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EDITORIAL   Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja On Sadhu Sanga BY RADHANATH DAS EDITORIAL, Sep 25 (VNN) — "Srila Gurudeva, many people are leaving Iskcon and going to Srila Narayana Maharaja, what is your opinion of that?" Offering pranam to the lotus feet of Hari, Guru and Vaisnavas, I wish to submit for their pleasure, this brief summary of my experience with Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja, and his transcendental relationship with Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. I had the good fortune to stay with Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja almost continuously from mid 1994 up until his departure in early 1996. Several times, the topic of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja was raised.
After some weeks, Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja arrived in Singapore, en route to America for his preaching tour. At that time he was staying in a hotel, so we all got the chance to get his darshans during his stay. At the end of his class, I asked: "Srila Gurudeva, many people are leaving Iskcon and going to Srila Narayana Maharaja, what is your opinion of that?" He immediately took on a very grave tone, and pointing his finger at me, he loudly exclaimed: "What is the meaning of Iskcon, and who is a member of Iskcon? Iskcon means the Internacional Society for Krishna Consciousness, and that devotee who is 100% Krishna conscious, he is a true and actual member of this society. You are thinking Iskcon and non-Iskcon, but this has no place in vaisnavism. If you get the chance for his association, you should definitely run there." On another occasion, when Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja was about to depart from the Calcutta International airport, he was sitting alone in the departure lounge. I took the opportunity, and inquired: "Guru Maharaja, what should I do when you leave your body? What service should I do, and under whose guidance should I do that service?" He became very happy, and smilingly said: "You should immediately run to a siksa guru." I was very surprised by this. So I asked again: "But who is qualified and who will I go to?" He laughed again: "Don't worry, Gurudeva will make all arrangements for you." These two incidents left a deep impression on me, so when His Grace entered into nitya-lila, I immediately entrained from Bhubaneswara to Mathura and went to Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Math. During this journey, I had two pressing doubts in mind, that I knew I would have to ask Srila Narayana Maharaja whenever I would get the chance to see him. Firstly, did he know Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja, and secondly, was he in the same line of bhajan? As I entered the Math, the first person I ran into was His Holiness himself. He mercifully came up to me, while I still had my bags over my shoulder, and asked me: "Oh where are you from?" I replied: "From Bhubaneswara." He became choked with emotion: "Yes I heard he was poisoned, but I don't think it's true." And he looked at me very deeply and said: "I knew Gour Govinda Swami so well... and we are in the same line." Many people doubt that Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja would have wanted his disciples to take the association of Srila Narayana Maharaja. But he always used to tell us: "You should never leave Iskcon, only if they preach apa-siddhanta, only then you can leave." He constantly used to stress the utmost importance of sadhu-sanga, so I find it incredulous that immediately after his departure, some disciples began to proclaim: "Don't take sadhu sanga, don't go to the sadhu, don't go to Srila Narayana Maharaja!" This is a great misfortune and could only be a source of disapointment to Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. Every year in the Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Math, we celebrate the vyasa-puja of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja under the direct guidance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. The first year we held it was 1996, and after the program, we entered into Srila Narayana Maharaja's room. We jokingly said: "Oh, you did not speak anything confidential!" He also laughed and said: "No confidential hearers were there! Then speaking gravely he said: "The last time I met Sripad Gour Govinda Maharaja, he weepingly held both my hands and said - 'Oh Maharaja, soon I will leave this body, and all my disciples will come to you, please accept them and give them shelter'. I then told him - 'Don't worry Maharaja, I will help them all' and he became very happy." O gentle vaisnavas, kindly forgive me for not presenting this to the public earlier, this is my own selfishness, and I hope this will help clear any misconceptions one may have regarding their transcendental relationship. Your servant, Radhanath das September 3, 2002. Vrinda Kunja, Pindamonhangaba, Brazil. Related VNN Stories Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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