In this devotional talk, HH Lokanath Swami recounts his personal memories of serving alongside HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj and Srila Prabhupada during the 1970s, focusing on their collaborative work in Bombay and Delhi. He describes Gopal Krishna Maharaj’s leadership roles as a Governing Body Commissioner, BBT trustee, and temple president, detailing efforts to acquire land, construct the Radha Parasharthi Temple, and manage temple affairs. The speaker highlights Maharaj’s tireless dedication, constant anxiety for ISKCON’s welfare, and his practice of serving Krishna day and night, even in deep sleep. The narrative moves to Maharaj’s final days, describing his hospitalization, the attempts to revive him, and his peaceful passing, followed by reflections on his legacy and an exhortation for devotees to follow his example and seek spiritual liberation through Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. The talk blends Hindi, Sanskrit, and English, interspersed with chants and reverent prayers, conveying a tone of reverence, mourning, and inspiration.
Chapters
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma. "Hāb sābhi Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja ke ho kine, aur gopāl kṛṣṇa mahārāja mere bhi te re re." Because 'Ahamnaakarna' is quite a challenge. It should not be 'Aham-savikya samaksh' or 'Mere samaksh bhi.' In case 'Sangha Sanyadhi' may Hum, brahe. Aur BTMA ho sakthi hai, lekin, mai aur Gopal Krishna Maharaj bhi ek team theh is kaun ke. Aur us team ke member, Gopal Krishna Maharaj, ab nahin rahe. This is City Man, Paris City Man, monkey just city hotie. So I say, "Kahaibijatah esisamajvijekya etirovaut itimahotsau eshoka vittosamaya." Those who will disappear from our vision Harsh. Bharat bala ya. Our Bharat ke, pure Bharat varsh ke, India jiswam ke te, pure Bharat varsh ke Governing Body Commissioner Gopalakrishna Maharaj ko banaye, for entire India. Adiyadi. Anyway, so that was 1975, say, Laker. Sātmira, Sātmira hai. Keval rey nahi. We worked together. We served Srīla Prabhupāda together. Then Gopalakrishna Maharaj, no see, me jo Bombay me tha, see, chhurna nahi ja hatha hai, mai jaana jaatha tha. Tawa Vedanta Doot Maharaj aur Gopalakrishna, on di naam mein maharaj nahin hai, adhikari hi tha hai. "Prabhupāda is a key man, Prabhupāda, in Bombay. How could he go?" "No, he wants to go. He wants to travel. Let him travel." And he will. So it was I was kind of released from Gopalakrishna Maharaj ke divya changuul se. I am sure this is the experience of many, many of you. Mere abhiyaan abhor raha. So, bahad me ham Prabhupada nama ji bulakkar traveling sankirtan party. "Kācār jīya, o kārāhet heto, ek samāyaphir." "My Bombay mētha, Prabhupāda vidheto, o Pālīśṇa Mahārāja sośca." How could I get Him back? Then Gopākāśṇa Mahārāja, well, besides being G.B.C., also was G.B.C. trustee, the B.B.T. trustee. Prabhupāda ke sādhana ne bichārvimārṣkār ke, isko bībidi traveling party ka in charge parānācha ye. So, jīruvai sei hi wa. So I was partially back in Prabhupāda Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja's courtyard, Traveling, karteka, karteka. I was in Nagpur. My parents said, "Okay, MLA hostel, mere hain te de mārī pārtiyō." And one fine day I was surprised. One day, you know, my, well, SMS, all this, phone bhi sambhāun nahi, wākār tātha. There was Gopālakṛṣṇa Mahārāja. He arrived at this MLA hostel, was trying to catch up with me. Apta mujhe usraśaka pataññi jāy kaise pataal lag vāya maharaj ne ki aam vāhaate, aur aap mujhe gopalakṛṣṇa maharaja dete. Radhapārṣarthi Mandir ke jō, Presidente uns usamāye ke. I think he had left for the West or Delhi me kōyi. Prasad RAVALA, Presidente nāyete, the Gopābha Śrīmādhva said, "You go to Delhi." I remember, Ārdh July '78 mein, mein Delhi pahuncha aur Maharajneva hamuse Delhi ka temple president banaya. So I was back again. I was back again in the vicinity of Gopāl Viṣṇu Mahārāja. And I was happy. I don't say his association was all pleasure, pleasurable. So Prabhupāda, he will go. Kaise Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja mera har will ko. I am just mentioning. Prabhupāda chāte, der le me mandīro. Aisa yam samastheda, may be samasthāta, māja temple president tāo. Gara Prabhupāda chāte, ek ek mandīro. Le kandīrē tīrē for Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja kehne lege. Nā nā, Prabhupāda bara mandīr chāte te. Bengali market. Sarvaloka Maheshwaran, we have gone. Relocation, not. GK1, GK1, M119. He was a BBD trustee. BBT say, "Grant ki vivaastha ki." And we purchased that house for first time. Kiraaye ke makan mein rehne wale paarth sathi, ab aapne soem ke makan mein rehne lagaye. Gopākṣin Mahārāja ne sī vivaastha ki. And then we were looking for land. In Delhi, Gopalakrishna Maharaj's assignment was to look for land. Or DD was to pay the chapkar. I was doing my work. Gopalakrishna Maharaj was doing his. So finally, he learned Hare Krishna. So finally, 'Yātmāndir kāñir mānbī, hūvāgopākṛṣṇa mārāja, aham vidhāge piyete, pharaap, aap mein se vikayisāreṣ, jyot gaye, aurāda prasad raḍhe māndir, mīr mānbī.' "Ho wa aatal bhi hari vajpayee aaye." I think kuch din pahle yo Prime Minister bane woh hai de. Just few days prior. And I think that was the first engagement. Prime Minister of India came for opening of Radha Parasharthi Temple. And right here. And then gradually, I'm looking for Panjayi Bhagmi. Panjayi Bhagmi, Koti Milithi. So anyway, extension. Ministry, our designer and architect, and Architect Ministry of ISKCON. "Wa ha." Radha Raman kei. So that was second one, and the third one, the fourth one, and this one and that one. Prabhupāda initially, "Ekta mandir banāo isako jkāhet hai." In Maharashtra, Atara Mandir Banay. And worshiping the deities, this was his favorite pastime. This is a video, my We serve Kṛṣṇa how long, how much time? 24 hours a day, right? So Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja was serving day and night, even during the sleep. 'Video dekha and my God, padane apne dekha ke ne, Maharaj late wahi hai, he is in deep sleep and he is doing Ārati, lamb kahua bil chamar.' Sare article one after another, this went on and on for maybe 5 or in some, several minutes, is arī arī. Fully, totally absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or serving Kṛṣṇa, serving Prabhupāda's ISKCON. Throughout his life, I do not know anyone except Gopalakrishna Maharaj as hardworking a leader, as much hard work, and full of anxiety also. For ISKCON, he was always in anxiety. Sap, sap, Chintāmīraḥ kartete. Kavi kamyobhrājamanḥ aparīkāmātete. To vese unka āgman chintāhāraṇjané chintāhāraṇ. Vāya kartete. Māyakatātmārājā prārtṇakaro. Yai śrūdāvīḥ prārtṇakiya kartiti. Taiku chintā se mukta ho. Tāvi prārtṇakaro. "Enne prarthana karnai parvichintasyamukto hoteyne itheve." "Chintidra hetethe, umke chintado chintani ra hetatha." So, such a personality. And we're— "Dr. Govlai, aap chaliye, aap chaliye." So we understood there is some emergency. Finally, the last day, ki baat hai. So, maine insist kiya, main bhi jaana, I also want to go. So guards hog raha, they were trying to keep me out, like, and I insisted. And maine manesh kiya, aur aye, main bhi go paakishnam har aaj ke sat. "Bahar raha toh doctors mura prayaskar rehete toh isko heart ka issue tha toh ussa may be again cropped up." And they were trying to revive the functioning of the heart. They are trying their best. "Balsamesh se prayaskar rehete." Tamaṇaḥ tat ho māzepatāni lakrātāki, smāraṣṭhila māraṣātḥekī prasānto naiṅkīr. Or māyāt, I say one more time, nevedam karnevalātāt, "Don't go, stay, stay with us, stay longer with us." To patāla-guāne ki li, "Is he still here?" Tamaṇaḥ jōrseka, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" Hare Kṛṣṇa! Ako nai mēne māraṣkō. So Patahai Maharaj opened his— otherwise, you know, he was motionless, actionless. Then he opened his mouth, "La." Out opened his mouth. I could see the movement of his tongue, but in that state There was no boost. I did not hear, "Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa, mene sanātona ekin, vahito kahāya vokkehna cha athetha sāntim, shaiv donke mukharvin sejo niklethe, vete, Hare Kṛṣṇa." And then, kuchhi menton ke prasāda, doctor, doctor, Unfortunately, he declared that Maharaj was not with us anymore. So he has done so much for the whole world, for whole Delhi also. For you also he did so much, yes, no? So certainly you must be feeling the gratitude. He was such a grateful person. Towa, Ejo rīn mārājaṇe, yām rīnīḥ, aṁ sabhiḥ rīnīḥ ko pākṣṇa-mārāja ke. Towa, quickly, Śrīla Prabhupāda, or in Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīya samādhyaṇa vīsa, samādhūrataḥ iṣaṁānmaye. Guru ke, ācāryon ke, jo rīn hai, ke unse ham mokta ho sakte hai, aise charā chaaho reiti do. Śrīla Prabhupāda se ja puja ata ke, aise rīn se mokta ho sakte hai. Do, Prabhupāda pairedo kena. No, there is no way. You cannot become free from such debt. "Arthura, Rukia Prabhupāda." After a little pause, "Yes, yes, there could be one thing you could do." "What is that, Prabhupāda?" Prabhupāda kahe te, "You do as I did." I will not comment here. I will not unpack this. Prabhupāda kahe. He said, "Prayastu kar sakte ho, mukto hone ka, rinse mukto hone ka, to kyakar na ho ga." I think, "Your Prabhupāda ne kaha to, go for Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja's feet. Kahi honge na hinkahi honge, maito kehna chātā hon ki aur se, abi." Including myself. I'm Gopalakrishna Maharaj. Nāidesākiya, of course. I'm lok na kalto na hīkara sakte. No imitation possible. Again, following in the footsteps of Gopalakrishna Maharaj. Itnāto, itnāto kari sakte. Sadhguru. Not loud enough. A little louder. Thank you. Anyway, I will— I'm known for long talks and I'm going to just take one more minute Arohe hai ke ya ri ri. Is there anything I could do? Ab ke liye, I cannot do as much or the way Kopa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja ab ke liye kartet hai lekṇaṇḍa. Anything? Mere shakti samārthya buddhī ke anasar. So do not hesitate to communicate with me, and I will be around. Mayāpāpki sevāya sahaitāya jyabhikau. Esa dēnāya karnāmayapnā. Farjiyā uttardāitva samajtāham. Gopalakrishna Maharaj ki physical ano pasithi me toh mere isne vedan ko aaf shrikar, ya sooch kar shrikar, ya kar sakte ho. It's up to you. Thank you very much, Maharaj.
