Diary selections from Srila Gaur Govinda Swami

[Gauracandra 1]

“From my boyhood this deity has occupied my heart. Everywhere I look I am seeing Him.” – Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaj on his childhood diety Gopal Jiu

 

I feel inspired having posted the transcendental passing of Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaj. Then I realized that his disappearance day is coming up. Because of this I wanted to share some nectar about him. Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaj always kept a diary (his final diary was number 70). Each entry would begin, prabhu gopala krparu, kona si mate dinoti koti gala – “By the mercy of Prabhu Gopal, this day was spent thus…” The entries would end with a prayer to Gopal, “Please give me prema-bhakti, ecstatic love of God.”

 

The following are some samples from his personal diary.

 

October 1, 1973

On account of the Durga-puja festival, school will be closed for some time [Note:he was a school teacher at the time]. It will be reopened on Thursday 18 October 1973. Today I saw a picture of Sri Chaitanya in Banambara’s shop. In that picture I saw Mahaprabhu clutching the feet of the prema-maya-yugala-murti, the divine loving couple.

 

Sri Chaitanya Dev started chanting divya-prema-nama, Krishna’s divine ecstatic names. He rejected suska-jnana, dry knowledge. He preached divya-nama-prema. He gave nama-prema to all indiscriminately. Prema-taranga, the waves of prema, spread everywhere. Wherever He was going, prema was following. Even the hard-hearted got a touch of that prema and their hearts were changed. This is the wonderful power of prema! By seeing that picture of Sri Chaitanya Dev I got a sparsa, a touch of that prema. How can I get a picture of that Sri Chaitanya Dev? By seeing His picture I’ll get a touch of prema and from prema I’ll get wonderful inspiration and bliss. Then I can give bliss to others. Prabhu Gopal, please shower this mercy on me! Give me shelter at the prema-kutir of Sri Premanandaji! I must drown in that divya-prema and, giving prema to others, pacify the fire in their hearts!

 

[Gauracandra 1]

October 9, 1973

By the mercy of Prabhu Gopal, on the last two days our Gita recitation program was finished here in my ista-deva’s [Gopal’s] temple. Prabhu Sri Gopal, O You who are known as premananda, as prema-maya-purusa, as vrndavana-bihari, and as radha-kanta! By Your mercy this Gita program was finished with ananda and prema. Prabhu, may Your place be joyful! May prema and ananda, love and bliss, be distributed! Make me Your servitor! Give me an opportunity to distribute that prema and ananda!Don’t cheat me! Because You are antaryaminatha, the Lord of my heart, You know my desire. And I am begging that from You! Please give me that prema and ananda! Let me get it and let me distribute it!

 

[Gauracandra 1]

October 10, 1973

Today there was a mahotsava, a festival. Prasadam was distributed and bala-gopala-lila, Your childhood pastimes, were recited. Prabhu Gopal, for a long time I have had a desire to hear songs of mana-bhanjana-lila, stories of how Krishna breaks the sulkiness of Srimati Radharani. Prema-mayi Radharani had developed abhiman, loving pride, and Krishna was experiencing intense viraha-katara, pangs of separation, because Radha would not permit Him to see Her. Therefore there was a need for mana-bhanjana. Today, by the mercy of Prabhu, it happened. Vrndavana-bihari, Krishna, became radha-prema-bhikari, a beggar of Radha’s love. My Gopal dressed up like a sannyasi to beg prema-dhana from Radharani.

 

O Prabhu Gopal, please make me a yogi, sannyasi like that! I don’t need anything, Prabhu. I am not asking You for material opulence, respect, glory or anything else. You may give those things to my younger brother Kripa-sindhu. Let him maintain Your family. Make me a samsara-vairagi-yogi, a renunciate of family life. Let me beg that prema-dhana, that wealth of love of Godhead! Let me distribute prema and ananda! Let me serve You! Please shower this mercy on me, Prabhu! Please bless me with prema-bhakti, ecstatic love for You!

 

[nitai 0]

Gauracandra prabhu....please continue.

 

 

 

[a_kaul 0]

Yes ! Prabhu Please continue......

Some selections from each period of his

 

Hare Krishna !!

Ajay

[Gauracandra 1]

Haribol,

 

I will post more from Srila Gaur Govinda Swami if you'd like. I don't have access to his diaries but hopefully one day his disciples will make a publication with many of his diary entries. In the meantime I can put up some excerpts from his "The Embankment of Separation" or other materials. I wouldn't want to violate his copywrite so only portions would be posted to encourage those who read it to pick up the full copy (atleast thats my excuse )

 

Gauracandra