Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada was born as Abhay Charan De on Nandotsava (September 1, 1896) to a pious Vaishnav family in Calcutta. As a youth, growing up in British-controlled India, Abhay became involved with Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement to secure independence for his nation. It was, however, a 1922 meeting with a prominent scholar and religious leader, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, which proved most influential on Abhay’s future calling. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was a leader in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, and asked Abhay to spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to the English-speaking world. Abhay became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in 1933, and resolved to carry out his spiritual master’s request. Abhay, later known by the honorific A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, spent the next 32 years preparing for his journey west.
In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, Srila Prabhupada traveled to New York City aboard a cargo ship. The journey was treacherous, he suffered two heart attacks aboard ship. Arriving in the United States with just seven dollars in Indian rupees and his translations of sacred Sanskrit texts (Srimad Bhagavatam), Srila Prabhupada began to share the timeless wisdom of Krishna consciousness. His message of peace and goodwill resonated with many young people, some of whom came forward to become serious students of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. With the help of these students, Srila Prabhupada rented a small storefront on New York’s Lower East Side to use as a temple. On July 11, 1966, he officially registered his organization in the state of New York, formally founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
In the eleven years that followed, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe 14 times on lecture tours, spreading the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to thousands of people around the globe. Men and women from all backgrounds and walks of life came forward to accept his message, and with their help, Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON centers and projects throughout the world. Under his inspiration and guidance, many of his disciples established temples, rural communities, educational institutions, and started what would become the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program (Food For Life). With the desire to nourish the roots of Krishna consciousness in his home country, Srila Prabhupada returned to India several times, where he sparked a revival in the Vaishnava tradition. In India, he opened dozens of temples and centres across India, including the holy towns of Vrindavan and Mayapur.
Srila Prabhupada’s most significant contributions, perhaps, are his books. He authored over 70 books on Krishna Consciousness, which are highly respected by scholars. Several of his works are used as textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into 76 languages. His most prominent works include: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, etc.
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai !!!
HH HH Rādhā Govinda Dāsa Goswāmī Mahārāja
HH Rādhā Govinda Dāsa Goswāmī Mahārāja appeared on the day of Rath Yatra Festival, The Great Charriot Festival in 1949. Just as the charriot becomes a carrier for the Lord of the Universe, Maharaj became an instrument carrying Shrimad Bhagavatam in his heart all his life and spreading it throughout the world. From childhood, he had a deep attachment for Shrimad Bhagavatam. There are incidents where he skipped school and, in seclusion, read and relished the Shrimad Bhagavatam and that too for hours. Whenever he wanted to relish Srimad Bhagavatam, he used to climb a tree on the banks of river Durgavati and place an inverted charpai on its branches to sit and read. He would relish the nectarian mellows of Srimad Bhagavatam so much that he would go on reading throughout the day.
Mahārāja came across news about Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna-bhakti preaching in America. Intrigued, he traveled to Benares to meet the renowned spiritual teacher. When Prabhupada later set out for Gorakhpur,Mahārāja followed him there, at Krishna Niketan in Gorakhpur,Mahārāja entered into a discussion with Prabhupada about the identity of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. While Mahārāja asserted that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, Prabhupada firmly stated that He was a devotee of Krishna. Though Mahārāja initially spoke harshly, Prabhupada responded with hearty laughter. It was only when Prabhupada’s disciples arrived and offered obeisances that Mahārāja realized he was in the presence of Srila Prabhupada. Pleased with Mahārāja’s devotion, Prabhupada invited him to his room, where he continued to express his happiness with Mahārāja’s spirited defense of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s identity.
Mahārāja’s most significant contributions, perhaps, are his Bhagavat Kathas,which he has been sharing all around the world through his extensive travels. One incident that highlights Mahārāja’s connection to the Srimad-Bhagavatam occurred in Vrindavan Dham, when once Srila Prabhupada noticed that a light burning late into the night from a Brahmachari quarter’s room and he remarked, “It must be Radha Govind reading the Bhagavatam”. and indeed, when the devotees checked, they found Mahārāja engrossed in the study of Srimad Bhagavatam.
HH Rādhā Govinda Dāsa Goswāmī Mahārāja ki Jai !!!