HH Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami Departs

 
Dear Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

With deep sorrow, we would like to communicate the global devotee community the departure of HH Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami Maharaja around 6.00 AM today the 14th of November, 2020 due to a second cardiac arrest and complications arising out his surgery for cervical spondylitis and a cardiac arrest. 

He had been unwell for quite a long time. He was Covid-Negative, when last tested a couple of days before being shifted from the hospital to the ISKCON Punjabi Bagh Temple where he had been based out of, for nearly 15 years. An ICU environment with full time attendants had replicated in his room and Srila Prabhupada’s Japa was going on.

Recently his spinal cord condition had worsened and three weeks back on Maharaja’s own preference, he was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, New Delh for a critical surgery. The doctors had however warned us that there is a high probability of Maharaja being paralysed in the event of a surgery, even if successful, and so we ought to weigh both options and then decide.

Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami was initiated by His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in October 1968. He is one of the original 100 disciples of Srila Prabhupada and started one of ISKCON’s first university preaching programs at the University of San Francisco, California; later continuing university preaching at his former university, the University of California, Berkeley. He opened the Berkeley, California temple in 1969. He has managed several of the centers in the U.S.

He had received his sannyasa initiation in 2010, was based out of the ISKCON Punjabi Bagh Temple in West Delhi and had been travelling and preaching energetically despite his advancing age and deteriorating health in India and other parts of Asia. He was also deeply attached to his Jagannatha deities and the Nila Madhava deity and is known for carrying them everywhere.

His body will be brought to Sri Vrindavan-dham, the holiest place, for the last rites.

[PADA: God speed spirit soul. I always wish a lot of these old timers would just admit the whole GBC guru thing is a hoax before they depart. Because if not, they will have to admit it is a hoax somewhere else -- if not here. 

At some point, we ALL have to learn -- God is pure -- and therefore -- so are His successors. If we do not learn that in this life, we have to learn it in another -- before we can go back to Krishna. We have to stay here until we can figure that essential point out. 

Formerly he was known as Makhanlal dasa and he was always friendly towards me and I appreciate that. Anyway, good luck on your next destination. ys pd]