Bhakti is the JCB for excavation

The Govindam Prayers

Yamuna Devi led the vocals for the Govindam Prayers, and the recording, composition, and production was done by George Harrison himself. It was released to the public and topped the European music charts.

George Harrison was so impressed by her singing that he told her that he could make her one of the most famous and celebrated vocalists in the world. But she wasn’t interested. Her singing was —pure devotional service to please Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha-Govinda.

In this context, Mukunda Goswami recalls, “But the devotees in Los Angeles didn’t want Prabhupada to hear this because they thought it was very strange that a woman’s voice would be leading the Hare Krishna mantra. And so they didn’t let Prabhupada hear it. One morning, just before the greeting of the Deities, Prabhupada was sitting on his Vyasasana. When the Deity doors open in Los Angeles, there is a big billow of incense smoke from the charcoals. The devotees use a lot of incense, and when they open the doors, it kind of pours out like a big cloud coming out. So right before this, Prabhupada said, “What about that record that the devotees sent from London?” He had heard about it. But they told him, “It is just Yamuna singing; we don’t want you to hear it.” Then they said, “There is no place to play it.” And he said, “Just play it on the system – the speakers.”

In [the] Los Angeles temple there are very large speakers where they play lectures. They said, “Okay,” and very reluctantly went and fetched the recording and played it. It was just at the right time, and it is about six minutes long. As the Deity doors opened, Prabhupada didn’t say a word. He just listened with his eyes closed. Devotees got to see streams of tears coming down his cheeks. That day Prabhupada ordered that the song be played in temples all over the world at the time of greeting the Deities.

Love for Krishna is pre-existing eternally in the Soul and Bhakti is the best process to excavate this Love.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

“Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens. (CC Madhya 22.107)

Hare Krishna.