Govindanand Swami is a towering figure among the sadhus who achieved a bond with Shreeji Maharaj, much like how a river merges with the sea. Driven by an intense longing to realize Purushottam Narayan, he gave up a life of immense wealth, a prestigious ashram with a significant income, and the leadership of 400 renunciants.
Before he became a sadhu, he was the pujari (priest) of an opulent Ram temple, so grand it could rival a royal palace. One night, while performing the evening prayers, he saw a divine light emanating from the temple dome every time some visiting pilgrims mentioned Swaminarayan Jivan Mukta. After this happened several times, the determined priest decided that bowing to the one whose name radiated such light would lead to his Moksha.
Early the next morning, he renounced his priestly position, his luxurious life, and all his comforts, setting off on the path to Gujarat. Along the way, he faced several temptations. A beautiful, “apsara-like” woman begged to hold his wrist, but he cleverly escaped her by placing a cloth on the ground and pretending to go relieve himself. Four days later, while spending the night in a Shiva mandir, two spiritual maidens offered to sacrifice their lives for him. He refused their offer, seeing these as worldly attachments that would hinder his spiritual journey. This enraged their father, the village head, who imprisoned the priest. However, his resolve was unbreakable. He escaped that same night by breaking the latrine window and fled to Gadhpur.
Upon reaching Gadhpur and seeing Shreeji Maharaj, he was overcome with emotion and entered a state of spiritual trance (bhav samadhi). In this trance, Maharaj openly praised his unparalleled detachment and devotion. Shreeji Maharaj then initiated him into the sainthood, gave him the name Govindanand, and instructed him to stay with Anandanand Swami.
Govindanand Swami was a sadhu of rare and profound renunciation. He lived at Jetalpur Mandir and dedicated his life to spreading the Satsang in the surrounding villages. He even had a strong fondness for a specific dish, Gangama’s dal-bhat, which Shree Hari Himself helped him overcome, showing Maharaj’s personal care for him.