Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda
Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Sevaite-President-Acharya of the
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
gurvabhista-supurakam
guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam
chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam
sri-rupa-panthanugam
govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum
bhakty anvitam sundaram
vande visva-gurun cha
divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam
“I worship the holy lotus feet of he who perfectly fulfills the most cherished wish of his divine master–who is adorned resplendently with the blessings of his guru varga; who is adept in all Vedic conceptions, both conceivable and inconceivable; who is the faithful follower in the line of Sri Rupa; who is known as Srila Govinda Maharaj; whose beautiful divine figure revels in the mellows of divine love; who is the guru of the entire universe and the bestower of the seed of divine love for the Supreme Lord.”
Introduction to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj
Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj appeared in this world in 1929 at Brahmanpara, District Burdwan, West Bengal. He came to the lotus feet of his Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj in 1947, and has remained faithfully in his service ever since.
History tells us that from the very beginning he held the unrivaled position of the most intimate and faithful servitor of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and from the beginning Srila Sridhar Maharaj revealed his wish that Srila Govinda Maharaj would occupy the position of his successor in the future. Srila Govinda Maharaj also enjoyed the long and intimate association of Om Visnupad Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, who referred to him as his “dearmost son.”
Fulfilling a wish he cherished for about forty years, Srila Sridhar Maharaj conferred sannyas upon Srila Govinda Maharaj in 1985, giving his final and irrevocable decision of his selection of Srila Govinda Maharaj as his successor President-Acharya of his Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Nabadwip, with all of its branches in India and internationally.
Like his illustrious Divine Master, Srila Govinda Maharaj has given us numerous pure devotional compositions in Sanskrit and Bengali, most valuable for the cultivation of spiritual life. His holy talks have also published as books, including the ones entitled: Affectionate Guidance, Divine Guidance, the Divine Servitor, Religion of the Heart, and Sri Nityananda Mahimamritam. In the future more books will be published.
Srila Govinda Maharaj has traveled around the world many times, and he has attracted thousands of people in such places as India, the U.S.A., Mexico, England, Europe, South America, Africa, Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
A Brief Biography of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj made his appearance in this world on December 17th, 1929, at Brahmanpara, District Burdwan, only about six miles from Sripat Hapaniya where his beloved Gurudev made his advent, also situated in the holy area of Gauda-Mandal.
Revealing his pastimes to the conditioned souls of this worldly plane, at the tender age of only seventeen years Srila Govinda Maharaj manifest his coming to the Lotus Feet of his Gurudev, Sri Srila Sridhar Maharaj, in April 1947, on the Holy Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimhadev.
On the amavasya (dark-moon day) of August 12th, 1988, when Srila Guru Maharaj silently took his form of holy samadhi at his beloved place of bhajan, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip Dham, all the devotees felt that the exalted moon had disappeared from their vision; yet by his Divine Grace, Srila Guru Maharaj had already foreseen the devotees’ need for uninterrupted light, for the smooth continuation of their devotional services, and therefore three years before he had conferred the holy order of tridandi-sannyas upon Srila Govinda Maharaj, naming him as his illustrious successor, as the guiding light to perfectly ensure that no darkness could enter into his Sampradaya.
Highly learned in Sanskrit and Bengali, Srila Govinda Maharaj has, as did his illustrious Gurudev, given us many divine prayers and songs most valuable for the cultivation of our spiritual life. His valuable natural talent, coupled with his fine delivery of Hari-katha (holy talks of the Supreme Lord and His Pastimes), and, on the practical side of devotional life, his untiring services to his Gurudev in nurturing and upholding Srila Guru Maharaj’s Indian and worldwide mission from the very beginning to the present (it was none other than he who designed and supervised the building of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math) have ever fulfilled the desires of Sri Gurudev.
The elixir of nectar which has been carried around the world from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is still flowing by the mercy Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga represented in the person of Srila Govinda Maharaj, and through him it has become doubly sweet.
Srila Guru Maharaj–acclaimed by one and all as the “Maker of Gurus”–has presented to us his most precious gem in the personage of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.