Gour Govinda Swami

Gour Govinda Swami (2 September 1929 – 9 February 1996) was a Vaishnava religious leader. He was a leading ISKCON Guru, sannyasi, governing body commissioner within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as the Hare Krishnas or ISKCON) and the main inspirational force behind Gopal Jiu Publications. He is a saint within ISKCON. He was the first initiating guru after Srila Prabhupada to leave his body (pass on or die) in good standing spiritually. He never left Krishna Consciousness.

He was born already a devotee in the village of Jagannathpur, District Jagatsinghpur Orissa, India as Braja-bandhu Manik. By the age of eight, Braja-bandhu had read the entire Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata Purana and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and could also explain their meanings. On 8 April 1974, at the age of 45 he gave up home and relatives in quest of spiritual perfection and a worthy guide. Carrying only a Bhagavad-gita and a begging bowl he wandered around India for one year and visited many sacred places along the river Ganges. He was searching for that person who could help him develop a true understanding of the Maha Mantra. After many philosophical debates with mayavadi sannyasis and yogis in the Himalayas, he proceeded on foot to Vrindavana. He thought, "Surely I will find Lord Krishna here in this holiest of places.". He was searching after three things, guru, Bhagavat and Bhagavan. He was given a Back to Godhead magazine and found it contained all three things. He decided to see the founder of ISKCON then and there. Two weeks later, in 1975, at the opening of ISKCON’s Krishna-Balaram Temple in Vrindavana, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami accepted him as a disciple, gave him the name Gour Govinda and awarded him the sannyasa order, thus the name Srila Gour Govinda Swami.