which looked like an explanation of how to place maharaja’s body into a samādhi. It was right about then that it finally hit, ‘Gour Govinda Maharaja really HAS left the planet!’ Tears came again, I wiped my face with my upper cloth, and decided to speak up and ask someone what had happened. The first person who seemed available for questioning was Virabahu Prabhu. So I asked him if he knew of the events leading up to his departure. I also asked if anyone had actually confirmed that he had left.
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“By this time I began deliberating on the significance of Gour Govinda Maharaja’s departure. It was the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, and the year of Srila Prabhupada’s centennial. He left his body in Mayapur Dham. Present were so many devotees, both godbrothers and disciples, loudly chanting the holy names. He was speaking about Lord Jagannath just minutes before he departed. How could there be a more auspicious departure from this world? So many more things could be said about this, and I have no doubt will be said, in due course of time. But there is no trace of doubt in my mind that Gour Govinda Maharaja entered into Lord Krishna’s eternal līlā last night, and this world is now bearing the loss of a highly elevated soul and intimate associate of Lord Krishna.”
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PARIKRAMA IN MAYAPUR
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Niranjan Swami: “At approximately 11:00 p.m. Maharaja’s disciples finished preparing his body for parikramā. No less than 150 devotees went in procession down the stairs, into the courtyard, and then down the long walk to Prabhupada’s samādhi. Upon entering the Samadhi Mandir, the conch shell blew, the doors were opened, and then Nruhari Das, one of Maharaja’s disciples, led a very sweet kīrtana: ei bāro karuṇā koro vaiṣṇava gosāi. At the end of the kīrtana, we all loudly chanted, ‘jaya gour govinda swami, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura!’ Nobody seemed reserved to loudly chant out his name, even from amongst all of the godbrothers. To me it all seemed quite natural and spontaneous, and again I shed tears seeing the devotion coming from all who were present.
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“We continued the chanting, circumambulating inside the samādhi three times, left, and then carried Maharaja’s body to Srila Prabhupada’s hut to take darshan of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai. Nruhari continued the chanting, this time leading us in chanting, ohe vaiṣṇava ṭhākura. Again we chanted Gour Govinda Maharaja’s name. Jayapataka Swami offered another garland to Gour Govinda Maharaja and the procession continued into the temple room.
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“Upon entering, Maharaja’s body was brought before Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Prabhupada, who were both sitting on vyāsāsana’s in the rear of the temple. The kīrtana continued for a short time and then the procession moved to Lord Nrisimhadeva’s altar. The doors were opened and Lord Nrisimhadev cast his merciful glance. Jananivasa Prabhu brought tulasī from Lord Nrisimhadeva’s lotus feet, and placed it on Maharaja’s head. Then the curtains were opened to reveal their lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sriman Mahaprabhu, and the Astasakhis. Maharaja’s body was placed on the high step before Radha Madhava’s altar. At this point, we had puṣpāñjali. Jayapataka Maharaja offered a full ārati while we all chanted Gurvaṣṭakam, and each senior devotee came to offer flower petals to his feet. I offered my petals and once again fully prostrated myself at his feet. The kīrtana continued for approximately twenty minutes more. The procession then went outside, and Maharaja’s body was placed in his car. His disciples had decided that they wanted to bring Maharaja’s body back to Bhubaneswar where he would be placed in samādhi according to full vaiṣṇava rituals.”
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SAMADHI IN BHUBANESWAR
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After some discussion, a group of disciples decided that Maharaja would prefer his samādhi to be in Bhubaneswar. Coincidently, this was the first year that devotees had brought his car to Mayapur. Placing his body inside the vehicle, they began a long painful journey back to Bhubaneswar.
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Manimanjari Dasi: “We were in Bhubaneswar and had gotten news that Guru Maharaja had left this world. We were all standing and waiting for the car to arrive with his body. As the devotees took him out of the car his head fell to the side and something broke inside me. The kīrtana was slow, like coming from far away. I tried to glorify him but my voice was stuck inside and finally it came out as a strange sound, ‘jaya gurudeva!'”
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“They took him around the temple four times, and then brought his body into the restaurant for ārati. His crying school, at this time, was in some way successful. That morning the devotees began digging a hole in his room for his samādhi. I didn’t dare to look inside.
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“Later, after he was put into the samādhi, I finally went inside to put my mind into reality, and throw a little bit of sand. I then went out chanting, head empty, wanting I don’t know what.
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“The next morning I again went in front of the samādhi. It was 9:30 a.m. and kīrtana was going on. At this point I got really angry. ‘We wanted to establish you as an ācārya, although the other party did not see you as anyone special.’ We lost the most precious gift of this life.
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“When they had begun lowering Gour Govinda Swami’s body into the ground, the devotees were struck by the fact that although it had been over twenty-four hours since he had departed, there was no sign of rigor mortis. His body was loose like a rag-doll.”
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GBC RESOLUTION
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After Gour Govinda Maharaja’s departure, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission passed the following resolution:
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GBC Resolution on the Demise of His Divine Grace Gour Govinda Goswami Maharaja
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Resolved that:
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We, the undersigned members and servants of the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, today, the 11th of February, 1996, in Sridhama Mayapura Candrodaya Mandir, express our profound bereavement on the passing of our dear Godbrother and fellow Governing Body Commissioner His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Goswami Maharaja, the beloved disciple of ISKCON Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
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Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Goswami Maharaja dedicated his life to fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s order to spread Krishna consciousness throughout the world and specifically among the people of Odisha. He translated Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental literature and fulfilled Srila Prabhupada’s desire for a Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Bhubaneswar. He was not only a topmost devotee but he was also a great and learned scholar. In this time of their great grief, we pledge ourselves to the service of his disciples and followers who are determined to carry on his great service to the mission of Srila Prabhupada.
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With feelings of separation we note that Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Goswami Maharaja departed this world February 9th, 1996, on the auspicious appearance of Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, while reciting the pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna, in spiritual world headquarters of ISKCON, at the conclusion of a full day of unalloyed devotional service to his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. His departure shows all auspicious symptoms and his success fills our heart with admiration. His life and disappearance pastimes shall remain a great inspiration to all members of ISKCON.
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