A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Biography

Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual teacher who is better known as the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) or "Hare Krishna Movement". This charismatic leader, through his teachings and ISKCON, he propagated Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavite Hinduism, taught to him by his guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He was born Abhay Charan De in Kolkata in 1896. His significant contributions are in the forms of books as well. In 25 years, he translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures to English. Those translation works include Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam also. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was established in 1972 to publish his works and his multi-volume biography, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta was also published by the same Trust.

He was born on 1 September 1896, the day after Janmastami in Tollygunge suburb of Kolkata, West Bengal. He was named Abhay Charan by his parents Sriman Gour Mohan De and Srimati Rajani De, who were great devotees of Vishnu. His college studies were done at prestigious Scottish Church College. During his years in the college, Abhay Charan De was a member of both Sanskrit and English Societies. He graduated in 1920, but rejected the diploma in response to Gandhi's independence movement. He also wore only cotton clothes, inspired by Gandhian philosophy. At 22 years old Abhay married Radharani Devi, who was 11 years old. First son was born when Radharani was only 14.

In 1922, he first met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In 1932, he became his formal disciple. In 1944, he started the publication called ‘Back to Godhead’. In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognised his scholarship with the title Bhaktivedanta. From 1950 onwards, he lived at the medieval Radha-Damodar mandir in the holy town of Vrindavan busy with translation works.

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Updated: March 12, 2014