Gaura Vani
Gaur Vani Podcast is the official podcast of In service of Srimad Bhagavatam. It will have lecture excerpts from Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. He appeared on the 2nd of September in the Gaurabda year 443 (1929 A.D.) in Orissa, India. Both his parents were devotees of Krishna and Jagannath, as were their ancestors up to the time of Sri Syamananda Prabhu. His mother’s family were the famous kirtaniyas of Gadai Giri. Thus most of His Divine Grace’s child- and boyhood was spent in Gadai Giri, in the company of his uncles and maternal grandfather, having kirtan and worshiping their ancient family deity, Sri Gopal Jiu.He was never attached to play, but rather spent his time reading Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta and singing Hare Krishna.
In April 1974, on Ramnavami, the day of the holy appearance of Lord Ramachandra, His Divine Grace left his family to search for Sri Guru. He was now 45 years old but had since childhood had the desire to accept the renounced order of life, sannyasa, and preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was already acquainted with many sadhus in Orissa and throughout the rest of India, but was not satisfied by them. He travelled on foot and by train around northern India for about 5 months, stopping at every temple, monastery and institution where there might be a sadhu. Arriving at last in Sri Vrindavan Dham, he met His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada on the 15th of September 1974. Among the first things Srila Prabhupada asked him was whether or not he had taken sannyasa. Srila Prabhupada said: “I will give you sannyasa!”. Within a short time Srila Prabhupada initiated him giving him Harinam and Diksa and the name Sri Gour Govinda Das and sent him to preach in Orissa. On Ramnavami 1975, during the opening of the Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan, one year after he had left home, Sri Gour Govinda Das was given sannyas by Srila Prabhupada.
Thus Srila Gour Govinda Swami came back to Orissa and gradually, after much hardships, opened the temple that Srila Prabhupada had envisioned in Bhubaneswar. He also translated Srila Prabhupada’s books into the Oriyan language. From 1985 through 1996 His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami preached throughout the world and accepted disciples. Thus he executed the three instructions Srila Prabhupada gave him.
Though he had problems walking after an operation, His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami travelled extensively and preached energetically. He spoke with the force and firmness of a bullet, yet was soft at heart. He stressed the value of purity and simplicity, emphasizing the importance of pure chanting and encouraging everyone to yearn for sadhu-sanga, the association of pure devotees. He warned against duplicity and the pollution that Kali has infiltrated into the minds of people in this age. He always made it a point to support everything he said with reference from shastra and present that everything is in Srila Prabhupada’s books, you only have to extract it.
The centennial of Srila Prabhupada’s divine appearance was celebrated 1996. In the evening of the appearance day of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, on february 9th, two senior devotees asked Srila Gour Govinda Swami why xcMahaprabhu stayed in Jagannath Puri. While narrating the pastime of Lord Krishna coming back to Vrindavan after a long separation and how He appeared in the form of Lord Jagannath, His Divine Grace Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaj departed from this world and entered into the Divine Lilas of Sri Krishna.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 54 minutes
- Episodes
- 78
- Years Active
- 2025
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
śrī-śuka uvāca
varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ
kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa
ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ
śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ
Translation
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very b…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
dharmārtha uttama-ślokaṁ
tantuḥ tanvan pitṝn yajet
rakṣā-kāmaḥ puṇya-janān
ojas-kāmo marud-gaṇān
Translation
One should worship Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee for spiritual advancement in knowledge, and for pr…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
sa eva prathamaṁ devaḥ
kaumāraṁ sargam āśritaḥ
cacāra duścaraṁ brahmā
brahmacaryam akhaṇḍitam
Translation
First of all, in the beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahmā [the Kumā…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
etan nānāvatārāṇāṁ
nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam
yasyāṁśāṁśena sṛjyante
deva-tiryaṅ-narādayaḥ
Translation
This form [the second manifestation of the puruṣa] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious …
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
yasyāmbhasi śayānasya
yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ
nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd
brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ
Translation
A part of the puruṣa lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body s…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
sūta uvāca
jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ
bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ
sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam
ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā
Translation
Sūta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
bhejire munayo ’thāgre
bhagavantam adhokṣajam
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ kṣemāya
kalpante ye ’nu tān iha
Translation
Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His exist…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
Translation
The transcendental Person…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
Translation
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature’s modes of …
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
Translation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 | Yukta Vairagya |
yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidās tasya
ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim
Translation
With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] …
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
Translation
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and wo…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
Translation
O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can ach…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
tac chraddadhānā munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
Translation
The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realize…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
kāmasya nendriya-prītir
lābho jīveta yāvatā
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
Translation
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a health…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
dharmasya hy āpavargyasya
nārtho ’rthāyopakalpate
nārthasya dharmaikāntasya
kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ
Translation
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never b…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
Translation
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless …
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
Translation
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires c…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 |
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
Translation
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional s…
Gaur Vani | Sri Srimad Gaur Govind Swami Maharaj | Srimad Bhagvatam | English Lectures | Canto-7 | 12 Mahajanas
munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo ’haṁ
bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam
yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno
yenātmā suprasīdati
Translation
O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to …