govinda - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-29T10:54:08Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/govindaOur ox Govinda starts his higher journeyhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/our-ox-govinda-starts-his-higher-journey2022-05-19T14:14:00.000Z2022-05-19T14:14:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10500720300,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="350" alt="10500720300?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Radha Vallabha dasa, </strong>Andhra Pradesh Padayatra leader</p>
<p>On April 26, 2022, our padayatra ox Govinda left his body. He had been serving since the start of the Andhra Pradesh Padayatra three and a half years ago. He was sadhu in his behaviour – he never hit anybody and was very silent. Even when children touched him or climbed on him when he was seated and pulled his tail and horns, Govinda was always quiet. He served our Lordships very nicely. We stopped in a village for some time during the pandemic, but after Gaura-purnima in March padayatra began again and he happily returned to his seva. Then for twenty days he was not eating grass and his health started deteriorating. We showed him to a veterinarian, who I thought was not good so we went to two more, but he did not recover.</p>
<p>We also kept him in a village goshala, hopeful that the atmosphere would bring a positive change, but there was none. Finally, by the Lord’s will on the auspicious day of Varuthini ekadashi Govinda left us and our hearts are now painful. We had returned to padayatra after Gaura-purnima, so it was like Mahaprabhu took his service after purnima and then allowed him to leave his body. That means definitely the Lord was pleased with his service.</p>
<p>We were at Solapur when I bought two oxen for padayatra and our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, named them Govinda and Balaji because padayatra would be moving around the state of Andhra Pradesh, a place renowned for Lord Balaji. At that time Guru Maharaja said, “Never look at him or treat him as an ox, he’s a pure devotee of the Lord.” Maybe that’s why he was selected from many other oxen.</p>
<p>The padayatris performed Govinda’s last rights and sankirtan throughout. He will definitely receive a higher destination. We will always miss him and we pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudev and other Vaishnavas for his going back to Godhead.</p>
<p>All glories to four-legged padayatri Govinda.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://www.padayatra.com/our-ox-govinda-starts-his-higher-journey/">https://www.padayatra.com/our-ox-govinda-starts-his-higher-journey/</a></p></div>Deity Greeting and the “Govinda” Prayers by Giriraj Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/deity-greeting-and-the-govinda-prayers-by-giriraj-swami2021-03-16T11:02:51.000Z2021-03-16T11:02:51.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8672449062,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="8672449062?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></p>
<p>HH Mukunda Goswami Maharaja relates:</p>
<p>There is an interesting story that I wrote about. It took place when “Govinda” first came out, when the recording was first released. I was in England, and Yamuna was in England, and we sent this recording to the devotees in Los Angeles to show how we were really preaching big time to the Beatles and had done this record. But the devotees in Los Angeles didn’t want Prabhupada to hear this, because they thought it was very strange that a woman’s voice would be leading the Hare Krishna mantra. And so they didn’t let Prabhupada hear it. So, one morning, just before the greeting of the Deities, Prabhupada was sitting on his vyasasana. When the Deity doors open in Los Angeles, there is a big billow of incense smoke from the charcoals. The devotees use a lot of incense, and when they open the doors, it kind of pours out like a big cloud coming out.</p>
<p>So, right before this, Prabhupada said, “What about that record that the devotees sent from London?” He had heard about it. So they told him, “It is just Yamuna singing; we don’t want you to hear it.” And they added, “There is no place to play it.” So he said, “Just play it on the system, the speakers.”</p>
<p>They said, “Okay” and very reluctantly went and fetched the recording and played it. And it was just at the right time, and the song is about five minutes long. As the Deity doors opened, Prabhupada was sitting on his vyasasana, and he didn’t say a word. He just listened with his eyes closed. And devotees got to see streams of tears coming down his cheeks. And that day Prabhupada ordered that the song be played in all temples all over the world at the time of greeting the Deities.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=17015">https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=17015</a></p></div>