A Biography of Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which brought a spiritual dimension to the lives of thousands of his followers. He was a rare personality who appeared on the earth and dedicated his life to spreading God consciousness all over the world.
The scriptures recommend the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna (Harinama sankirtan) as the devotional practice best suited for the present age for spiritual perfection. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared over 500 years ago in West Bengal, India was the greatest exponent of this method. He predicted that His message will be carried to every town and village of this world by a powerful spiritual ambassador. The life and activities of Srila Prabhupada prove beyond doubt that he was the empowered personality who appeared to fulfil this prediction.
You can read a brief biography of Srila Prabhupada by clicking on the links given below.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a pure devotee of Lord Krishna and a bona fide spiritual master in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. He translated into English three major texts – Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita that contain the essence of Vedic knowledge. He also wrote a number of other books that explain in detail the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada’s books have been translated into more than 80 languages and they are known for their authoritative presentation of Vedic knowledge with depth, clarity and lucidity. They have earned the appreciation of scholars from different universities around the world. Srila Prabhupada wanted his books to be widely published and distributed everywhere. We are making a humble effort in this direction by distributing his books extensively for the spiritual benefit of all.
Srila Prabhupada gave the essence of Vedic knowledge to the world in its pure form and true spirit as passed down in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. He taught that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all other jivas are His parts and parcels. The ultimate spiritual perfection of every jiva is to re-establish his relationship with the Lord and engage in His loving devotional service (bhakti) unconditionally. The easiest and the most sublime path to attain this in the present age, as recommended in Vedic literatures is the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. It is the yuga-dharma of Kaliyuga. This in conjunction with other methods of bhakti-yoga such as Deity worship, reading the holy scriptures, etc., will enable one to get liberated from the cycle of birth and death and go back to the spiritual abode of the Lord. We request you to read Srila Prabhupada’s books for a detailed study of his teachings.
Srila Prabhupada showed by his own words and deeds the true merits of an acharya. He holds a unique position in the history of Vaishnavism. With unflinching devotion to Lord Krishna and His holy name and a firm determination to carry out the order of his spiritual master, he spread Krishna consciousness all over the world in his advanced age in just a span of 12 years - an unprecedented task in the history of mankind. He established 108 Krishna temples in major cities around the world. Thousands of people were inspired by his books, lectures, conversations, letters, etc., and became his disciples, giving up their sinful life. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, founded by him is now the world’s largest publisher of Vedic literature. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature, and culture. These are just some of the glorious deeds of this great divine personality which cannot be described fully.