A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) is the Founder and Acharya (the exemplary teacher) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the world’s foremost teacher of Krishna Bhakti in the 20th century.
Born in India as Abhay Charan De, Abhay received a classical European education from Calcutta’s prestigious Scottish Church College. Several years later, after a life-changing encounter with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent bhakti-yoga master and scholar, Abhay understood that only a spiritual renaissance could significantly change the world. His guru requested him to teach bhakti-yoga in the Western world, and Abhay dedicated his life to that mission.
After four decades of family life and spiritual practice, Abhay took formal vows of sannyasa, or celibate priesthood. In preparation for his journey to the West, Abhay settled in the holy city of Vrindavan, India and there translated the first canto of the foundational bhakti-yoga text, Śrīmad-bhāgavatam, with elaborate commentaries. During this time, Abhay was awarded the title Bhaktivedanta in recognition of his advanced scholarship and spiritual realization.
In 1965, at the age of 69, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada departed from India on a steam ship bound for America, determined to fulfill his teacher’s request to teach in the West. After a month-long voyage, in which he suffered two heart attacks he arrived at a lonely Brooklyn pier with seven dollars in Indian rupees and a trunk of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures he had translated into English while in Vrindavana, India.
Settling in the lower east side of Manhattan, and though faced with many hardships, Prabhupada began giving Bhagavad-gita classes in Bowery lofts and leading kirtan (devotional chanting) in Tompkins Square Park. His sincerity attracted many young seekers, eager to learn more about meditation and Eastern spirituality. With their help, Prabhupada rented a small storefront in New York’s Lower East Side and continued giving daily classes and leading kirtan.
Within a few years, his mission had expanded throughout North America and Europe, as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON.
In the following 11 years, Prabhupada (now honored with the title – Srila Prabhupada) circled the globe 14 times, bringing Krishna to tens of thousands of people on six continents. With their help, he established centers and projects throughout the world including temples, ashrams, farm communities, schools, universities, and what would become the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program. During this time, Srila Prabhupada continued his translation work and authored an unprecedented number of books, over 70 titles, subsequently translated into 76 languages. His most prominent works include Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the 30-volume Srimad-bhagavatam, and the 17-volume Sri Caitanya-caritamrita.In 1977, at the age of 81, A.C. Prabhupada Swami Prabhupada passed away in Vrindavan, surrounded by his loving disciples who continue to preserve his legacy, and expand his mission. Although for thousands of years, the teachings of Krishna had rarely gone beyond India’s borders, by the extraordinary devotion and determination of Srila Prabhupada, tens of millions of people around the globe now benefit from the timeless practice of Krishna Bhakti.Srila Prabhupada initiated thousands of disciples, including H.D. Goswami. Though no longer physically present, Srila Prabhupada lives in his books, and in the hearts of those whose lives he touched. His books can be found in libraries throughout the world and for purchase through his publishing house, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.