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Founder Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977)
He is the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the worldโs most respected spiritual leader of this age. He came to New York in 1965 and in twelve short years made the chanting of 'Hare Krishna' known throughout the world.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977)
He is the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the world’s most respected spiritual leader of this age. He came to New York in 1965 and in twelve short years made the chanting of 'Hare Krishna' known throughout the world.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was born Abhay Charan De, on the 1 September 1896, in Calcutta. In 1922 he met His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur, Founder of Gaudiya Math, who requested Abhay to broadcast Vedic knowledge in the English medium. In 1933, at Allahabad, Abhay was formally initiated and made it his life ambition to expound the Vedic conclusion that real freedom means liberation from the miseries of material life : birth, death, old age and disease, a state that can be permanently attained by awakening one’s pure love for God, Krishna-prema or Krishna-bhakti.
In the ensuing years Abhay Charanaravinda (his initiated name), wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita. In 1944 he started the Back to Godhead magazine, which to this day is being continued by his disciples.
In recognition of his philosophical knowledge and devotion the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society honoured him with the title Bhaktivedanta in 1947. Following his retirement from married life, A.C. Bhaktivedanta travelled to Vrindavan where he lived in the humble surroundings of the Radha Damodar temple. In 1959 he took the sannyasa order of life and, as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, started his work on the multi-volume translation and commentary of the 18,000 verse Srimad Bhagavatam. In 1965, at the age of 69, when ordinary persons were thinking of retirement, he went to the United States to fulfil the mission of his spiritual master and founded ISKCON.
He brought to the West the divine teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who taught the public glorification of Hare Krishna mantra. Srila Prabhupada, (as he was affectionately called by his followers), taught on a non-sectarian level that every living being is an eternal servant of Lord Krishna with a dormant natural propensity to experience the eternal bliss of pure love of God.
Famous people speaks about Srila Prabhupada
Ananta Dasi, Gaura Sundara Dasa, Govinda Dasi, Kirtanananda Dasa, Rayarama Dasa, Srila Prabhupada, behind Srila Prabhupada is Brahmananda Dasa, Hamsadutta Dasa, Himavati Dasi, Damodara Dasa, Advaita Dasa and Purushottama Dasa.
Right before this picture was taken they had all been sitting together in the Air India lounge. One devotee had brought a battery operated phonograph player which, in those days was the latest invention. They put on an LP of Srila Prabhupada chanting and everybody sang (chanted) along. The entire lounge just floated away in an ocean of melodious chanting. It was very emotional.
Srila Prabhupada accompanied by Kirtanananda, whose head was shaven and who wore an incongruous black woolen suit, Prabhupada walked slowly toward the gate. As he disappeared from view, the devotees ran for the observation deck to get a last look at his departing plane
On February 22, 1976, three hundred fifty devotees arrived on a Boeing 747 Air-India jet at Dumdum Airport in Calcutta. The special flight, all devotees, had flown from Los Angeles to New York to London, picking up more devotees at each stop. As it was the first landing of a 747 in Calcutta, the mayor, local militia, leading Air-India dignitaries, and media people were on hand to greet the historic flight. One of the devotees told a reporter that the Boeing 747's coming from the West to Calcutta was the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada. Ten busloads of devotees then rode to Mayapur. This is the picture inside Boeing 747 with devotees doing kirtan on a flight.
The ISKCON family has emerged at the forefront of the quest to create a more peaceful, harmonious and compassionate society. ISKCON's journey has been a manifestation of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.' Integration has been at the core of your philosophy.
ISKCON's story has been the story of the determination and devotion of lakhs of devotees spread across the world. Inspired by the teachings of Lord Krishna, they spread His message far and wide. The efforts of the ISKCON family in sectors like education, publishing and disaster-relief are commendable. - Testimonials by Honourable Narendra Modi on Prabhupada's ISKCON Mission
Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Ji has kindly consented to officially inaugurate Srila Prabhupada’s 125th Appearance Anniversary celebrations, and also release the commemorative Prabhupada coin on September 1st, 2021 at 4:30 PM.
Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died of a heart attack while visiting Russia. The Prime Minister had been a personal acquaintance of Srila Prabhupada's in India and an admirer of his Srimad-Bhagavatam translation. He had been scheduled to visit America, and Prabhupada had expected to obtain a personal sanction from him for the release of funds from India.
His untimely death was a great upset in Srila Prabhupada's plans to purchase the building at 143 West Seventy-second Street. The realtors had shown him the building, and he had already mentally designed the interior for Deity worship and distribution of prasadam. The money was to come from India, and Prime Minister Shastri was to give personal sanction for release of the funds. But suddenly that was all changed
When Srila Prabhupada met George Harrison, he specially instructed and encouraged him to take Krishna consciousness more seriously and help teach it to the world. George donated a property he had just bought to Srila Prabhupada, to use for his mission in England. It was an iconic mock Tudor mansion in Hertfordshire, outside London. The devotees renovated the place and made it into a temple. It came to be called Bhaktivedanta Manor.
Srila Prabhupada had sent three married couples to preach in London. After a winter of struggle, they managed to meet George Harrison of the Beatles. George liked the devotees and began associating with them regularly. He liked the concepts of Krishna consciousness and began to express his devotion to Lord Krishna in his songs. George suggested that the devotees make a record on the Apple label.
The devotees went over to George's house for a chanting session. On the day of the recording, about a dozen devotees assembled at the E.M.I. With Paul McCartney and his wife Linda operating the console, George playing the organ and Mukunda playing the mridanga, Yamuna sang the lead with Shyamasundara backing her, the other voices blending in a chorus. The first day the record sold seventy thousand copies. Within a few weeks the devotees appeared on a popular TV show Top of the Pops, singing "their song."