Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in the year 1896 in a Hindu Indian family and was a Gaudiya Vaishnava Guru. He was the founder of ISKCON which is also known as Hare Krishna Movement. He was born in a Suvarna Banik family in Kolkata. He completed his education in Scottish church college and worked in small pharmaceutical business before starting his journey as a Guru. He became a follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and learnt a lot from him during his spiritual and religious journey. This helped him to gain a better perspective about the spiritual world and also find a way to make other people aware of it. He left his family to become a Sanyasi at a very early stage and he also started writing scriptures on Vaishnava. He travelled all across India as long as the western world making people aware of the spiritual world and scriptures. He was also a very influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnavite theology. He was recognized and well regarded by many American scholars but also was criticised by many anti-cult groups. He was known well as a charismatic leader who gained many followers in the western countries and also in India. He died on 14th of November, 1977 at the age of 81.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – Religious Journey
Prabhupada met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1922 at Prayagraj. He was told to convert the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English language and spread it among the followers around the world. In the year 1933, he became a pre initiated Bhakt or disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta. Later in the year 1944, he himself started the publication which can be termed as “Back to god head”. For this he can be claimed as the editor, writer, designer, copy editor, editor as well as the distributor. By the year 1947, during independence, the Vaishnava gaudiya society gave him the privileged title of Bhaktivedanta, he also became popular by the honorific name Prabhupada. From 1950 onwards he started living in the medieval Radha Damodar mandir which is situated in the holy ground of Vrindavan. There he started his journey of translation and commentary work in Sanskrit taking help from the Bhagavata Purana. His guru always encouraged him in publishing good books which can be referred to by the people of all cultures, especially Vaishnava culture in need of literary presentation.
Interesting Facts
- Guru Prabhupada also stayed at Gaudiya Matha in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh where he wrote and edited the magazine Gaudiya Patrika.
- There he also donated the statue of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which is made beside the statue of Radha Krishna.
- He was given the title of Swami and initiated as Sanyasi by his friend Bhakti Prajnana Keshava in September 1959.
- Under the 1965 Immigration act of the United States, Prabhupada removed the national quotas. He was the first Hindu preacher who took this initiative.
- He also defended the name of Krishna arguing that Lord Krishna is included all other forms of God.
- Over many years, his role as a leader and preacher of Krishna Consciousness movement gave him the chance to travel around the world and set up temples and communities in different countries.
Takeaway
Since he was the founder of Krishna Consciousness movement, the ISKCON temples are very closely connected to him. You can read more about some of the modern leaders at the ISKCON temples right here on CelebsPride. For example, look at Amogh Lila Prabhu, who is the President of ISKCON Dwarka. He is most notable for being one of the youngest leaders following the footsteps of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
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