His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Early Life and Initiation

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was born as Abhay Charan De on 1 September 1896 in Calcutta. In 1922, he met His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur, founder of Gaudiya Math, who asked Abhay to share Vedic knowledge in English. In 1933, in Allahabad, Abhay received formal initiation and devoted his life to presenting the Vedic conclusion that true freedom means release from the sufferings of material existence: birth, death, old age, and disease. He taught that this lasting state can be reached by awakening pure love for God, Krishna-prema, or Krishna-bhakti.

Writings and Honors

In the years that followed, Abhay Charanaravinda, his initiated name, wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita. In 1944, he launched Back to Godhead magazine, which continues today through the efforts of his disciples. In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognized his philosophical insight and devotion by awarding him the title Bhaktivedanta.

Founding ISKCON

After retiring from married life, A.C. Bhaktivedanta traveled to Vrindavan and lived in the modest surroundings of the Radha Damodar temple. In 1959, he accepted the sannyasa order and, as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, began his work on the multi-volume translation and commentary of the 18,000-verse Srimad Bhagavatam. In 1965, at the age of 69, when many people are thinking about retirement, he traveled to the United States to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master and founded ISKCON.

Teachings

He introduced the West to the divine teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who promoted the public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. Affectionately known by his followers as Srila Prabhupada, he taught in a non-sectarian way that every living being is an eternal servant of Lord Krishna, with a natural dormant tendency to experience the lasting bliss of pure love of God.