Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (English: Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; born- September 1, 1896, Kolkata, West Bengal; died- November 14, 1977, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh) was a famous Gaudiya Vaishnav guru and preacher. He expressed his views on Vedanta, Krishna Bhakti and related areas and worked to spread Krishna consciousness to the western world. He was a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur Saraswati, who inspired and encouraged him to spread Vedic knowledge through English. Swami Prabhupada founded “ISKCON” and published and edited many Vaishnava religious texts.
Swami Prabhupada was born in 1896 AD. Was born in Kolkata city of India. His childhood name was Abhay Charan. Father’s name was Gaur Mohan Dey and mother’s name was Rajni. His father was a cloth merchant. His house was located at 151, Harrison Road in North Kolkata. Gour Mohan Dey brought up his son Abhay Charan as a Krishna devotee. Abhay Charan met his Guru Maharaj Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami in 1922. Eleven years later, in 1933, he became his formally initiated disciple in Prayag.[1]
Swami Prabhupada was asked by his guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to spread Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the following years, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on ‘Shrimad Bhagavad Gita’ and supported the work of Gaudiya Math. In 1944, Srila Prabhupada, without anyone’s help, started an English fortnightly magazine, editing, typing the manuscript and editing the printed material all by himself. Despite immense struggle and hardships, Srila Prabhupada did not allow this magazine to be closed. Now this magazine “Back to Godhead” is also being run in western countries and is being published in more than thirty languages.
Recognizing the importance of Srila Prabhupada’s philosophical knowledge and devotion, the Gaudiya Vaishnav Samaj honored him with the title of Bhakti Vedanta in 1947.
After attaining sannyasa in 1959, Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada translated ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Purana’ into English in several volumes in Vrindavan, Mathura. After publishing the first three volumes, he left for America in 1965 to complete the rituals of his Gurudev. When he first arrived in New York City by cargo ship he did not have a penny. After about a year of extreme difficulty, in July 1966 he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). In 1968, as an experiment, Nav-Vrindavan was established in the hills of Virginia, America. Impressed by this rich agricultural area of two thousand acres, his disciples established such communities in other places also. In 1972, he established the Gurukul in Dallas, Texas and initiated the Vedic system of primary and secondary education.
Before his appearance in ‘Krishna-Balram Temple’, Vrindavan Dham on November 14, 1977, Srila Prabhupala, due to his skillful guidance, had established ‘ISKCON’ with more than a hundred temples across the world in the form of schools, temples, institutions and Created a large organization of agricultural communities. He provided a unique treatment of Krishna devotion to the world by establishing ‘International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ i.e. ‘ISKCON’. Today, ISKCON’s more than eight hundred centres, temples, gurukuls and hospitals around the world are living proof of Prabhupada’s foresight and unique management abilities.
authenticity of texts
The authenticity, depth and study of Srila Prabhupada’s texts reflected in them are extremely valid. The practice of establishing Krishna as the Supreme Lord of the universe and always chanting “Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare” on the mouth of the followers was established by him. 1950 AD Srila Prabhupada retired from household life and then began to live an ascetic life, so that he could devote more time to his studies and writing. After coming to Vrindavan Dham, he stayed in the medieval historical Shriradha Damodar temple in very virtuous circumstances. There he remained engaged in serious study and writing for many years. He took retirement in 1959 AD. In Sriradha Damodar Temple, Srila Prabhupada started the best and most important book of his life. This book was – “Translation and interpretation of Srimad Bhagwat Purana numbering eighteen thousand verses in several volumes in English”.
demise
Srila Prabhupada ji died on November 14, 1977 in Vrindavan Dham, the famous religious city of Mathura.