About

Śrīpād Premānanda Prabhu was born on January 6, 1956, in a well respected Bhattācārya brāhmana family living in Campahati, Śrī Navadvīp Dhām. From his earliest years he would visit the nearby Gaur Gadādhar Temple, with whose Deities he developed a strong attachment. By this virtue he would frequently get the association and service of visiting Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. In school matters he excelled in his studies and would frequently tutor schoolmates, including those in higher grade levels.

At the age of nine he first met his spiritual masters, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāman Gosvāmī Mahārāj and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇ Gosvāmī Mahārāj, as they were returning to their maṭh from Śrī Navadvīpa parikramā. He was strongly attracted to these divine personalities and from that early age began his service to them. As a youth he regularly visited their aṣram and would learn Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā ślokas from them.

When he was nineteen, Śrīpād Premananda Prabhu left home and dedicated his life to serving as a brahmacārī. He never again set foot into the home of his birth parents. His primary residence became Śrī Keśavjī Gauḍīya Maṭh and he became the personal servant of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇ Gosvāmī Mahārāj. His decades of tireless service earned him the title of ‘sevāratna’, or the jewel of service.

On March 25th, 2002, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇ Gosvāmī Mahārāj brought the attendees of Śrī Navadvīp parikramā to the birthplace of Śrīpād Premananda Prabhu and praised him. Here is an excerpt of that class,

“Do you know how he is serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rādhā and Kṛśṇa and me? Totally surrendered. Not like others. If anyone wants to serve his Gurudeva, Oh, he should try to learn something from Premānanda. How is he serving myself? Oh, giving everything on his head — all responsibilities — in Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, here, Govardhana. I give all responsibility to him and he completely looks after everything, and he is qualified. So if you will follow Premānanda — his character, his bhakti, his śraddhā, his service to Gurudeva — Oh, then you can also be a Vaiṣṇava.”