Appearance
His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja appeared on this planet on the most auspicious day of Annada Ekadashi, on August 14, 1944, in New Delhi, India. Having named as Gopal Krishna at the time of his appearance, his spiritual master had not changed his name at the time of harinama initiation.
H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja after graduating from the University of Delhi studied Business Management at the Sorbonne University of Paris on a scholarship from the French Government and later, obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the McGill University at Montreal.
Meeting with His Spiritual Preceptor – His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada
Having received an intimation from His grace Mahapurusa das, the then President, ISKCON, Montreal that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acarya, ISKCON shall be arriving in Montreal on June 1, 1968, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja arrived there on 30th May. After the kirtana, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja enquired if he could render some service, and he was immediately sent to clean Srila Prabhupada’s apartment.
Establishment of Guru-Shisya sambandha
Srila Prabhupada was always sympathetic and extra-merciful to Indians, but of all the Indians who came to hear him, young Gopal Krishna was very special. While all the other Indians would offer obeisances and sit for a few minutes, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja was the only Indian who would come regularly and sit right till the end of the lecture.
During the three month period that Srila Prabhupada stayed and lectured in Montreal, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja spoke, “Of course, I did not know the importance of hearing at that time, but my only small qualification was that I was very respectful to Srila Prabhupada from the first day I saw him, and I would stay for his lectures till the end, and leave only after he had left the temple”.
Around that time, he was working for Pepsi-Cola, doing Marketing Research. Srila Prabhupada started taking a great personal interest in him and would talk to him almost every day. Since then, both of them started a regular correspondence, with Srila Prabhupada writing as many as three long letters every month. Thus, a very intimate guru-shisya relationship had already begun to establish.
On May 27th, 1969, Srila Prabhupada wrote to say, “As your name is already Gopal Krishna, there is no need for changing it. You will now be known as Gopal Krishna Das.” H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja was only 25 years old then!
Acceptance of Sannyasa Order
In 1981, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja took the sannyasa order. A year later, in March 1982, on the auspicious day of Gaura-Purnima, H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja became a ‘diksha’ guru (an initiating spiritual master).
H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja spirited enthusiasm makes even a skeptic pause and contemplate on his words. His aims are so clear! Many are overwhelmed by his selfless and compassionate intellect, as they strive towards becoming virtuous people. Even the subtlest concepts are explained with such admirable ease and patience.
Srila Prabhupada always admired his qualities of head and heart, and he once remarked, “Gopal is a very nice boy and he must be encouraged“. Even hardcore atheists are attracted to his graceful simplicity. Every encounter, every gesture, and every answer brings out the inner conviction he has, in the mission he has embraced.
H. H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja ki jaya!