A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) or Srila Prabhupada, born Abhay Charan De, was an Indian spiritual teacher and the founder-"acharya" (preceptor) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement". Members of the ISKCON movement view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a representative and messenger of Krishna Chaitanya.
Born in an aristocratic Kayastha family in Kolkata (then called Calcutta), he was educated at the Scottish Church College there. Before adopting the life of a novice renunciate ("vanaprastha") in 1950, he was married with children and owned a small pharmaceutical business. In 1959, he took a vow of renunciation ("sannyasa") and started writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures. In his later years, as a travelling Vaishnava monk, he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology to India and specifically to the West through his leadership of ISKCON, founded in 1966. As the founder of ISKCON, he "emerged as a major figure of the Western counterculture, initiating thousands of young Americans." He was criticized by anti-cult groups, but was well regarded by religious scholars, such as J. Stillson Judah, Harvey Cox, Larry Shinn and Thomas Hopkins, who praised Bhaktivedānta Swāmi's translations and defended the group against distorted media images and misinterpretations. Religious leaders from other Gaudiya Vaishnava institutions have also given him credit for his achievements.
He has been described as a charismatic leader who was successful in acquiring followers in many countries including the United States, Europe and India. His mission was to propagate throughout the world Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavite Hinduism that had been taught to him by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. After his death in 1977, ISKCON, the society he founded based on a form of Hindu Krishnaism using the "Bhagavata Purana" as a central scripture, continued to grow. In February 2014, ISKCON's news agency reported reaching a milestone of distributing over half a billion of his books since 1965. His translation of and commentary on the "Bhagavad Gita", titled , is considered by ISKCON adherents and many Vedic scholars as the finest, bonafide translation of Vaishnava literary works.
Honorifics.
His "sannyasa" name is "Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami" or abbreviated as "A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami".
In his 1956 and 1958 "Back to Godhead" ("BTG") magazines, "Goswami" prefixes his name. In his 1960 "BTG"s as well as some letterheads, "Tridandi Goswami" prefixes his name. In a letter, he explains his usage of "Tridandi Goswami" for Vaisnava sannyasins. In the 1970 to present "BTG"s as well as his books, his name is written with the following honorifics: "His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda".
Other honorifics:
Life.
Early life.
Born on 1 September 1896, the day after Janmastami (the birth date of lord krishna), one of the most important festivals, in a noble Kayastha Bengali family in Calcutta, he was named Abhay Charan,() Since he was born on the day of Nandotsava ("the celebration of Nanda," Krishna's father, a traditional festival in honour of Krishna's birth) he was also called Nandulāl. His parents, "Sriman" Gour Mohan De and "Srimati" Rajani De, were devout Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu). In accordance with Bengali tradition, his mother had gone to the home of her parents for the birth, and only a few days later Abhay returned with parents to his home at 6 Sitakanta Banerjee Lane, Kolkata.
He received a European-style education at the Scottish Church College affiliated to the University of Calcutta, which was well regarded among Bengali. The professors, most of whom were Europeans, were known as sober, moral men. The college was located in north Calcutta, near the De's family home on Harrison Road. In the college, Abhay Charan De (অভয়চরণ দে) was a member of the English Society as well as that of the Sanskrit Society, and it has been suggested that his education provided him with a foundation for his future leadership. He graduated in 1920 with majors in English, philosophy and economics. He rejected his diploma in response to Gandhi's independence movement. When he was 22 years old, he married Radharani Devi, who was then 11 years old, in a marriage arranged by their parents. At 14, she gave birth to their first son.
Reason for leaving home.
Once Srila Prabhupad had gone to preach about Vaishnavism and Lord Krishna, his wife sold his manuscript to a book seller in exchange of tea, after, in a conversation with his wife she said in anger said that she preferred tea over him. Srila Prabhupada tried his hardest to convince his wife to help him in his mission throughout his household life till 1950, but his wife was not interested. Srila Prabhuphada was eager and anxious to fulfill his Spiritual master's instructions and order of giving this wonderful gift of godconsciousness, Krishnaconsciousness (consciousness for Krishna) to humanity so that all souls of the world could get relief out of pains and suffering. So one day he decided to renunciate the household and dedicated his life for humanity.
Religious journey.
In 1922, when he first met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in Prayagraj he was requested to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language. In 1933 he became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta. In 1944 (from his front room at Sita Kanta Banerjee, Calcutta), he started the publication called "Back to Godhead", for which he was writer, designer, publisher, editor, copy editor and distributor. He personally designed the logo, an effulgent figure of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the upper left corner, with the motto: "Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness" greeting the readers. In his first magazine he wrote:
In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognised his scholarship with the title "Bhaktivedanta," ("") meaning "one who has realised that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the end of all knowledge" (with the words Bhakti, indicating devotion and Vedanta indicating conclusive knowledge).
His later well known name, ', is a Sanskrit title, literally meaning "he who has taken the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord" where" " denotes "Lord", and ' means "taking shelter." Also, "at whose feet masters sit". This name was used as a respectful form of address by his disciples from late 1967/early 1968 onwards. Previous to this, as with his early disciples, followers had called him "Swamiji".
From 1950 onwards, he lived at the medieval Radha-Damodar mandir in the holy town of Vrindavan, where he began his commentary and translation work of the Sanskrit work Bhagavata Purana. Of all the notable temples in Vrindavana, the Radha-Damodar mandir had at the time the largest collection of copies of the original writings of the Six Gosvamis and their followers – more than two thousand separate manuscripts, many of them 300 to 400 years old. His guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, had always encouraged him to print books, and beholding his spiritual master, Abhay felt the words deeply enter his own life – "If you ever get money, print books." referring to the need for the literary presentation of the Vaishnava culture.
Renunciation.
The Gaudiya Matha at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh was where he lived, wrote and studied, edited the "" magazine and where he donated the deity of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which stands on the altar beside those of Radha Krishna (named "Śrī Śrī Rādhā Vinodavihārījī"). During his visit in September 1959 he entered the doors of this "matha" dressed in white, as Abhoy Babu, but he left dressed in saffron, as a Vaishnava renunciate ("sannyasi"). He took his renunciate vows from his friend and godbrother Bhakti Prajnana Keshava. On becoming a sannyasa he also took the prenominal "Swami" (स्वामी Svāmī). He single-handedly published the seventeen chapter first book of "Bhagavata Purana", filling three volumes of four hundred pages each, enriched with a detailed commentary. The introduction to the first volume was a biographical sketch of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He then left India, obtaining free passage on a Scindia Line freighter named "Jaladuta", with the aim and hope of fulfilling his spiritual master's instruction to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu around the world. In his possession were a suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry cereal, about eight dollars worth of Indian currency, and several boxes of books.
Mission to the West.
In 1936, just days before Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's death, Prabhupada was specifically ordered to spread Krishna consciousness in the English language to the West. He did not take the mission given to him by his spiritual master with the utmost seriousness until he was reading a Bhagavad-gita commentary written by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, who was the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. 
When he sailed to the United States in 1965, his trip was not sponsored by any religious organization, nor was he met upon arrival by a group of loyal followers. As the Indian freighter "Jaladuta" neared his destination, the magnitude of his intended task weighed on him. On 13 September he wrote in his diary, "Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion, Lord Sri Krishna." On this occasion and on a number of others, he called on Krishna for help in his native Bengali. Examining these compositions, academics regard them as "intimate records of his prayerful preparation for what lay ahead" and a view on "how Bhaktivedanta Swami understood his own identity and mission."
By journeying to the United States, he was attempting to fulfil the wish of his guru, possible only by the grace of "his dear Lord Krishna". It was in July 1966 that he brought "global missionary Vaishnavism" to the Western world, founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City. He spent much of the last decade of his life setting up the institution. Since he was the Society's leader, his personality and his management capabilities were responsible for much of ISKCON's growth and the reach of his mission.
When it was suggested to him at the time of founding the ISKCON in 1966 that a broader term "God Consciousness" would be preferable to "Krishna Consciousness" in the title, he rejected this recommendation, suggesting that the name "Krishna" includes all other forms and concepts of God.
After a group of devotees and a temple had been established in New York, another centre was started in San Francisco in 1967. From there he travelled throughout America with his disciples, popularizing the movement through street chanting ("sankirtana"), book distribution and public speeches.
Once ISKCON was more established in San Francisco, a small number of devotees from the San Francisco temple were sent to London, England where they came into contact with The Beatles. George Harrison took the greatest interest, spending a significant amount of time speaking with him and producing a record with members of what became the London Radha Krsna Temple.
Over the following years his continuing leadership role took him around the world several times setting up temples and communities on other continents. By the time of his death in Vrindavan in 1977, ISKCON had become an internationally known expression of Vaishnavism.
Through his mission, he followed and communicated the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and introduced bhakti yoga to an international audience. Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism this was viewed as the fulfilment of a long time mission to introduce Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings to the world.
Death.
Bhaktivedanta Swami died on 14 November 1977 at the age of 81, in Vrindavan, India. His body was buried in Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan.
In India.
Beginning his public preaching mission in India, he founded the League of Devotees in Jhansi in 1953.
Following the establishment of temples and centers in the United States and Europe, he returned to India in 1971, holding many public programs which were well attended. From 1971 onwards, the movement became increasingly popular and spread throughout India. He was particularly eager to see the progress on "the impressive temple project in" Mumbai which he and his disciples had fought with determination to establish, with large temples in Mayapur and Vrindavan to follow in the mid-1970s. To promote the vedic education system within the modern Indian education structure, he introduced a chain of Gurukul in various part of India. The Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School is one of the most successful schools in the list.
In 1996, the Government of India recognized his accomplishments by issuing a commemorative stamp in his honour as a part of Prabhupada Centennial celebrations.
Speaking at the inauguration of ISKCON's cultural center in New Delhi on the occasion of Ramnavmi in 1998, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then newly elected Prime Minister of India, said:
Srila Prabhupada also dreamed of building a Vedic Planetarium Temple that would show the creation of the universe according to the "Bhagavata Purana", for which he asked his disciple Alfred Ford ( Ambarish Das) to help. This temple is being built in Mayapur.
Monuments.
A number of memorial "samadhis" or shrines to Bhaktivedanta Swami were constructed by the members of ISKCON in his remembrance, the largest being in Mayapur and Vrindavan India as well as the larger sized temples in the United States. Prabhupada's Palace of Gold was designed and constructed by devotees of the New Vrindavan community and dedicated on 2 September 1979. In 1972, it was intended to be simply a residence for Bhaktivedanta Swami, but over time the plans evolved into an ornate marble and gold palace, which is now visited by thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year and is a centrepiece of the community that strongly relies upon tourist trade.
Books and publishing.
Bhaktivedanta Swami's books are considered one of the most significant contributions. During the final twelve years of his life, Bhaktivedanta Swami translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures (e.g. "Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita" and "Srimad Bhagavatam") into the English language. For their authority, depth and clarity, his books have won praise from professors at colleges and universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cornell, Columbia, Syracuse, Oberlin, and Edinburgh. His "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is" was published by Macmillan Publishers in 1968 with an unabridged edition in 1972. It is now available in over sixty languages around the world with some of his other books available in over eighty different languages. In February 2014, ISKCON's news agency reported reaching a milestone of distributing over half a billion books authored by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada since 1965.
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was established in 1972 to publish his works, and it has also published his multi-volume biography, "Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta", that according to Larry Shinn, will "certainly be one of the most complete records of the life and work of any modern religious figure". Prabhupada reminded his devotees before his death that he would live forever in his books, and through them would remain present as a spiritual master ("guru"). Bhaktivedanta Swami had instilled in his followers an understanding of the importance of writing and publishing not only with regard to his works, but also their own initiatives. His early disciples felt Prabhupada had given them "Back To Godhead" for their own writings from the very start.
A prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava figure, Shrivatsa Goswami, who, as a young man, met Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1972, affirmed the significance of book publishing and distribution in spreading the message of Caitanya in an interview with Steven Gelberg:
Bhaktivedanta Swami said:
Other typical expressions present a different perspective, where he would point out that "today I may be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a Christian or Muslim. In this way faiths can be changed, but dharma is a natural sequence, a natural occupation or a connection and it can not be changed, because it is permanent, according to him." While the ISKCON theology of personal god is close to Christian theology, both personal and monotheistic, being a preacher of bhakti and a missionary he sometimes would add that "already many Christians have tasted the nectar of divine love of the holy name and are dancing with "karatalas" (hand-cymbals) and "mridangas" (drums)."
His approach to modern knowledge is similar to that of sectarian Orthodox Judaism, where the skills and technical knowledge of modernity are encouraged, but the values rejected. "Whatever our engagement is, by offering the result to Krishna we become Krishna conscious". Bhaktivedanta Swami himself taught a dualism of body and soul and that of the genders. Similar to many traditional religions he considered sexuality and spirituality as conflicting opposites. Among some liberal male followers there is a positive recognition of his example in applying the spirit of the law according to time, place, person and circumstance, rather than literal tracing of the tradition.
Published works.
Other works.
Additional books have been published posthumously.