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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Maths (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple.
At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, assisted the Gaudiya Math in its work and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine, edited it, typed the manuscripts and checked the galley proofs. He even distributed the individual copies and struggled to maintain the publication. This same magazine was later continued by his disciples in the West and published in nineteen languages.
In 1947 the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society honoured Srila Prabhupada with the title Bhaktivedanta, giving recognition to his philosophical learning in devotion. In 1950, at the age of 54, Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Srila Prabhupada travelled to the holy city of Vrindavana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the ancient temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his greatest work: a multi-volume translation of and commentary on the eighteen-thousand-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets.
After publishing three volumes of the Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. He was then 70 years old. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Maths (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple.
At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, assisted the Gaudiya Math in its work and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine, edited it, typed the manuscripts and checked the galley proofs. He even distributed the individual copies and struggled to maintain the publication. This same magazine was later continued by his disciples in the West and published in nineteen languages. 
In 1947 the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society honoured Srila Prabhupada with the title Bhaktivedanta, giving recognition to his philosophical learning in devotion. In 1950, at the age of 54, Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Srila Prabhupada travelled to the holy city of Vrindavana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the ancient temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his greatest work: a multi-volume translation of and commentary on the eighteen-thousand-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets.
After publishing three volumes of the Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. He was then 70 years old. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India.
In 1965, when he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Srila Prabhupada was alone and practically penniless. After almost a year of great difficulty, he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in July of 1966. Before his passing away on November 14, 1977, he guided the Society and saw it grow to a world-wide movement of more than 108 ashrams, schools, temples, institutes, restaurants and farm communities.
In 1968, Srila Prabhupada created New Vrindaban, an experimental Vedic community in the hills of West Virginia. Inspired by the success of New Vrindaban, a thriving farm community, his students have since founded several similar communities in the United States and abroad and of course in India.
In 1972, His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary and secondary education in the West by founding the Gurukula school in Dallas, Texas. Since then, under his supervision, his disciples have established children's schools throughout the United States and the rest of the world. The principal educational centre is located in Vrindavana, India.
Srila Prabhupada also inspired the construction of several large international cultural centres in India. The centre at Mayapur in West Bengal is the site for a planned spiritual city, with temples, ashrams, guest houses, restaurants, schools, university, airport, stadium and planetarium, a cultural exposition building which will depict in models and paintings all the different planetary systems as described scientifically in the Vedic literature. Mayapur and other centres in India have also become models for self-sufficiency by farming, cow protection and cottage industries, such as spinning and weaving, production of incense and other items of daily use. In Vrindavana, India, is the magnificent Krishna- Balarama Temple and International Guest House. There is also a cultural and educational centre in Bombay. Other centres are planned in a dozen other important locations on the Indian subcontinent. 
Srila Prabhupada brought about a revival of spiritualism in art by engaging the talents of his disciples to draw and paint hundreds of illustrations and also to create sculptures and diagrams depicting the pastimes and features of God and His associates according to shastric descriptions as well as to produce performances in drama, dance and music.
Under Srila Prabhupada's direction, the Bhaktivedanta Institute was founded by his disciples to bring Vedic evidence to the attention of world scientists and challenge the basis of current scientific research and theory.
Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution, however, are his books. Highly respected by the academic community for their authoritativeness, depth and clarity, they are used as standard textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into 28 languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusively to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has become the world's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.
In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age (70- 82), Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
Srila Prabhupada established his international society based on five principles: (1) associating with devotees sadhu- sanga, (2) chanting the Holy Namesnama kirtana, (3) hearing Srimad-BhagavatamBhagavad sravana, (4) living in a holy place Mathura vasa and (5) worshipping the deitysri murtira shraddhaya sevana.
Srila Prabhupada instituted a system of initiation. The acceptance of the Holy Name from the spiritual master is Bhagavata vidhi initiation. The second initiation is both Vedic and pañcharatric initiation (these mantras are namatmika mantras; the actual mantra is the Hare Krishna maha-mantra).
Srila Prabhupada's initiated disciples of more than 5,000. Young and old and from countries all over the world, his students have embraced Vedic principles enthusiastically, chanting Hare Krishna in towns and villages world-wide. It is said in Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 6.279): lohake yavat sparsi hema nahi kare, tavat sparsa-mani keha chinite na pare: "One cannot understand the value of touchstone until it turns iron into gold. One should judge by action, not by promises. A maha-bhagavata (great spiritual personality) can turn a living entity from abominable material life to the Lord's service. This is the test of a maha-bhagavata."
Srila Prabhupada is the Sampradaya Acharya for the Brahma- Madhva- Gaudiya Sampradaya. Before his departure in 1977, he appointed senior disciples to continue to oversee the affairs of his international society and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and to recruit, initiate and train new disciples on his behalf.
Summary of Srila Prabhupada's contributions more than 160 books published 108 temples and ashrams world-wide, guest houses, farms modeled after Vedic civilizations, schools, new field of art in paintings, sculpture, drama, dance, music
vegetarian restaurants
prasadam distribution to millions
society of more than 5,000 initiated disciples and thousands of lay followers
engaging modern technology (typewriters, computers and printing press, radio, television, photography, video production, automobiles, aero planes, etc.) in devotional service to Krishna and thereby demonstrating practically the principle of total renunciation (yukta-vairagya).
The Disciples Succession Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarshayo vidhuh (Bhagavad-gita 4.2). The science of Krishna consciousness is received through this disciples succession:
1) Krishna, 2) Brahma, 3) Narada, 4) Vyasa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanabha,
7) Nrihari, 8) Madhava, 9) Akshobhya, 10) Jayatirtha, 11) Jñanasindhu,
12) Dayanidhi, 13) Vidyanidhi, 14) Rajendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Purushottama,
17) Brahmanyatirtha, 18) Vyasatirtha, 19) Lakshmipati, 20) Madhavendra Puri,
21) Ishvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita), 22) Lord Chaitanya, 23) Rupa
(Svarupa, Sanatana), 24) Raghunatha, Jiva, 25) Krishnadasa, 26) Narottama,
27) Vishvanath, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannatha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakishora,
31) Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, 32) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the chain of disciples succession from Madhva Acarya, but the Vaisnavas in His line do not accept the tattva-vadis, who also claim to belong to the Madhva-sampradaya. To distinguish themselves clearly from the tattva-vadi branch of Madhva's descendants, the Vaisnavas of Bengal prefer to call themselves Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Sri Madhva Acarya is also known as Sri Gaudapurnananda, and therefore the name Madhva- Gaudiya- sampradaya is quite suitable for the disciples succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Our spiritual master, Om Visnupada Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, accepted initiation in the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya.
As stated in the Bhagavad-Gita- Gita (4.2): evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhu: "This supreme science was thus received through the chain disciples succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way." This parampara system extends from Manu to Iksvaku and from Iksvaku to his sons and grandsons. The rulers of the world in the line of hierarchy execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the parampara system. Anyone interested in peaceful life must participate in this parampara system and perform yajnas. As Gaudiya Vaisnavas in the parampara system of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we must perform sankirtana yajna all over the world (yajnaai sankirtana prayair yajanti hi sumedhasasah)(SB 8.14.6) |
