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"Bhaktivedanta" and "Prabhupada" redirect here. For the college, seeInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness.For other people called Prabhupada, seePrabhupad.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in Germany, 1974
Title	Founder-Acharyaof theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness
Personal
Born	Abhay Charan De (1896-09-01)1 September 1896 Calcutta,Bengal Presidency,British India
Died	14 November 1977(1977-11-14)(aged 81) Vrindavan,India
Resting place	Srila Prabhupada'sSamadhi Mandir,ISKCON Vrindavan 27.57196°N 77.67729°E/27.57196; 77.67729
Religion	Hinduism
Nationality	Indian
Parents	Gour Mohan De (father) Rajani De (mother)
Denomination	Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Lineage	fromChaitanya Mahaprabhu
Notable work(s)	Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam(trans. and comm.) Caitanya-caritāmṛta(trans. and comm.) Bhagavad-gītā As It Is(trans. and comm.) Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Teachings of Lord Caitanya The Nectar of Devotion Īśopaniṣad(trans. and comm.)
Alma mater	Scottish Churches College,University of Calcutta
Known for	the Hare Krishna movement
Signature
Religious career
Guru	Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur
Initiation	diksha:1933 (byBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati) sannyasa:1959 (byBhakti Prajnan Keshava)

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada(IAST:Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda;Bengali:ভঅভয চরণারৱিন্দ ভক্তিৱেদান্ত স্ৱামী প্রভুপাদ) (1896–1977) was the twentieth-century spiritual, philosophical, and religious teacher fromIndiawho spread theHare Krishna mantraand the teachings of “Krishna consciousness”to the world. Born as Abhay Charan De and later legally named Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, he is often referred to as “Bhaktivedanta Swami”, "Srila Prabhupada", or simply “Prabhupada”.

To carry out an order received in his youth from his spiritual teacher to spread “Krishna consciousness” inEnglish,in hisold age,at 69, he journeyed in 1965 fromKolkatatoNew York Cityon acargo ship,taking with him little more than a few trunks of books. He knew no one inAmerica,but he chanted Hare Krishna in apark in New York City,gaveclasses,and in 1966, with the help of some early students, established theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON),which now has centers throughout the world.

He taught a path in which one aims at realizing oneself to be aneternal spiritual being,distinct from one’s temporary material body, and seeks to revive one’s dormant relationship with thesupreme living being,known by theSanskritnameKrishna.One does this through various practices, especially through hearing about Krishna from standard texts, chantingmantrasconsisting of names of Krishna, and adopting a life of devotional service to Krishna. As part of these practices, Prabhupada required that his initiated students strictly refrain fromgambling,eating meat, fish, and eggs, usingintoxicants(even coffee, tea, or cigarettes), and engaging inextramarital sex.In contrast to earlier Indian teachers who had promoted in the West the idea that the ultimate truth is essentially impersonal, he taught that theAbsoluteis ultimately personal.

His duty as aguru,or teacher, he held, was to convey intact the message of Krishna as found in core spiritual texts such as theBhagavad Gita.To this end, he wrote and published a translation and commentary he calledBhagavad-gita As It Is.He also wrote and published translations and commentaries for texts celebrated in India but hardly known elsewhere, such as theSrimad-Bhagavatam(Bhagavata Purana) and theChaitanya Charitamrita,thereby making those texts accessible in English for the first time. In all, he wrote more than eighty books.

During his spreading of Krishna consciousness, his Society, ISKCON, came to be labeled a destructivecultin America andEurope.Although court cases rejected claims of culticbrainwashingand recognized ISKCON as representing a bona fide spiritual tradition, in some places the “cult” label and image have persisted.Prabhupada's work, views, and mission have been both criticized and praised, some of his statements have been perceived as racist, misogynist, or derogatory, but his teachings and the Society he established continue to be influential.

Early life (1896–1922)

Abhay Charan De was born inCalcutta(now Kolkata),India,on September 1, 1896, the day afterJanmashtami(the birth anniversary ofKrishna).His parents, Gour Mohan De and Rajani De, named him Abhay Charan, meaning “one who is fearless, having taken shelter of Lord Krishna’s lotus feet”.Following Indian tradition, Abhay’s father invited to the house an astrologer, who calculated the child’s horoscope. The astrologer predicted that at the age of seventy Abhay would cross the ocean,become a famous religious teacher, and open 108templesaround the world.

Abhay was raised in a religious family belonging to thesuvarna-vanikmercantile community. His parents wereGaudiya Vaishnavas,or followers ofChaitanya Mahaprabhu,who taught that Krishna is theSupreme Personalityand thatpure lovefor Krishna is the highest attainment.

Gour Mohan was a middle-income merchant and had his own fabric and clothing store.He was related to the rich and aristocratic Mullik mercantile family,who had been trading in gold and salt for centuries.

Opposite the De house was a temple ofRadha-Krishnathat for a century and a half had been supported by the Mullik family.Every day, young Abhay, accompanied by his parents or servants, attended temple services.

At the age of six, Abhay organized a likeness of the “chariot festival”, orRatha-yatra,the hugeVaishnavafestival held annually in the city ofPuriinOdisha.For this purpose, Abhay persuaded his father to obtain for him a scaled-down copy of the massive chariot on which the form ofJagannatha(Krishna as “Lord of the universe” ) rides in procession in Puri.Decades later, after going toAmerica,Abhay would bring Ratha-yatra festivals to the West.

Education (1916–1920)

Though Abhay’s mother wanted Abhay to go toLondonto study law,his father rejected the idea, fearing Abhay would be negatively influenced byWestern societyand acquire bad habits.In 1916 Abhay began his studies atScottish Church College,a prestigious school in Calcutta founded byAlexander Duff,aChristian missionary.

Marriage and family

File:1924 ALL BP807 1 Lilamrita-1 photo 12-TangoDrum Full.tif

Abhay Charan De (seated, left) with his wife Radharani (standing), father Gour Mohan (seated, center), and other family members. (1924)

In 1918, while in college, Abhay, as arranged by his father, married Radharani Datta, also from an aristocratic family.They had five children over the course of their marriage.After graduation from college, Abhay began a career in pharmaceuticalsand later opened his own pharmaceutical company inAllahabad.

Gandhi’s movement

Abhay grew up while India was underBritish rule,and like many other youth his age he was attracted toMahatma Gandhi'snon-cooperation movement.In 1920 Abhay graduated from college with a specialization in English, philosophy, and economics.He successfully passed the final exams, but as a sign of opposition to British rule he refused to take part in the graduation ceremony and receive a diploma.

Midlife (1922–1965)

In 1922, while still in college, Abhay was persuaded by a friend, Narendranath Mullik,to meet withBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati(1874-1937), a Vaishnava scholar and teacher and the founder of theGaudiya Math— a spiritual institution for spreading the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.(The word “math”denotes a monastic or missionary center).Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was continuing the work of his father,Bhaktivinoda Thakur(1838-1914), who regarded Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings as the highest form oftheism,intended not for any one religion or nation but for all humanity.

Memorial at the spot of Abhay Charan De's first meeting withBhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.Kolkata. (2024)

When the meeting took place, Bhaktisiddhanta said to Abhay, “You are an educated young man. Why don’t you take the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and spread it in English?”But Abhay, according to his own later account, argued that India first needed to become independent before anyone would take Chaitanya’s message seriously — an argument Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati defeated.Convinced, Abhay accepted the instruction to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English, and it was in pursuance of this order from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati that he later traveled to New York.Many years later he recalled: “I immediately accepted him as spiritual master. Not formally, but in my heart”.

The Gaudiya Math and initiation (1933)

After meeting Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in 1922, Abhay had little contact with the Gaudiya Math until 1928, whensannyasis(renounced, itinerant preachers) from the Math came to open a center inAllahabad,where Abhay and his family were living.Abhay became a regular visitor, contributed funds, and brought important people to the lectures of the Math’ssannyasis.In 1932 he visited Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in the holy town ofVrindavan,and in 1933, when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati came to Allahabad to lay the cornerstone for a new temple, Abhay receiveddiksha(spiritual initiation) from him and was given the name Abhay Charanaravinda.

Over the next three years, whenever he was able to visit Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in Calcuttaor Vrindavan,Abhay Charanaravinda would carefully hear from his spiritual master.In 1935 Abhay Charanaravinda moved for business toBombayand then in 1937 back to Calcutta.In both places he assisted other members of the Gaudiya Math by donating money, leadingkirtans,lecturing, writing, and bringing others to the Math. At the end of 1936 he visited Vrindavan, where he again met Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, who told him, “If you ever get money, print books”— an instruction that would inform his life’s work.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, two weeks before his death on January 1, 1937, wrote a letter to Abhay Charanaravinda urging him to teach Gaudiya Vaishnavism in English.After Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur passed away, the unified mission of the Gaudiya Math split,and a battle for power broke out between his seniordisciples.Although Abhay Charanaravinda continued to serve with other disciples of his spiritual master and wrote articles for their publications, he kept clear of the political struggles.

“Bhaktivedanta” title (1939)

In 1939, elders in the Gaudiya community honored Abhay Charanaravinda with the title “Bhaktivedanta”. In the title,bhaktimeans “devotion”, andvedantameans “the culmination of Vedic knowledge”.Thus the honorary title acknowledged his scholarship and devotion.

Back to Godheadmagazine (1944)

In an effort to fulfill the order of his guru, in 1944 A.C. Bhaktivedanta began publishingBack to Godhead,an English fortnightlymagazinepresenting the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.He singlehandedly wrote, edited, financed, published, and distributed the magazine,today still published and distributed by his followers.

Acceptingvanaprastha

In 1950 A.C. Bhaktivedanta accepted thevanaprastha ashram(the traditional retired order of life), and went to live in the Indian holy town of Vrindavan, regarded as the site of Krishna’sLila(divine pastimes),although continuing to commute toDelhion occasion.InMathura,adjoining Vrindavan, he wrote for and edited theGauḍīya Patrikāmagazine published by his godbrotherBhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami.

Forming “The League of Devotees” (1952)

Prabhupada'spassport,issued for his journey to the United States. (1965)

In 1952, A.C. Bhaktivedanta attempted to set up organized spiritual activities in the central Indian city ofJhansi,where he started “The League of Devotees”— only to see the organization collapse two years later.

Takingsannyasa(1959)

On September 17, 1959,prompted by a dream of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati calling on him to acceptsannyasa(renounced order of life), A.C. Bhaktivedanta formally enteredsannyasaasramafromBhakti Prajnan Keshavaat his Keshavaji Gaudiya Math inMathuraand was given the name Bhaktivedanta Swami. Wishing to preserve theinitiatory namegiven him by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, as a sign of humility and connection to his spiritual master he kept the initials “A. C”. before hissannyasaname. Now he was A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Staying at the Radha Damodar temple (1962–1965)

From 1962 to 1965 Bhaktivedanta Swami stayed in Vrindavan at the historicRadha-Damodar temple.There he began the task of translating fromSanskritinto English andcommentingon the eighteen-thousand-verseSrimad-Bhagavatam(Bhagavata Purana),the foundational text of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.With great effort and struggle, he finally succeeded to translate, produce, raise funds for, and print the first of its twelvecantos,in three volumes.

Journey to the United States (1965)

TheJaladuta.(1961)

August 31, 1965. After Prabhupada undergoes a heart attack onboard theJaladuta,for five days his diary has no entries. He then writes, “Passed over a great crisis on the struggle for life and death”.

It was at this time also, after acceptingsannyasa,that Bhaktivedanta Swami began planning to travel to America to fulfill his spiritual master’s desire to spread Chaitanya’s teachings in the West.

To leave India, Bhaktivedanta Swami had many hurdles to overcome: He needed a sponsor in America, official approvals in India, and of course a ticket for his travel. After significant difficulties he managed to secure the needed sponsorship and approvals,and at last he approached one of his well-wishers,Sumati Morarjee,the head of theScindia Steam Navigation Company,to ask for free passage to America on one of her cargo ships.Because of his age, she at first tried to dissuade him:“I said to him, ‘Swamiji, don’t go there. You are too old to go, and it will be too cold for you.’ I said, ‘Are you crazy? Old man, you are going to die! Who will look after you? What will you do there?’”

But finally she relented and granted him a ticket on afreighter,theJaladuta.Bhaktivedanta Swami began the 35-day journey to America on August 13, 1965, at the age of 69.

He took with him little more than a suitcase, an umbrella, somedry cereal,fortyIndian rupees(about seven US dollars), and two hundred three-volume sets of his translation of the first canto ofSrimad-Bhagavatam.

After surviving twoheart attacksduring his maritime journey,Bhaktivedanta Swami finally arrived at theBoston Harboron September 17, 1965, and then continued on toNew York City.

Later years (1965-1977)

Beginnings in New York City

See also:International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Bhaktivedanta Swami had no support or acquaintances in the United States except the Agarwals, an Indian-American family, who, although strangers to him, had agreed to sponsor his visa.Upon reaching New York, he took a bus to the town ofButler, Pennsylvania,where the Agarwals lived. In Butler he delivered lectures to different groups at venues like the localYMCA.

After a month in Butler, he returned by bus to New York City.He stayed at various places — sometimes in a windowless room,sometimes aBoweryloft— until with the help of early followers he found a place to stay in theLower East Side,where he converted a storefront curiosity shop with the serendipitous name “Matchless Gifts” into a small templeat 26 Second Avenue.There he offered classes on theBhagavad-gitaand otherVaishnavatexts and held kirtan (group chanting) of theHare Krishna mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The Hare Krishna Tree inTompkins Square Park,New York.

After he and his followers held Hare Krishna kirtan one Sunday under a tree in nearbyTompkins Square Park,The New York Timesreported the event: “Swami’s Flock Chants in Park to Find Ecstasy; 50 Followers Clap and Sway to Hypnotic Music at East Side Ceremony”.He slowly gained a following, mainly from young people of the60s counterculture.

In contrast to the 60s countercultural lifestyle, he required that in order to receivespiritual initiationhis followers had to vow to follow four “regulative principles”: no illicit sex (that is, sex outside of marriage), no eating of meat, fish, or eggs, no intoxicants (including drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and even coffee and tea), and no gambling.New initiates also vowed to daily chant sixteen meditative “rounds” of the Hare Krishna 'mantra' (that is, to complete sixteen circuits of chanting the mantra on a 108-bead strand). During the first year in New York, he initiated nineteen people.

In July 1966 he incorporated theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON).

In December 1966 he made a recording of Krishna kirtan (along with a brief explanatory talk) that took the form of an album entitledKrishna Consciousness,released under the “Happening” record label. The record helped the early spread of what he called “the Hare Krishna movement”.

With his small band of followers in a little storefront, he was already sharing a vision of spreading “Krishna consciousness” around the world. He asked them to help — for example, by typing his manuscripts for the second canto of theSrimad-Bhagavatam.After he completed hisBhagavad-gita As It Is(by mid January 1967),he asked a new disciple to find a publisher for it.

Bhaktivedanta Swami personally taught his first followers to spread Krishna’s message, prepare food to offer to Krishna, collect donations, and chant the Hare Krishnamaha-mantra( “great mantra” ) on the streets.

San Francisco

Main article:Mantra Rock Dance

Allen Ginsberggreeting A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami at theSan Francisco airport.(January 1967)

In 1967 Bhaktivedanta Swami established a second center, inSan Francisco.The opening of the temple in the heart of the boominghippie communityofHaight-Ashburyattracted many new adherents and was a turning point in his movement’s history, marking the beginning of rapid growth.To gain attention and raise funds, his disciples organized a two-hour concert with kirtan led by Bhaktivedanta Swami and rock performances by theGrateful Deadand other famous rock groups of the day.This “Mantra Rock Dance”,held at the popularAvalon Ballroom,attracted some three thousand peopleand brought attention to the local Hare Krishna temple. One commentator dubbed it the “ultimate high of that era”.

TheMantra-Rock Danceposter by Harvey W. Cohen (created December 1966).

Later that year, Bhaktivedanta Swami’s followers organized San Francisco’s firstRatha Yatra,the festival he had celebrated as a child in imitation of the massive parade held annually in the Indian city ofPuri.For this first San Francisco version, aflatbed truckwith four pillars holding a canopy took the place of Puri’s three huge ornate wooden vehicles.He would later establish this annual festival in major cities around the world,with big vehicles — “chariots” — and thousands of people taking part.

At first Bhaktivedanta Swami’s followers referred to him as “theSwami”or “Swamiji”.From mid-1968 onwards they called him “Prabhupada”, a respectful epithet that “enjoys currency with devotees and an increasing number of scholars”.

Great Britain and Europe

In 1968, Prabhupada asked three married couples among his disciples to open a temple inLondon,England.Following his instructions, the disciples, dressed in their robes andsaris,began singing Hare Krishna regularly on London streets and at once attracted attention. Soon newspapers carried headlines like “Krishna Chant Startles London” and “Happiness is Hare Krishna”.

A further breakthrough came in December 1969 when the disciples managed to meet with members of the rock band theBeatles,who were at the peak of their global fame.Even before then,George HarrisonandJohn Lennonhad gotten a copy of the maha-mantra recording released by Prabhupada and his students in New York and had begun singing Hare Krishna.

In August 1969, Harrison produced asingle of the Hare Krishna mantra,sung by the London disciples, and released it onApple Records.For the recording, the disciples called themselves “The Radha Krishna Temple”.Harrison told a press conference convened by Apple that the Hare Krishna mantra was not apop songbut an ancient mantra that awakened spiritual bliss in the hearts of people listening to and repeating it.Seventy thousand copies of the record sold on the first day.It rose to number 11 on the British charts,and Prabhupada’s students performed live four times on the BBC’s popular TV showTop of the Pops.The record was also a success inGermany,Holland,France,Sweden,Yugoslavia,andCzechoslovakia(as well asSouth AfricaandJapan), and so the group was invited to perform in a number of European countries.The next year, 1970, Harrison produced with Prabhupada’s disciples another hit single, “Govinda”, and in May 1971 the albumThe Radha Krishna Temple.In 1970, Harrison sponsored the publishing of the first volume of Prabhupada’s bookKṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,which relates the activities of Krishna's life as told in the tenthcantoof theSrimad-Bhagavatam.In 1973 Harrison donated a seventeen-acre estate known asPiggots Manor,fifteen miles northwest of London. The Hare Krishna devotees converted this into a rural temple-ashram and renamed itBhaktivedanta Manorin Prabhupada’s honor.

Once Prabhupada’s disciples had made a start in England, Prabhupada over the years visited England many times and from there traveled to Germany, France,Italy,Sweden,Switzerland,andthe Netherlands,leading kirtans,installingformsof Krishna in ISKCON temples, meeting religious and intellectual leaders and others keen to meet him, and guiding and encouraging his disciples.

Africa

In 1970 Prabhupada made the first of several visits toKenya.Although the disciples he had sent there had settled into doing spiritual programs for the localIndianpeople, Prabhupada insisted on doing programs meant for Africans. On one notable occasion inNairobi,when he was scheduled to do a program at an IndianRadha-Krishnatemple in a mainly African area downtown, he ordered the doors opened to invite the local residents, so that the hall soon flooded with African people.Then he heldkirtanand gave a talk. Prabhupada told his local leaders that this is what they should do: spread Krishna consciousness among the local African people.Prabhupada also later visitedMauritiusand South Africaand sent his disciples toNigeriaandZambia.

The Soviet Union

Prabhupada in front ofSaint Basil's CathedralonRed SquareinMoscow.(July 1972)

Prabhupada’s visit toMoscowfrom June 20 to June 25, 1971 marked the beginning of Krishna consciousness in theSoviet Union.During his five days in Moscow, Prabhupada managed to meet only two Soviet citizens:Grigory Kotovsky,a professor of Indian and South Asian studies, andAnatoly Pinyaev,a twenty-three-year-old Muscovite.Pinyaev, who went on to become the first Soviet Hare Krishna devotee, met Prabhupada through the son of an Indian diplomat stationed in Moscow.Prabhupada’s assistant gave Pinyaev a copy of Prabhupada’sBhagavad-gita,which Pinyaev was able to translate into Russian, copy, and then distributeundergroundin the Soviet Union duringCommunist times.Pinyaev showed a great interest in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, accepted initiation from Prabhupada, and did much to ignite interest in Krishna consciousness in the Soviet Union.Pinyaev was later imprisoned inSmolenskSpecial Psychiatric Hospitaland forcibly treated with drugs for his practice of Krishna consciousness.

India

Having achieved some success in the West, in 1970 Prabhupada directed his attention especially to India, with the hope of turning India back toward her original spiritual sensibilities.He came back to India with a party of Western disciples— ten Americansannyasisand twenty other devotees— and for the next seven years focused much of his effort on establishing temples inBombay,Vrindavan,Hyderabad,and a planned international headquarters inMayapur,West Bengal(the birthplace ofChaitanya Mahaprabhu).

By that time, Prabhupada saw, India had set a course towardsEuropeanizationand sought to imitate the West. Therefore, the appearance on Indian soil of American and European Hare Krishna devotees who had rejected Western materialism and embraced Indian spiritual culture “caused nothing less than a sensation among the modernizing (i.e.Westernizing) Indians, planting seeds for an authentic religious revival there”.

Timeline of Prabhupada's travels around the world (1965‒1977)

By the early 1970s, Prabhupada had established his movement’s American headquarters inLos Angelesand its world headquarters in Mayapur.

Around the world

In Latin America, Prabhupada visitedMexicoandVenezuela.In Asia he visitedHong Kong,Japan,Malaysia,Indonesia,andthe Philippines.He also spent time inAustralia,New Zealand,andFiji.In theMiddle Easthe visitedIran.Among the places he sent disciples to spread Krishna consciousness wasChina.

Early in the movement, Prabhupada had guided his students personally, but later, as the movement rapidly expanded, he relied more on letters and his secretaries.By giving his students instructions, advice, and encouragement, he ensured a “strong paternal presence” in their lives.He wrote more than six thousand letters, many now collected and kept at the Bhaktivedanta Archives.Besides receiving reports of accomplishments, via correspondence he also had to deal — almost daily — with setbacks, perplexities, quarrels, and failures. He tried to correct them as much as possible and kept on advancing his movement.

Wherever he was, he took an hour-long early-morning walk, which became a time for disciples to ask questions and receive personal guidance.On returning from his walk, he lectured daily on theSrimad-Bhagavatam,often reading from the portion of the manuscript he was working on. Every afternoon he met with disciples or with dignitaries and leaders from various parts of his mission.

Traveling constantly to lecture and tend to his disciples, Prabhupada circled the world fourteen times in ten years.He opened more than one hundred temples and dozens of farm communities and restaurants, as well asgurukulas(boarding schools) for ISKCON's children.He initiated nearly five thousand disciples.

Death (1977)

On November 14, 1977, at the age of 81, after a long illness,Prabhupada passed away in his room at theKrishna Balaram Mandir,the temple he had established in Vrindavan, India.His burial site is located in the courtyard of the temple beneath asamadhi(memorial shrine) built by his followers.

Succession

Prabhupada'ssamadhiinVrindavan,India.

In 1970 Prabhupada established a Governing Body Commission (GBC), then consisting of twelve leading disciples, to oversee ISKCON’s activities around the world and to serve as ISKCON’s ultimate managing authority.In 1977, four months before his departure, he appointed eleven senior disciples to perform spiritual initiations on his behalf while he was ill.

Despite the measures Prabhupada took to organize the management of his movement, his death in November 1977 caused a crisis of authority in ISKCON that destabilized the organization and became a turning point in its development.The succession process was beset by conflicts, with disagreements persisting for decades.Nonetheless, by 2023 nearly one hundred disciples and grand-disciples in succession from Prabhupada were serving as initiating gurus in his branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage.

Philosophy and teachings

File:1973 PAR V CT005157 DRUM.tif

Prabhupada talks withCardinal DaniélouinParis.(1973)

WithinEastern systems,spiritual lineages are integral to each tradition, and a teacher is mandated to maintain theological fidelity by transmitting knowledge as given in the lineage.Prabhupada comes in theBrahma-Madhva-Gaudiya lineage,which traces back to the fifteenth-century saint and mysticChaitanya Mahaprabhu(1486–1533)and the thirteenth-century theologianMadhvacharya(1238–1317), and further back, its teachings say, to the beginnings of creation.This lineage (sampradaya) follows such texts asSrimad-Bhagavatam,theBhagavad-gita,and the writings of Chaitanya’s disciples and their followers.Prabhupada’s extensivecommentarieson the sacred texts follow those ofBhaktisiddhanta,Bhaktivinoda,and other traditional teachers, such asBaladeva Vidyabhushana,Vishvanatha Chakravarti,Jiva Goswami,Madhvacharya, andRamanujacharya.

The Absolute Truth

In accordance with the teachings of theSrimad-Bhagavatam,Prabhupada taught that the supreme truth, or Absolute Truth, is the one unlimited, undivided spiritual entity that is the source of all. That Absolute Truth, he taught, is realized in three phases: asBrahman(all-pervading impersonal oneness), asParamatma(the aspect ofGodpresent within the heart of every living being), and asBhagavan,theSupreme Personality of Godhead.Though the Absolute Truth is one, he taught, that one Absolute is progressively realized in these three features according to one’s level of spiritual advancement. In the initial stage the Absolute is realized as Brahman, in a more advanced stage as Paramatma, and at the most advanced stage asBhagavan.

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

In theSrimad-Bhagavatam,and so in Prabhupada’s teachings, Krishna is seen as the original and supreme manifestation of Bhagavan– inSanskrit,svayam-bhagavan,or the Supreme Personality of Godhead himself.No one is equal to or greater than Krishna.Brahman and Paramatma are partial realizations of Krishna.The variousVishnuforms, such asRamachandraandNarasimha,are “nondifferent” from Krishna; they are the same Personality of Godhead, appearing in different roles. But the form of Krishna is the original and the most complete form. In theHindu pantheon,he taught, the gods other than the Vishnu forms aredemigods— that is, assistants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The energies of the Absolute

If the Absolute Truth is one, this raises the question of how there can be diversity. If, as theUpanishadssay, there is only the Absolute Truth and nothing else, we need some way to account for the existence of living beings, with all their differences, and the world, with all its many colors, forms, sounds, aromas, and so on. Prabhupada responds by referencing a statement from theUpanishadsthat the Absolute Truth has varied energies.As a fire located in one place gives off heat and light throughout a room, the Absolute Truth fills the world with every sort of variety.

Oneness and difference

Prabhupada taught Chaitanya’s doctrine ofachintya bheda-abheda-tattva,in which everything is seen as simultaneously, inconceivably one with the Absolute — that is, with Krishna — and yet different.By way of analogy, Prabhupada gives the example that heat is in one sense identical with the fire from which it emerges and yet the two are different — when sitting in a fire’s warmth, we are not burning in the fire itself.This “oneness and difference” accounts for the oneness of an Absolute Truth that includes limitless varieties.

The inferior and superior energies

Among Krishna’s energies, Prabhupada taught, the ingredients of this world collectively belong to Krishna’s “inferior energy”— inferior in that, being inert matter, it lacks consciousness.But superior to inert matter are theconscious living beings(jivas) that belong to Krishna’s “superior energy”.

The predicament of the living being

Because the living beings belong to Krishna’s “superior energy”, Prabhupada taught, they share in Krishna’s divine qualities, includingknowledge, bliss, and eternality(sat,cit,andananda).But because of contact with the “inferior energy” since time immemorial,the divine nature of the living beings has been covered, and subjecting the living beings in this world to ignorance, suffering, and repeated birth and death.In each life the living beings struggle against birth and death, disease and old age.While trying to control and enjoy the resources of nature, the living beings increasingly suffer from entanglement in nature’s complexities.

As spiritual beings, belonging to the “superior energy”, the living beings are different from their material bodies: the body may be male or female, young or old, white or black, American or Indian, but the living being within the body is beyond what he called these “material designations”.Prabhupada phrased this understanding in a maxim he often used: “I am not this body”.

When we falsely identify with these bodies, he taught, we are under the influence of maya, or illusion. Only when this illusion is dispelled can the soul become liberated from material existence.

Bhakti

Prabhupada taught that the living beings can be freed from illusion, and from their entire material predicament, by recognizing that they are tiny but eternal parts of Krishna and that their natural engagement lies in serving Krishna, just as a hand serves the body. Dormant within every living being, Prabhupada taught, is an eternal loving relationship with that Absolute, or Krishna, and when that loving relationship is revived, the living being resumes its natural eternal and joyful life.This eternal service in devotion to Krishna, rendered by one freed from all material designation, is calledbhakti.

Prabhupada sings a BengalibhajanbyNarottama Dasa Thakur.

One can begin practicingbhakti,Prabhupada taught, even while in the earliest stages of spiritual life. In this way,bhaktiis both the final end to be achieved and the means by which to achieve it. As a spiritual practice,bhaktiis a powerful, transformative process that purifies the soul and enables it to see God directly.

Impersonalism

Prabhupada crusaded against what he called “impersonalism” — that is, the idea that ultimately the Supreme has no form, qualities, activities, or personal attributes. In this way he stood opposed to the teachings ofShankara(A.D. 788–820), who held that everything except Brahman is illusory, including the soul, the world, and God.Before Prabhupada, Shankara’s system of thought, known asAdvaita Vedanta,had generally provided the framework for Western understandings of Hinduism,and the “steady procession of Hindu swamis” who came to America generally aligned themselves with Shankara’smonistic viewsand the idea of “the ultimate absorption of the self into an impersonal Reality or Brahman”.

But prominent Vaishnava philosophers from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries likeMadhvaandRamanujahad opposed Shankara’s views with personalistic understandings ofVedanta.Those teachers presented strong philosophical arguments criticizing Shankara’s “illusionism” (mayavada), his view that personal individuality, indeed all individuality, is illusory.Philosophers in the Gaudiya line such as, in the sixteenth century,Jiva Goswamihad continued to argue formidably against impersonalism, which they regarded astheessential metaphysical misconception”.So Prabhupada strongly opposed impersonalistic views wherever he encountered them and asserted the eternal personal existence of the Absolute and of all living beings.WhereBuddhismshares ground with Shankara’s views by teaching that ultimately personality disintegrates, leaving nothing but a voidnirvana,Buddhism too came in for Prabhupada’s strong personalistic critique.

Societal organization

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Prabhupadainitiatinga disciple into the chanting of themaha-mantra.

Prabhupada taught that society should ideally be organized in such a way that people have specific duties according to their occupation (varna) and stage of life (ashrama).The fourvarnasareintellectual work;administrative and military work;agriculture and business;andordinary labor and assistance.The fourashramasarestudent life,married life,retired life,andrenounced life.In accordance with theBhagavad-gitaand in opposition to the modernHinducaste system,Prabhupada taught that one’svarna,or occupational standing, should be understood in terms of one’s qualities and the work one actually does, not by one’s birth.

Moreover, devotional qualifications always supersede material ones.Following Chaitanya, who challenged the caste system and undercut hierarchical power structures,Prabhupada taught that anyone could take to the practice ofbhakti-yogaand become self-realized through the chanting of God’sholy names,as found in theHare Krishna maha-mantra.

Prabhupada also emphasized the importance of self-sufficient farming communities as places where one could live simply and cultivate Krishna consciousness.

Spiritual practices

Kirtan

Pranbhupada plays theharmoniumduring a recording session in Germany. (1974)

The main spiritual practice Prabhupada taught wasKrishna sankirtana(also simply calledkirtanorkirtana), in which people musically chant together names of Krishna, especially in the form of themaha-mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Kirtanliterally means “description”, hence “praise”, andsankirtanaindicateskirtanperformed by people together.

On the authority of traditionalSanskrit texts,Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had taught that Krishnakirtanis the most effective method for spiritual realization in the present age (Kali-yuga) – more effective than silent meditation (dhyana), speculative study (jnana), worship in temples (puja), or performing the various physical or mental disciplines ofyoga.Krishna kirtan,he had taught, can be done by anyone, anywhere, at any time, and without hard-and-fast rules. Because the names of Krishna are “transcendental sounds”, identical with Krishna himself, the chanting is spiritually uplifting.

Prabhupada leadsHare Krishna kirtanand explains themaha-mantra.October 1966.

When Prabhupada began his efforts to spread Krishna consciousness in the United States, he heldkirtansin aBoweryloft, in his early storefront temples, inTompkins Square ParkinNew YorkandGolden Gate ParkinSan Francisco,and wherever else he went.Following Prabhupada, his disciples soon began holdingkirtansregularly in streets, parks, temples, and other venues in major cities inNorth AmericaandEuropeand then inLatin America,Australia,Africa,andAsia.Because of Hare Krishnakirtan,Prabhupada’s movement itself came to be referred to simply as “Hare Krishna” and its followers as “Hare Krishnas”.

Theologically speaking, the termsankirtanacan extend from the public chanting of Hare Krishna to the distribution of books spoken by or about Krishna.Kirtanin the sense of public chanting is traditionally accompanied bykartals(hand cymbals) andmridangas(drums), and Prabhupada’s spiritual master and grand spiritual master had said that distribution of Krishna literature was the “greatmridanga”because such distribution spreads Krishna consciousness still further.Prabhupada therefore gave great importance to such distribution.

Association with devotees

Prabhupada’s tradition constantly makes the point that “association with saints inspires saintliness, association with devotees inspires devotion. The association of genuine devotees can exert a powerful effect upon one's consciousness”.And so when Prabhupada incorporated ISKCON, its founding document included as one the Society’s purposes “To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna”.

Initiation vows

Prabhupada required of his followers, as a prerequisite for spiritual initiation, that they promise to follow four “regulative principles”: no illicit sex (that is, nosex outside of marriage), no eating of meat, fish, or eggs, nointoxicants(including drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and even coffee and tea), and nogambling.New initiates also vowed to daily chant sixteen meditative “rounds” of theHare Krishna mantra(that is, to complete sixteen circuits of chanting the mantra on a 108-bead strand).

Hearing ofSrimad-Bhagavatam

For at least the last millennium, theSrimad-Bhagavatamhas been “by far the most important work in the Krishna tradition” and “the scripturepar excellenceof the Krishnaite schools”.It is sometimes described as “the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree”.Accordingly, Prabhupada instituted daily classes on theBhagavatamin all his centers,and he spoke onBhagavatamdaily, wherever he went.

Deity worship

In accordance with traditional Vaishnava teachings, Prabhupada introduced worship of Krishna in the form of amurti:figures cast in metal or carved in stone or wood to match descriptions of Krishna given inVaishnava texts.Scholar of religion Kenneth Valpey writes:

“Prabhupāda explained that although omnipresent, Kṛṣṇa makes himself perceivable and hence worshipable through material elements which are, after all, his own ‘energies.’ Based on this reasoning one should understand the image of Kṛṣṇa to be ‘Kṛṣṇa personally,’ appearing in a way quite suitable for our vision,’ that is, perceivable by ordinary persons with ordinary powers of sight”.

Prabhupada taught that because Krishna is personally present as the deity (the term Prabhupada used for such a form), worshiping the deity helps one develop loving exchanges with Krishna. Prabhupada installed deities in ISKCON temples around the world.

Deities ofRadha and Krishnainstalled by Prabhupada inhis templeinVrindavan,India.

Food prepared and offered to the deity of Krishna with devotion becomes sanctified askrishna-prasadam( "mercy of Krishna" ). Prabhupada taught that eating onlyprasadampurifies one’s existence and helps one develop inbhakti.From the beginning of his mission Prabhupada distributedprasadamto visitorsand soon made it into the movement's major outreach vehicle.A weeklyprasadamfeast for the public has always been a program at all of ISKCON centers.Prabhupada wrote, “The Hare Krishna Movement is based on the principle: chant Hare Krishna mantra at every moment, both inside and outside of the temples, and, as far as possible, distribute prasadam".

Living in Vrindavan

Prabhupada’s predecessors such asRupa Goswamihad taught the value of living inVrindavan(sometimes spelled “Vrindaban” ), the sacred town betweenAgraandNew Delhithat is held to be the site of Krishna’s rural “pastimes” on earth and therefore conducive to constant remembrance of Krishna. Prabhupada accordingly brought his disciples on pilgrimage to Vrindavan and there established theKrishna-Balaram temple.Yet with a broader outlook he wrote one disciple, “[W]herever you remain, if you are fully absorbed in your transcendental work in Krishna consciousness, that place is eternally Vrindaban. It is the consciousness that creates Vrindaban”.

Principal writings

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati,who had specifically encouraged writing and publishing, at one meeting told Prabhupada: If you ever get money, print books.So regardless of how busy or sometimes unwell Prabhupada might have been, he remained focused on producing books.Prabhupada slept little, waking at 1:00 am every nightto translate and comment on theSrimad-Bhagavatamand other texts.During the day he would give attention to guiding disciples and seeing to the affairs of his international society and its temples, and very early in the morning, while most people were asleep, he did most of his writing “because even with his age and uncertain health, he was unwilling to sacrifice his writing time for extra rest”.

By 1970 he had translated theBhagavad-gita,two cantos of theBhagavatam,a summary study of its tenth canto, and a summary volume drawn from the expansiveCaitanya-caritamrta.From 1970 on, his literary output slowed only slightly due to the demands of his expanding Hare Krishna movement.His task, as scholars have observed, was not merely to translate the text but to translate an entire tradition.

Historian of religionThomas Hopkinsrelates that Prabhupada told him in a conversation inPhiladelphiain 1975 that "theGitaprovided the basic education on Krishna devotion, theSrimad-Bhagavatamwas like graduate study, and theCaitanya-caritamritawas likepostgraduate educationfor the most advanced devotees”.

Hopkins says that by presenting in English such works as theBhagavatamandCaitanya-caritamrta,Prabhupada made important texts accessible to the Western world that were simply not accessible before. Hopkins says, “[W]hat few English translations there were of theBhagavataPuranaandCaitanya-caritamrtawere barely adequate and very hard to get hold of”.Prabhupada, Hopkins says, “made these and other texts available in a way that they never were before” and “made the tradition itself accessible to the West”.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

President of IndiaPratibha Patilreceives a copy ofBhagavad Gita As It Is.(14 December 2011)

In 1966-67, Prabhupada wrote a translation and commentary on theBhagavad-gitahe entitledBhagavad-gita As It Is.It was first published by theMacmillan Companyin 1968 in an abridged edition and later, in 1972, in full.For each verse he first gives theSanskritDevanagari script,then aroman transliterationand word-for-word gloss, followed by his translation and a commentary, or “purport”.Scholar of religion Richard H. Davis comments that this was “the first English translation of theGitato supply an authentic interpretation from an Indian devotional tradition”.It is “by far the most widely distributed of all English Gita translations”.In 2015 Davis wrote, “The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust estimates that twenty-three million copies of Prabhupada’s translation have been sold, including the English original and secondary translations into fifty-six other languages”.For Prabhupada, Davis says, “the essential fact about theBhagavad-gitais its speaker. TheGitacontains the words of Krishna, and Krishna is the ‘Supreme Personality of Godhead.’” In Prabhupada’s view, other translations lack authority because the translators use them to express their own opinions rather than the message of Krishna. In contrast, Prabhupada saw his task in presenting what Krishna wanted to say, and so he claimed to present theBhagavad-gita“as it is”.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

At once a sacred history, a theological treatise, and a philosophical text,theSrimad-Bhagavatam“stands out by reason of its literary excellence, the organization that it brings to its vast material, and the effect that it has had on later writers”.Praising the poetry of theBhagavatam,scholar of religionEdwin Bryantsays, “[S]cholars of the text have every right to say that ‘theBhagavatacan be ranked with the best of the literary works produced by mankind.’”

Prabhupada’s edition ofSrimad-Bhagavatam,with his translation and commentary.

It was this great work that Prabhupada, after takingsannyasa,set out to present in English, with, once again, the original Sanskrit text, its word-for-word meanings, a translation, and an in-depth commentary.Also known asSrimad-BhagavataPurana,BhagavataPurana,or just theBhagavataSrimad-Bhagavatamis a work of twelve books ( “cantos”was the word Prabhupada used) comprising more than fourteen thousand verse couplets.“Srimad”means “beautiful” or “glorious”.

Prabhupada began his translation and commentary on theBhagavatamafter acceptingsannyasain 1959, and by 1965 he had completed and published the first canto.He worked on translating theSrimad-Bhagavataminto English for the rest of his life.

The cantos were published one by one, as he finished them. He completed nine cantos and thirteen chapters of the tenth. The rest of theBhagavatamwas completed by his disciples.

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Considering his old age and the vast size of theBhagavatam,Prabhupada knew he might not live to finish it. So in 1968 he undertook to present theBhagavatam’s tenth canto — the essence of the work — in summary form asKrsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This summary study is “Prabhupada’s own exposition of the story of Krishna as it is told in the Tenth Canto”.It “laid out the account of Krishna from theBhagavata Puranathat provides the images and stories central to Krishna devotion”.

As Bryant says:

“The tenth book of theBhāgavatahas inspired generations of artists, dramatists, musicians, poets, singers, writers, dancers, sculptors, architects and temple-patrons across the centuries. Its stories are well known to every Hindu household across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent, and celebrated in regional festivals all year round”.

Prabhupada himself inspired artists among his disciples to provide the text with profuse full-color illustrations. Such illustrations became a feature of nearly all his books.

A related work isLight of the Bhagavat,written by Prabhupada in Vrindavan in 1961, before he went to the West, but published only after his death. The book is a treatment of one chapter (chapter twenty) of the tenth canto. Prabhupada composed forty-eight commentaries for the chapter’s verses. The book is accordingly illustrated with forty-eight paintings.

Ishopanishad

In 1969 Prabhupada published, again in his full verse-by-verse format, his translation and commentary for theIshopanishad— also known as theĪśa UpaniṣadorĪśāvāsya Upaniṣad,which in 1960 he had partially serialized in hisBack to Godheadmagazine.TheIshopanishad,consisting of only eighteenmantras,is considered one of the principalUpanishads.In all indigenous collections of theUpanishads,theIśopaniṣadcomes first.Its first verse, “highly regarded as a capsule of Vedic theology”,presents a god-centered view of the universe.The celebrated traditional commentatorShankarawrote, “One who is eager to rid himself of the suffering and delusion of saṁsāra, created by ignorance, and attain Supreme Bliss is entitled to read thisUpaniṣad”.

The Nectar of Devotion

Begun in 1968,The Nectar of Devotionis a summary study ofRupa Goswami’sBhakti-rasamrita-sindhu,his “famous exposition of the principles of devotion”.Scholar-practitionerShrivatsa Goswamihas describedBhakti-rasamrita-sindhuas “a textbook of devotional practice, an exposition on the philosophy of devotion, and a study of devotional psychology”.The Nectar of Devotion“gave access to Gaudiya Vaisnavism’s most important theological treatise on devotion”.

Caitanya-caritamrta

Caitanya-caritamrtais the seventeenth-century account of the life and teachings ofChaitanya,who founded theGaudiya Vaishnavatradition.Written in theBengalilanguage, it runs to more than 15,000 verses and “is regarded as the most authoritative work on Śrī Caitanya”, a work of “rare merit”, with “no parallel in the whole of Bengali literature”.Scholar of religionHugh Urbancalls it “one of the greatest works in all of Indian vernacular literature”.

Prabhupada completed his translation in 1974, within two years,and it was published in seventeen volumes, again with verse-by-verse text, transliteration, word meanings, translation and commentary.He based his commentary on the Bengali commentaries of his predecessorsBhaktivinoda ThakuraandBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

Before Srila Prabhupada’s translation, the work in English was simply unavailable. After Prabhupada’s edition came out, scholar J. Bruce Long wrote, “The appearance of an English translation ofKṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī'sŚri Caitanya-caritāmṛtaby A.C. Bhaktivedānta, Founder-Ācāryaof the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a cause for celebration among both scholars in Indian Studies and lay-people seeking to enrich their knowledge of Indian spirituality”.

Several years earlier, in 1968, Prabhupada publishedTeachings of Lord Caitanya.The book offers a summary of selected portions ofCaitanya-caritamrita.

The Nectar of Instruction

Prabhupada also wrote a verse-by-verse commentated translation ofRupa Goswami’s eleven-verseUpadeshamrita,one of Rupa Goswami’s shortest works,which provides concise directions on how to carry out devotional service.

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

In 1972 Prabhupada founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), which manages the international publishing and distribution of his writings.Apart from his major works, the BBT publishes various paperbacks derived from his lectures.The BBT also publishesBack to Godhead,the magazine Prabhupada founded, in multiple languages.Between 1973 and 1977, Prabhupada’s followers distributed several million books and other pieces of Krishna conscious literature every year in shopping malls, airports, and other public locations in the United States and worldwide.As of 2023, his books had been translated into eighty-seven languages.In 2022, the BBT printed more than two million pieces of literature.

Critical assessments of Prabhupada’s writings

Shrivatsa Goswamihas said, “Making these Vaiṣṇava texts available is one of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s greatest contributions. Apart from the masses, his books have also reached well into academic circles and have spurred academic interest in the Caitanya tradition”.Further, he says, “The significance of making these texts available is not merely academic or cultural; it is spiritual.Jñāna,knowledge, is spread, proper doctrines are made known, people come closer to reality”.Other academics, too, have applauded Prabhupada’s publicationsas his most significant legacy.

Buthis editionofBhagavad-gita,in particular, has come in for criticism as well.Eric Sharpe,scholar of religion, considers Prabhupada’s reading ofBhagavad-gitasingle-minded and fundamentalist.Sanskrit scholar A.L. Herman concurs.Another scholar, K. P. Sinha, takes exception to Prabhupada’s “misinterpretations and unkind remarks” directed towardAdvaita Vedanta,the philosophy of absolute monism.

The most detailed critical analysis by a Western, non-Hindu scholar comes from historian of religion Robert D. Baird.Baird takes upon himself the task of not merely seeing Prabhupada as “an authentic proponent of Vaishnavism” but of examining as an academic scholar the way Prabhupada reads theBhagavad-gita.

Prabhupada lectures onThe Nectar of Devotionin front ofRupa Goswami’ssamadhiinVrindavan,India. (1972)

Whereas many scholars, Baird writes, see “some degree of progression” in theGita,with different themes emphasized in different parts of the book, Prabhupada “reads the complete teaching of the book, indeed ofVedic literaturegenerally, into any passage”.It appears “that he considers it legitimate to interpret any verse in the light of the whole system found in theGītāwhether it is explicitly mentioned in that verse of the Gītā or not”.In this way, he reads “Krishna consciousness” even into portions of the text where Krishna is not explicitly mentioned.Prabhupada cites later passages in theGitato explain earlier passages.Indeed, he even quotes from other texts in the canon (whether written before theGitaor after) to indicate the intention of theGita,“as though they have the same authority as theGitaitself”.And so: “In all, a wide range of texts are used to serve as authorities for understanding theGītā.Swami Bhaktivedanta not only treats specific texts in a way that would be unusual among Western scholars, but he sees specific texts in the light of the Vedas in general”.

Whereas other scholars, Baird writes, would give great attention to the overall structure of theGita,Prabhupada gives the structure scant notice, preferring instead to make this point: “In every chapter ofBhagavad-gītā,Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that devotional service unto theSupreme Personality of Godheadis the ultimate goal of life”.

Prabhupada uses the text of theGitato present various aspects of Krishna theology.And “he also goes beyond specific texts and theGītāitself when he makes it the occasion for the inculcation of a Vaishnava lifestyle,”typified by chanting themaha-mantra,regulating one’s sexual activity, offering food to Krishna, and following a vegetarian diet.And so: “Swami Bhaktivedanta is more interested in expounding the principles of Krishna consciousness than in merely explicating the text at hand”.In one instance cited, “the text recommends one thing [astanga-yoga] and Bhaktivedanta Swami cancels that and offers themahāmantra”.

As for competing interpretations: “Bhaktivedanta often seeks to show the superiority of the Vaishnava position and the error of other positions”.“The position that is attacked with the most regularity and vigor is that of Advaita Vedanta,”“the system of thought that is commonly used to provide the structure for Western understandings of ‘Hinduism’”,whose advocates Prabhupada calls Mayavadins, impersonalists, or monists.For Advaita Vedanta he reserves his strongest condemnations.

Nor does Prabhupada only criticize “impersonalists”. Rather, “Scholars in particular come under Swami Bhaktivedanta’s condemnation because they are merely ‘mental speculators’”.In Prabhupada’s view, Baird says, “Since these scholars are not surrendered to Krishna, they are not Krishna conscious; they are merely offering their own ideas rather than the truth within theparamparāsystem [the lineage of masters and disciples]”.Prabhupada “seldom engages in the kind of argumentation that scholars are accustomed to when deciding between alternative positions”.Instead he takes a position as aspiritual masterwithin the disciplic succession and “merely declares" what is true.And so, Baird says, “The gulf between Swami Bhaktivedanta’s presentation and that of the scholarlyexegeteis simply unbridgeable, for their purposes operate on different levels”.

But what some scholars might see as faults, others see as virtues. Thomas Hopkins sees Prabhupada’s translations and purports as successfully conveying the meaning of the text precisely because Prabhupada draws upon the commentaries of his predecessors and brings to his work the understandings of his entire tradition.Moreover, Hopkins says, Prabhupada does this in such a way that the entire text becomes comprehensible to a modern reader, not only theoretically but practically.Translations of such texts as theGita,Hopkins says, cannot be done mechanically.The translator has to understand the spirit and the experience that lie behind the text.Where Prabhupada’s translations expand the text, they do so “for the sake of making the meaning more clear, rather than obscuring it”.Hopkins says, “Writing a commentary is not a merely intellectual or academic exercise—it has a practical goal: to engage people with a living spiritual tradition”.Prabhupada, he says, brings the meaning of the text out of the past and into the present, giving it meaning in terms of people’s lives.

Challenges and controversies

In Prabhupada’s efforts to establish and expand Krishna consciousness, some of the difficulties he faced were internal to his new and growing movement. He had to train disciples unaccustomed to Vaishnava culture and philosophy and engage them in furthering his Hare Krishna movement;he had to set up and then guide his Governing Body Commission to see to ISKCON's global management. He often had to intervene when clashes and controversies within ISKCON grew out of hand. He had to sort out difficulties faced by individual disciples, ensure a proper understanding of his teachings, and, more broadly, transplant an entire cultural movement.He also faced challenges from the outside world.

Cult image and “brainwashing”

Until the mid-1970s the attitude of the Western public towards Prabhupada and his movement was cordial. News reports tried to reliably describe the Hare Krishna devotees, their beliefs, and their religious practices. The spirit of curiosity prevailed, while hostility was almost nonexistent.

But by the mid-1970s this changed. The rapidly expanding Hare Krishna movement — distinctive, foreign, highly visible, and vigorous (often over-vigorous) in spreading its message — became an early target for a nascent “anti-cult movement”.No longer was the Hare Krishna movement seen to represent an authentic spiritual tradition. Rather, it was now one of a myriad of “destructive cults”that won converts and took over their lives by “mind control”and “brainwashing”.When young adults, supposedly robbed of free will and “programmed” by mind control, became Hare Krishna devotees, some parents hired “deprogrammers”to kidnap them and “free them from the cult”. “Deprogrammings” typically involved days or weeks of isolation, browbeating, and intense verbal haranguing and harassment.

After one such “deprogramming” failed, theNew York City District Attorney’s Office charged two local Hare Krishna leaders with illegally imprisoning two Hare Krishna followers by brainwashing them.

Prabhupada instructed his disciples to fight these charges, among other ways by entering his books into evidence.Meanwhile, two hundred scholars signed a document defending ISKCON as an authentic Indian missionary movement.

In March of 1977 aNew York State Supreme Courtjustice threw out the charges and recognized that ISKCON represents abona fidereligious tradition.Nonetheless, in America and Europe the “cult” label and image persisted for the rest of Prabhupada’s lifetime and beyond.

As scholarJames Beckfordnotes, in the 1970s Hare Krishna devotees became increasingly active in selling their literature and collecting donations from the public,so they were sharply criticized for what was seen as harassing people for money at airports and other public places. AsBryantand Ekstrand comment, “Questionable fund-raising tactics, confrontational attitudes to mainstream authorities, and an isolationist mentality, coupled with the excesses of neophyte proselytizing zeal, brought public disapproval”— something that Prabhupada had to deal with too.

Institutionalization

As ISKCON evolved towards being a worldwide organization, it suffered from the inevitable travails of institutionalization. Young disciples, mostly from ananti-establishment,anti-authoritarianbackground, became members of the GBC and found themselves running a worldwide institution. Preaching sometimes started giving way to revenue production; gender issues arose; leaders sometimes fell, and scandals broke out. Bureaucracy intruded on spontaneity, and many members left. As much as Prabhupada tried to leave management to the GBC, much of this he too had to deal with personally.

Child abuse

Prabhupada directed his disciples to train children in boarding schools calledgurukulas,where they would receive education from spiritual teachers. However, as reported by sociologist of religionE. Burke Rochford,through mismanagement these schools became like orphanages. After Prabhupada’s departure it came to light that physical and sexual abuse occured within these schools due to lack of oversight.

Obstacles in India

In India, Prabhupada faced a special set of challenges. He had much to accomplish there, but his American and European disciples were inexperienced in how to get things done in India and even how to live there.

When Prabhupada’s young American followers came to India in the early 1970s and began holding festivals, including publicsankirtana,many Indians were surprised to see Westerners adopting Indian modes of worship and devotion. Some local people, including even some Indian officials, suspected that the American devotees must be undercover operatives of theCentral Intelligence Agency(CIA).

Outspoken and uncompromising as he was in the way he presented Krishna’s teachings, in India, as elsewhere, Prabhupada found himself battling with opposing views of all sorts.Therefore another challenge came from Prabhupada’s consistent rejection of the common Hindu notion of caste by birth. Since Prabhupada, like his predecessors, insisted that anyone, from any race or nation, could become spiritually purified and fit to perform the duties of priests, he faced opposition from Hindubrahminswho held that performing such duties was an exclusive birthright of their caste.

When Prabhupada resolved to build a temple on land inJuhu, Bombay(nowMumbai), the man who had sold ISKCON the land tried toswindlethe devotees and take it back. The man had deep political connections in theBombay municipalityand employed lawyers and even thugs to drive the devotees off, but Prabhupada persisted and eventually won.

Deviations

While working to establish his movement, Prabhupada had to deal with problems caused even by leading disciples, who, monks or not, could still hold on to intellectual baggage, disdain for authority, and ambitions for power.In 1968 Prabhupada's firstsannyasidisciple openly disregarded Prabhupada’s instructions to him and twisted core tenets of Prabhupada’s teachings. This foreshadowed succession problems and issues of authority that Prabhupada’s movement would face both during Prabhupada’s presence and after.

Unlike Indian gurus who declared themselvesavatars,divine appearances of God, Prabhupada from the very beginning of his preaching called himself only a servant or representative of God.But in 1970 four of Prabhupada’s earlysannyasisannounced at a large ISKCON gathering that Prabhupada’s followers had failed to recognize that Prabhupada was actually Krishna, God himself. Prabhupada expelled thosesannyasisfrom his Society (he eventually readmitted them, after they recanted their claim).

In 1972, without consulting Prabhupada, eight of the twelve members of the GBC held a meeting in New York aimed at centralizing control of ISKCON's activities and finances. Their plans would have lessened Prabhupada's own oversight and set aside his emphasis on the autonomy of each ISKCON center. This prompted Prabhupada to suspend the entire GBC "until further notice", establish direct lines of communication with each temple's leaders, and re-emphasize spiritual purity, the selfless and voluntary nature of devotional life, and the exemplary conduct befitting ISKCON leaders. This, he said, is what he wanted, not corporate bureaucracy and excessive centralization. (He later unsuspended the GBC).

In 1975 a clash broke out when a team of ten parties of itinerantsannyasis,assisted by two hundredbrahmacharis,criss-crossed America, visiting ISKCON temples to extoll renunciation and a missionary spirit — and urgebrahmacharisto abandon the temples and join thesannyasiparties. The temples, the team argued, were led by presidents who weregrihasthas(married men), and grihasthas had a propensity for enjoyment that undermined what should be an austere temple atmosphere.

The conflict reached its peak in 1976 in Mayapur at ISKCON’s annual global gathering when asannyasi-dominated GBC passed resolutions severely restricting the role of women and families in ISKCON.After hearing from both sides, Prabhupada came down against this type of discrimination, calling it “fanaticism”, and had the GBC undo the resolutions. Prabhupada said, "I cannot discriminate — man, woman, child, rich, poor, educated, or foolish. Let them all come, and let them take Krishna consciousness".

Controversial statements

Prabhupada sometimes made statements that criticize various ideals of modern society or speak offensively of certain groups.

Two essays by Ekkehard Lorenz inThe Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplantcompile controversial statements made by Prabhupada onslavery,lower castes,Hitler,Darwin’s theory of evolution,themoon landing,and women.

Reviewing the essays, scholar of religionRavi Guptawrites that they depict Prabhupada as “racist, sexist, intellectually dishonest, ungrateful, unethical, unsophisticated, and unaware of the norms of the societies in which he lived” and blame his teachings “for condoning abuse of children, abuse of women, and abuse by leadership, while promoting dictatorship, intolerance, and autocratic rule by the guru”.As scholar of religion Måns Broo puts it, the compilation “paints a picture of a not very pleasant man, one far removed from the Gaudiya Vaishnava ideals described in the classical texts of the tradition”.And as yet another scholar of religion, Fred Smith, writes, “Lorenz, a former ISKCON member himself, vengefully presents a thoroughly damning view of Bhaktivedanta”.

While Prabhupada’s followers have had to contend with what the statements say, scholars have studied and commented on them.Responding to Lorenz’s article, Gupta (both an academic and an ISKCON member)writes that Lorenz “simply quotes Prabhupada out of context and then interprets his statements with no regard to Chaitanya Vaishnava theology, the social contexts in which Prabhupada lived, or Prabhupada’s own application of his teachings”.

Regarding context, Broo observes that when Prabhupada speaks, for example, about castes, the immediate context is that of an envisioned “ideal society” made up of self-sufficient agrarian communities in which people would be divided into different occupational groups “based not on hereditary but on individual qualifications”. As another example of context, one of Prabhupada’s followers notes in a journal review that Prabhupada was actually speaking of Hitler disparagingly, because the “great heroes” Hiranyakashipu and Kamsa with whom he compared Hitler were Puranic diabolical tyrants.

Yet the reviewer admits that Prabhupada “did not usually condemn Hitler”.Therefore Smith suggests that although scholars of religion will naturally view Prabhupada “within the context of his Gaudiya Vaishnava predecessors”, Prabhupada’s statements (such as those concerning Hitler) also “must be understood in the context of the intellectual and political culture in which he matured” — specifically that of mid-twentieth-century Bengal, brewing with anti-colonialist nationalism championed by such figures asSubhash Chandra Bose,and therefore more favorably disposed toNazi Germanythan toGreat Britain.

Both Broo and Smith also mention Prabhupada’s “flair for drama and overstatement”.Prabhupada, it seems, loved to make politically incorrect statements to reporters.As Broo comments, “It is difficult to decide how seriously any single remark is meant to be taken from a transcript”.

Nonetheless, both Broo and Smith comment that this is not enough to clear Prabhupada from blame for the more radical of his politically incorrect statements.Smith speaks of Prabhupada’s “racism”.One disciple reviewer writes, “A few selected quotes about race and gender from the extensive Bhaktivedanta Vedabase do look unreasonable even in terms of Vaishnava values”,and another disciple-academic notes, “Some of Prabhupada’s statements seem blatantly sexist”.

Scholars have commented, however, on the contrast between such controversial statements and the full picture of what Prabhupada actually taught and did.Prabhupada’s statements about women, for instance, have received extensive consideration fromKim Knott,a scholar in religious studies who in relation to ISKCON describes her perspective as that of both an “outsider” and a “western feminist”.Knott writes:

"What was Prabhupada’s view of these matters? It seems clear from his commentaries, lectures, and conversations that he endorsed the view of the potential liability of a woman’s body both for the soul that resides within it and for others. However, he was most adamant on the point thatbhakti yoga,the path of Krishna Consciousness, provided the possibility of transcending the body, whether female or male ".

Knott relates Prabhupada’s telling two of his earliest women disciples, “If you think of yourselves as women, how will you make any advancement? You must see yourself as a spirit soul, eternal servant of Krishna”.

Knott continues:

"This was his first point, then, that being aVaishnavi[a femaleVaishnava], a true servant of Krishna, changed the terms of the debate about women. Additionally, through his behavior and teachings he demonstrated that, asVaishnavis,women devotees — irrespective of their material form compared to men — were equally acceptable as servants of Krishna, equally empowered with intelligence, equally open to spiritual advancement and to contributing to the advancement of others ".

Reflecting upon the tension between ancient philosophical ideals and immediate contemporary realities, Knott writes:

"It is commendable in the face of this tension that the founder of the Hare Krishna movement made a philosophy and practice that had once been largely closed to women available to them, allowing them effective equality with men and the opportunity to serve in the same ways despite his own cultural background and the ideal prescriptions of his tradition".

In this way, she writes, Prabhupada took time, place, and circumstance into account and acted in the spirit of Krishna consciousness, “in the manner of Chaitanya”.

Similarly, commenting on the role and degree of responsibility that Prabhupada's statements about women played in their abuse in ISKCON, E. Burke Rochford notes that Prabhupada’s personal example in dealings with his earliest women disciples was "[f]ar more important".Their collective personal experiences, Rochford observes, portray not only Prabhupada’s "respectful attitude and behavior toward his women disciples"in general, but his empowerment of women for the same rights and duties as his male disciples — something deemed "unthinkable"in his own spiritual lineage — as Prabhupada encouraged and engaged women in conducting publicscriptural discourses,kirtansandtemple worship,writing for ISKCON magazines and publications, personally accompanying and assisting him, and assuming "significant institutional positions in ISKCON".

Along the same lines, author Steven J. Rosen tells of a meeting between Prabhupada and a leading black disciple, Ghanasyama Dasa, during the last months of Prabhupada’s life: “Srila Prabhupada smiled and called him near. Prabhupada then embraced him with tears of love and gratitude. Rubbing Ghanashyam’s head, Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Your life is successful, thank you very much’.”— an intensity of affection rarely shown by Prabhupada to any of his disciples, including those who were white or Indian.Ghanashyama Dasa went on to become the firstAfrican-Americansannyasiandguruin history, with the nameBhakti Tirtha Swami.

When Prabhupada’s controversial statements seem difficult to defend, his followers have responded in different ways: Some remain silent; others speak of context or allege that, because of negative biases, Prabhupada is being unfairly quoted; and still others are willing to distinguish between his statements they consider “absolute” and those they consider “relative” — that is, they accept “that some of Bhaktivedanta Swami’s teachings are relative to the circumstances and times in which he grew up and lived his life before coming to the US and therefore may or may not be true, in contrast to his absolute spiritual teachings”.And yet other followers see this path as “exceedingly risky” — after all, who is to decide which teachings are relative and which are not? Broo concludes that this is an issue “not likely to be resolved soon”.

Commenting on the underlying causes for such controversies, scholar of religionLarry Shinnattributes the conflict between Prabhupada's teachings and western cultural values to "[Prabhupada]'s insistence on the infallibility of the Krishna scriptures and (...) the authenticity of Prabhupada’s Krishna faith and practice".

Influence

By explaining the teachings of bhakti yoga and Gaudiya Vaishnavism and arousing interest in them worldwide, Prabhupada made a lasting contribution.Through his writings and his movement, manyWesternershave become aware ofbhaktifor the first time.He translated and commented on important spiritual texts, particularly theBhagavad-gita,theSrimad-Bhagavatam,and theCaitanya-caritamrta,making these texts accessible to a global audience.His commentaries brought the traditional wisdom of these writings into a contemporary context, making possible a deeper comprehension of their spiritual meaning and its practical application in one’s life.Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Prabhupada's preaching achievements are viewed as the fulfillment of a mission to introduce Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings to the world.

Although the “steady procession of Hindu swamis” who had come to America before Prabhupada had generally aligned their views with the monisticAdvaita VedantaofShankara(AD 788‒820) and the idea of “the ultimate absorption of the self into an impersonal Reality or Brahman”,Prabhupada rejected Advaita Vedantaand coherently argued that the Absolute is ultimately thePersonality of Godhead.

Sardellahas written that in the twelve years between Prabhupada’s arrival in America and his demise, Prabhupada “managed to build ISKCON into an institution comprising thousands of dedicated members, establish Caitanya Vaishnava temples in most of the world’s major cities, and publish numerous volumes of Caitanya Vaishnava texts (in twenty-eight languages), tens of millions of which were distributed throughout the world”.Prabhupada also spread the chanting of theHare Krishna mantraworldwide.

In 2013 Rochford wrote, “[T]he fact that ISKCON has survived for nearly 50 years, despite significant change, is a testament to the devotees’ resilience and to the power of Prabhupada’s teachings and vision for ISKCON”.

In India Prabhupada’s movement has become a well-respected institution, with recognition at all levels of Hindu society.ISKCON has large temple complexes active in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata.ISKCON’s center in Mayapur has become an Eastern Indian place of pilgrimage for millions every year. Thousands of middle-class Hindus, both in India and elsewhere, have joined ISKCON.And Hindus both in India and in theHindu diasporahave provided ISKCON vast support.

But Prabhupada's legacy also faces scrutiny on various fronts. Criticisms have emerged regarding the movement's organizational structure, controversies have arisen surrounding continuity of leadership after his passing,and misdeeds and even criminal acts have been committed by some ISKCON members, including once-respected former leaders.Concerns have been expressed about the movement's adaptability to modern values, especially concerning gender roles and societal norms.And although ISKCON has benefited from the support and participation of a large and growing number of Indian families in its congregations outside India,the “Hinduization” of ISKCON has in many places tended to diminish the involvement of other audiences.

Nonetheless, Prabhupada's influence endures through his writings and ISKCON's ongoing activities.Despite significant setbacks, the movement he started continues to grow.

Recognition

From scholars

Kim Knott writes that scholars describe Prabhupada as a charismatic spiritual leader and emphasize his “humanity” and “uniqueness”.Prabhupada’s missionary successes in such a short period, and at such an advanced age, she writes, are extolled by scholars using terms such as “stunning”, “remarkable”, and “extraordinary”.In the same vein,Klaus Klostermaier,scholar of Hinduism and Indian history, refers to Prabhupada as "probably, the most successful propagator of Hinduism abroad".

Representing such thoughts,Harvey Cox,American theologian and Professor of Divinity Emeritus at Harvard University, said:

There aren't many people you can think of who successfully implant a whole religious tradition in a completely alien culture. That's a rare achievement in the history of religion. In his case it's even all the more remarkable for his having done this at such an advanced age. When most people would have already retired, he began a whole new phase of his life by coming to the United States and initiating this movement. He began simply, with only a handful of disciples. Eventually he planted this movement deeply in the North American soil, throughout other parts of the European-dominated world, and beyond. Although I didn't know him personally, the fact that we now have in the West a vigorous, disciplined, and seemingly well-organized movement–not merely a philosophical movement or a yoga or meditation movement, but a genuinely religious movement--introducing the form of devotion to God that he taught, is a stunning accomplishment. So when I say [he’s] “one in a million,” I think that's in some ways an underestimate. Perhaps he was one in a hundred million.

From officials

Prabhupada's success in spreadingIndian spiritualityamong non-Indians across the world brought him acclaim from Indian political leaders.

Indian Prime MinistersAtal Bihari Vajpayee,Deve Gowda,Narendra Modi,andIndian PresidentsShankar Dayal Sharma,Pranab Mukherjee,andPratibha Patilhave praised Prabhupada, his work and mission.

In 1998, speaking at the opening ceremony of an ISKCON temple in New Delhi, Prime Minister Vajpayee credited Prabhupada's movement with publishing theBhagavad Gita"in millions of copies in scores of Indian languages" and distributing it "in all nooks and corners of the world",calling Prabhupada's journey to the West and the rapid global propagation of his movement "one of the greatest spiritual events of the century".

Narendra Modispeaks on Prabhupada's 125th birth anniversary. (2 September 2021)

Releasing a 125-rupeecommemorative coin on the occasion of Prabhupada's 125th birth anniversary,Prime Minister Modi also praised Prabhupada for his efforts “to give India’s most priceless treasure to the world”, describing Prabhupada's accomplishments in spreading the thought and philosophy of India to the world as “nothing less than a miracle.”

On the fiftieth anniversary of Prabhupada’s voyage to the West,US CongresswomanTulsi Gabbardpraised the "compassion that drove Srila Prabhupada to attempt something so brave and so daring to deliver the message of Lord Chaitanya and the Holy Name to all of mankind".

Commemoration

Shrines, memorials, museums

Pushpa-samadhiof Prabhupada inMayapur,West Bengal.

In keeping withGaudiya-Vaisnavarites, after Prabhupada's death at theKrishna-Balarama templeinVrindavan(Uttar Pradesh, India), his disciples interred his body on the temple premises and erected a marblesamadhi,or shrine, over his burial site.InMayapur(West Bengal), they built a much largerpushpa-samadhi— a shrine sanctified with flowers from Prabhupada's burial ceremony.Dailypuja(traditional worship) is offered to larger-than-life statues of Prabhupada at both sites.

Another shrine is dedicated to Prabhupada inNew Vrindaban(West Virginia, USA), where a residence built to host Prabhupada during his occasional visits evolved into the elaborate Prabhupada's Palace of Gold.After opening to the public in 1979, two years after Prabhupada’s death, the memorial site is now a place of worship and an attraction for pilgrims and tourists,listed in America’sNational Register of Historic Places.Other rooms in which Prabhupada stayed while in Vrindavan, Mumbai, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne and several other places around the world have been preserved as museums.

Prabhupada's birthplace.

Prabhupada’s birthplace, in theTollygungeneighborhood of Kolkata, was inaugurated as a memorial site in 2001, on the 125th anniversary of Prabhupada’s birth, byWest Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee.In theUltadanganeighborhood of Kolkata, the building, known as Bhaktivinode Asan where Prabhupada first met his guru,Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati,has also been restored as a heritage site.

Prabhupada's son Vrindavan Chandra De (back, in red shirt) in front of theJaladutamonument with his family (standing) and the monument's team (seated, left to right): concept director, manager, andsculptor.ISKCON Kolkata. (August 2015)

On August 13, 2015, the fiftieth anniversary of Prabhupada’s departure from Kolkata to the United States, a two-meter-high bronze monument, created by Ukrainian sculptorVolodymyr Zhuravel,was unveiled in Kolkata by theGovernor of West BengalKeshari Nath TripathiandLieutenant Governor of PondicherryKiran Bedi.The monument was created in two parts — one depicting Prabhupada’s departure for America, the other his arrival. After the monument was unveiled, the “departure” part was installed at the ISKCON temple in Kolkata, the “arrival” part in front of the ISKCON temple in Boston.

Biographies, memoirs, diaries

In 2008 Ketola wrote that there were more than thirty historical, biographical, and autobiographical works centering on Prabhupada.Since then they have increased.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s official six-volume biographySrila Prabhupada-lilamrta( “carefully researched”, Ketola reports) has more recently been joined by a shorter biography,Swami in a Strange Land,by Joshua Greene.Both authors are Prabhupada’s disciples. Among memoirs that focus on specific times or places, Ketola mentions several, including Hayagriva Dasa’sThe Hare Krishna Explosion.)

Ketola also notes two published diaries kept by direct assistants of Prabhupada: Tamal Krishna Goswami’sTKG’s Diaryand Hari Sauri Dasa’s multi-volumeTranscendental Diary.

List of biographical publications about A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

• Ācārya: The Lifestory of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadaby Bhaktisiddhanta Das (2021),ASINB095PTSKC7
• Ācārya: Portraits of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadaby Sesa Dasa (1996),ISBN978-0947259051
• Blazing Sadhusby Achyutananda Das (2016),ISBN978-1537508863
• By His Example: The Wit and Wisdom of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadaby Guru Das (2004),ISBN978-1887089364
• Chasing Rhinos With The Swamiby Shyamasundar Das (2016), in 3 volumes,ISBN978-1495177088
• Dancing White Elephants: Traveling with Srila Prabhupada in India, August 1970—March 1972byGiriraj Swami(2023),ISBN978-1-925850-03-1
• Five Years, Eleven Months and a Lifetime of Unexpected Love: A Memoirby Visakha Dasi (2016),ISBN978-1522838449
• The Great Transcendental Adventure: Pastimes of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Australia and New Zealand by Kurma Dasa (1999),ISBN9780947259228
• The Hare Krishna Explosion: The Birth of Krishna Consciousness in America, 1966‒1969by Hayagriva Dasa (1985),ISBN9780932215017
• He Lives ForeverbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(2022),ISBN979-8353149606
• I'll Build You a Temple — The Juhu StorybyGiriraj Swami(2021),ISBN978-1925850017
• In Conversation with Srila Prabhupadaby Lokanath Swami (2016),ASINB09HKRBMHG
• ISKCON in the 1970sbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(1997),ISBN978-0911233728
• Jaya Srila Prabhupada!by Bhakti Vikasa Swami (2014),ISBN978-9382109112
• Journey to the Pacific Rimby Bali Mardan Das,ISBN9788193291801
• Life with the Perfect Master: A Personal Servant's AccountbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(2022),ISBN979-8411706741
• Memories – Anecdotes of a Modern–Day Saintby Siddhanta Dasa (2020), in 4 volumesISBN9788192970226,9780972259712,9789389050806
• Miracle on Second AvenuebyMukunda Goswami(2011),ISBN978-0981727349
• Mission in the Service of His Divine Grace: Birth of the Hare Krishna Movement in South Africaby Riddha Dasa (2003),ISBN978-1901593013
• The Mayapur Vrindavan Festivals with Srila Prabhupada (1972‒77)by Lokanath Swami (2020),ISBN9780620694827
• My Days with Prabhupada: A Young Man’s Path to God in the Hare Krishna Movementby Umapati Swami (2016),ASINB01EVBQ6M4
• My Glorious Master: Remembrances of Prabhupada's Mercy on a Fallen Soulby Bhurijana Dasa (1996),ISBN9780992521943
• My Memories of Srila Prabhupadaby Bhakti Vikasa Swami (2012),ISBN978-9382109303
• Ocean of MercybyBhakti Charu Swami(2016),ISBN978-0892135332
• Our Srila Prabhupada — A Friend to Allby Mulaprakrti Devi (2000),ASINB004Q6XSXA
• A Place of Sandalwood and Roses,by Govinda Dasi (2023),ISBN979-8987382912
• Prabhupada Antya-lila: Final Pastimes of Srila PrabhupadabyTamal Krishna Goswami(1988),ISBN978-0936979014
• Prabhupada AppreciationbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(2022),ISBN979-8357966339
• Prabhupada at Radha-Damodaraby Mahanidhi Swami (2013),ASINB00CTRMKKK
• Prabhupãda in Malaysiaby Janananda Das Goswami (2020),ISBN978-8193859711
• Prabhupada-lilabySatsvarupa dasa Goswami(1987),ISBN978-0911233360
• Prabhupada MeditationsbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(2023) in 2 volumes,ISBN979-8446353095
• Prabhupada: Messenger Of The Supreme LordbySastvarupa Dasa Goswami(2014),ISBN978-8189574307
• Prabhupāda Nectar: Anecdotes from the Life of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadabySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(1984),ISBN9780911233223
• Prabhupada Storiesby Govinda Dasi
• Servant of the ServantbyTamal Krishna Goswami(2019),ISBN9788193992166
• Srila Prabhupada and His Disciples in Germanyby Bhakti Gauravani Goswami (2021),ISBN9789391545048
• Srila Prabhupada is Coming: My Personal Memories of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivehanta Swami Prabhupadaby Mahamaya Dasi (2000),ISBN9780970453013
• Srila Prabhupada-lilamrtabySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(2008), in 7 volumes,ISBN978-8189574222
• Srila Prabhupada Uvacaby Srutakirti Dasa
• Swami in a Strange Landby Joshua M. Greene (Yogeshvara Dasa) (2018),ISBN9789387944091
• TKG's Diary: Prabhupãda's Final DaysbyTamal Krishna Goswami(1999),ISBN9788187216124
• A Transcendental Diaryby Hari Sauri Dasa (2021), in 5 volumes,ISBN978-1880404379
• Vrindaban Days: Memories of an Indian Holy Townby Howard Wheeler (Hayagriva Swami) (1990)ISBN9780932215208
• With Srila Prabhupada in the Early Days (1966‒1969): A MemoirbySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami(1997),ISBN978-0911233841
• "You Cannot Leave Boston"bySatsvarupa Dasa Goswami,in 2 volumes (1998)ASINB09HKSY9L7

Film, and filmed memoir collections

In 1996 Gaurav Seth produced the fifty-five-minute biographical filmPrabhupada: A Lifetime in Preparation.In 2017 John Griesser, a Prabhupada disciple, produced an uncritical 91-minute film:Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami who started it All.

Disciples have also undertaken two video projects collecting memories of Srila Prabhupada, one entitledRemembering Srila Prabhupada,the otherFollowing Srila Prabhupada.

The Bhaktivedanta Archives, in North Carolina, serves as a repository for Srila Prabhupada’s manuscripts and letters, for photographs of Srila Prabhupada, and for audio recordings.

125-rupeecommemorative coin released byNarendra Modion Prabhupada's 125th birth anniversary.

Stamps, coin, and plaque

In 1996 theGovernment of Indiaissued a commemorative stamp in Prabhupada’s honor and in 2021 a 125-rupeecommemorative coin.

In 2001 the City of New York installed a plaque inTompkins Square Parkto mark the “Hare Krishna tree”, theelmunder which Prabhupada and his early followers first began chanting theHare Krishna mantrain 1966.

The plaque near the Hare Krishna Tree inTompkins Square Park,New York.

Schools

Various ISKCON-related schools and other institutions have been named after Srila Prabhupada, including the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre in Kolkata, which holds a full collection of the works of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as well as publications from the first twenty years of the Gaudiya Math.

In 2023,Scottish Church Collegeand the Bhaktivedanta Research Center jointly established the "A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Memorial Award" to commemorate Prabhupada's student years at the college, meant to recognize both the most meritorious student for outstanding academic achievements and a faculty member for exceptional community service.

Roads

In 1978 a prominent entrance road into Vrindavan was named Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg after Prabhupada.

Bibliography

Translations with commentary

• Bhagavad-gītā As It Is,ISBN9780892131341
• Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) (multiple volumes)ISBN9789177693000(completed by disciples)
• Śrī Īśopaniṣad,ISBN9780892131389
• Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (multiple volumes),ISBN9780947259068
• The Nectar of Instruction,ISBN9780912776859

Summary studies

• Teachings of Lord Caitanya,ISBN9780912776088
• Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (multiple volumes),ISBN9780892133338
• The Nectar of Devotion,ISBN9780912776057

Other books

• Easy Journey to Other Planets (1990),ISBN9780912776101
• The Perfection of Yoga,ISBN9780912776361
• Beyond Birth and Death,ISBN9780912776415
• On the Way to Kṛṣṇa,ISBN9780912776392
• Rājā-vidyā: The King of Knowledge,ISBN978-1602930094
• Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness,ISBN9780912776439
• Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Matchless Gift,ISBN9780912776613
• Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System,ISBN9780912776118
• Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers,ISBN9780912776620
• Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūtī,ISBN9789383095988
• The Science of Self-Realization,ISBN9781845990398

Posthumously published

• Mukunda-mala-stotra: The Prayers of King Kulasekhara,ISBN9780892132751(completed by disciples)
• Narada-bhakti-sutra,ISBN9780892132737(completed by disciples)
• Light of the Bhagavata,ISBN9789171492678
• Message of Godhead,ISBN9780892132997
• Renunciation Through Wisdom,ISBN9780947259044
• Beyond Illusion and Doubt,ISBN9780892133369
• Teachings of Queen Kunti,ISBN9780892131020
• Civilization And Transcendence,ISBN9780892132980
• Dharma, The Way Of Transcendence,ISBN9780892133260
• Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of Pleasure,ISBN9780892131495
• The Path of Perfection,ISBN9789382176510
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• Stewart, Tony (1994), "One Text from Many: Caitanya Caritāmṛta as 'Classic' and 'Commentary'",in Callewaert, Winand; Snell, Rupert (eds.),According to Tradition: Hagiographical Writing in India,Harrassowitz Verlag,pp. 229–256

• Surya, Gerald (1999),"Review of K. P. Sinha's A critique of A.C. Bhaktivedanta",ISKCON Communications Journal,7(2)

• Swami, Nikhilananda(1949),The Upanishads,vol. 1, New York:Harper

• Syman, Stefanie (2011),The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America,New York:Farrar, Straus and Giroux,ISBN9780374532840

• Tamal Krishna Goswami;Gupta, Ravi M.(2005), "Krishna and Culture: What Happens When the Lord of Vrindavana Moves to New York City", in Thomas A. Forsthoefel, Cynthia A. Humes (ed.),Gurus in America,SUNY Series in Hindu Studies, Albany, NY:State University of New York Press,ISBN9780791465745

• Tamal Krishna Goswami(1997),"The Perils of Succession: Heresies of Authority and Continuity In the Hare Krishna Movement",ISKCON Communications Journal,5(1)

• Tamal Krishna Goswami(2012),A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti: Essential Teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,United Kingdom:Oxford University Press,ISBN9780199796632

• Urban, Hugh B.(2015),New Age, Neopagan, and New Religious Movements: Alternative Spirituality in Contemporary America,Oakland, CA:University of California Press,ISBN9780520281172

• Urban, Hugh(2003), "Review of Caitanya Caritāmṛta of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja: A Translation and Commentary by Edward C. Dimock",History of Religions,42(3),The University of Chicago Press

• Valpey, Kenneth (2004), "Krishna in Mleccha Desh: ISKCON Temple Worship in Historical Perspective", inBryant, Edwin F.;Ekstrand, Maria L. (eds.),The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant,New York, NY:Columbia University Press,pp. 45–60,ISBN978-0231122566

• Valpey, Kenneth (2006),Attending Krsna's Image: Caitanya Vaisnava murti-seva as Devotional Truth,New York, NY:Routledge,ISBN9780415383943

• White, Charles S. J. (2004),A Catalogue of Vaishnava Literature on Microfilms in the Adyar Library,Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass,ISBN9788120820678

• Wolf, David (2004), "Child Abuse and the Hare Krishnas: History and Response", inBryant, Edwin F.;Ekstrand, Maria L. (eds.),The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant,New York:Columbia University Press,pp. 321–344,ISBN978-0231122566

• Zeller, Benjamin E. (2010),Prophets and Protons: New Religious Movements and Science in Late Twentieth-Century America,The New and Alternative Religions Series, New York; London:New York University Press,ISBN9780814797211

• Zeller, Benjamin E. (2012), "Food Practices, Culture, and Social Dynamics in the Hare Krishna Movement", in Cusack, Carole M.; Norman, Alex (eds.),Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production,Brill,pp. 681–702,doi:10.1163/9789004226487_028,ISBN978-90-04-22187-1

Media

News

• Banerjee, Sudeshna (25 February 2022),"Birthplace of Gaudiya Mission and Iskcon reopens as a temple-cum-museum: The single-storeyed stucture spread over eight cottahs at Gauribari Lane off Raja Dinendra Street",The Telegraph

• Basan, Khusboo (12 March 2023)."Bhaktivedanta Research Center Gives An Endowment To Scottish Church College".ISKCON News.

• BBC (8 February 2002),"BBC News – Americas – Krishnas to file for bankruptcy",BBC UK

• Berkeley (5 January 2023),"Hare Krishna! A San Francisco Śrīla Prabhupāda Pilgrimage",Berkeley Art and Interreligious Pilgrimage Project,retrieved20 October2023

• Bratersky, Alexander (28 November 2011),"Krishna Holy Book Faces Ban in Tomsk",Moscow Times,archived fromthe originalon 26 December 2011

• Corley, Felix (5 January 2012),"RUSSIA: Has" madness "of banning religious publications been stopped?",Forum 18,archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2012,retrieved21 March2012

• Garga Samhita (16 July 2022),"Verse 1.2.28 [Garga Samhita]",Wisdom Library; The portal for Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Jainism, Mesopotamia etc...,retrieved22 October2023

• Goodstein, Laurie (9 October 1998),"Hare Krishna Movement Details Past Abuse at Its Boarding Schools",The New York Times,retrieved6 February2024

• Hanz, Joyce (8 January 2023),Daycation: Palace of Gold in West Virginia on National Register of Historic Places,TribLIVE,retrieved27 February2024

• IANS(4 May 2018),"Facing 'ban Gita' case, Hindus build Krishna temple in Moscow",Deccan Herald,retrieved1 April2024

• Jaisinghani, Bella (13 August 2015),"Iskcon founder's journey to west completes 50 years",The Times of India,Mumbai

• Jenkins, Mark (13 July 2017),"'Hare Krishna!' takes an uncritical look at a controversial spiritual movement and its leader ",The Washington Post,retrieved9 February2024

• Kazmin, Amy Louise (25 April 1998),"The Hare Krishnas caught up with me in New Delhi",Financial Times,At the ceremony,Vajpayeepraised devotees for their work towards 'the globalisation of the Gita'. He cited the rapid spread of the movement as proof of 'the disillusionment of leading western minds' with 'materialist ideologies that are incapable of satisfying the real needs of man'. For the Hare Krishnas, long dismissed as fringe weirdos, it was the ultimate stamp of legitimacy.

• Kenigsberg, Ben (5 May 2017), "Summer Movie Release Schedule 2017 (English)",The New York Times

• LA Times (6 March 2016),"Hare Krishnas Say Suit Spurs Bankruptcy Filing",Los Angeles Times,retrieved7 February2024

• Maurya, Abhai (22 December 2011),"Russians kick up an unholy row over holy book",The Times of India,retrieved22 October2023

• McCarthy, Ellen (11 January 2013),"Can Hare Krishnas at Palace of Gold in W.Va. rebuild its tarnished community?",The Washington Post

• Mehta, Mona (28 December 2011),"Moscow courts had dismissed Gita cases",The Times of India,retrieved6 February2024

• Newsweek (23 July 2006),"Beliefwatch: Krishnas' New Look",Newsweek,[Hare Krishnas] are now part of the culture in ways that the average person couldn't have imagined some 20 or 25 years ago.... ISKCON communities offer premarital counseling, interfaith activities, social-service programs and baby-sitting—just the kind of institutional structure that many early converts were fleeing.

• New York Times (16 November 1977),"Swami Prabhupada, 'Hare Krishna', Dead",The New York Times,p. 2,retrieved12 February2024

• Nordheimer, Jon (6 September 1972),"Young Ascetics Honor Lord Krishna",The New York Times,p. 47

• Pandey, Jhimli Mukherjee (11 July 2019),"Iskcon complaint gets UP to revoke road name rejig",The Times of India,Kolkata, India

• Pandey, Jhimli Mukherjee (2 September 2021),"Iskcon acquires founder's birthplace in Tollygunge, West Bengal CM unveils 'spiritual park'",The Times of India,Kolkata, India

• Pandey, Kirti (1 September 2020),"AC Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada Swami birth anniversary: Krishna devotee who founded the million-strong ISKCON",Times Now,If today the Bhagavad Gita is printed in millions of copies in scores of Indian languages and distributed in all nooks and corners of the world, the credit for this great sacred service goes chiefly to ISKCON.... For this one accomplishment alone, Indians should be eternally grateful to the devoted spiritual army of Swami Prabhupada's followers. The voyage of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the United States in 1965 and the spectacular popularity his movement gained in a very short spell of twelve years must be regarded as one of the greatest spiritual events of the century.

• Popham, Peter(12 April 1998),"India's PM takes to robots for Krishna",The Independent,Some people say my government is opposed to globalisation. But let me say I am all in favour of the globalisation of the message of the Bhagavad Gita.... What we need today is the application on a national scale of the work-related ideology of the Bhagavad Gita. This will create a new work culture, and a new work culture will create a new India.

• Press Trust of India (13 August 2015),"Devotees from 106 countries practice yoga to mark ISKCON",Business Standard,Kolkata

• PTI (1 September 2021),"PM Modi releases special commemorative coin on ISKCON founder's 125th birth anniversary",Times of India,archived fromthe originalon 13 September 2021,retrieved13 September2021

• Ritts, Penny (22 September 1965), "Devotee of Hindu Cult Explains Commission to Visit the West",Butler Eagle,Butler, PA

• Schumach, Murray (18 March 1977),"Judge Rejects Charges of 'Brainwashing' Against Hare Krishna Aides",The New York Times,p. 24,retrieved9 February2024

• Scottish Church College(28 February 2023)."The institution of the" A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Memorial Award ".

• Sikes, James R. (10 October 1966),"Swami's Flock Chants in Park to Find Ecstasy",The New York Times,p. 24

• Surrealist,Children of ISKCON vs.ISKCON Timeline,archived fromthe originalon 9 February 2018,retrieved22 July2018

• Taylor, Robert (27 April 1969),"The Search for the Godhead in Boston",Boston Sunday Globe

• The Wall (28 February 2023),"AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Memorial Award Has Been Launched",The Wall(in Bengali), archived fromthe originalon 22 April 2023,retrieved20 October2023

• Tompkins Square Park (9 October 1966),"Tompkins Square Park Highlights",Hare Krishna Tree: NYC Parks,retrieved20 October2023

• Uncut (29 May 2013),"George Harrison Memorial Garden opens to the public",Uncut,retrieved18 March2024

• Vallely, Paul (21 November 1998),"Spirit of the Age: Rebirth of an ancient religion",The Independent,[T]here is a growing sense that the Hare Krishnas are forming a useful bridge to Britain's Indian community - and at the same time becoming reasonable and articulate exponents to the English of the Vedic way. Perhaps the Hare Krishnas are coming of age.

• Vanina, Elena (23 December 2011),"Dangers of putting Gita on trial",Russia & India Report,retrieved6 February2024

• Попова, Анна (28 December 2011),"На поле дхармы",Lenta.ru(in Russian),retrieved28 December2011

Officials

• Gabbard, Tulsi(2015),Tulsi Gabbard Message for Srila Prabhupada's Journey to USA_ISKCON 50th Anniversary,retrieved12 February2024

• India Govt Mint (2021),PM Modi Released Rs 125 Commemorative Coin To Honour ISKCON Founder

• Modi, Narendra(2021a),PM releases a special commemorative coin on the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji

• Modi, Narendra(1 September 2021b),PM's speech at release of commemorative coin on 125th Jayanti of Swami Prabhupada Ji -With Subtitles(in Hindi),retrieved12 February2024,It is as if millions of minds are bound by one emotion and millions of bodies are connected by one common consciousness! This is the Krishna consciousness which has been spread by Prabhupada Swami ji to the entire world. (...) Prabhupada Swami was not only a supernatural devotee of Krishna, but he was also a great devotee of Bharat. (...) Srila Prabhupada Swami always used to say that he is traveling in the countries because he wants to give India's most priceless treasure to the world. (...) Swami ji's revered GurujiSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatiji saw that potential in him and instructed him to take the thought and philosophy of India to the world. Srila Prabhupada ji made this command of his Guru his mission, and the result of his efforts is visible in every corner of the world today. (...) When we visit any country and when people greet us with 'Hare Krishna', we feel so much warmth and pride. (...) Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON took up this great responsibility of propounding Bhakti Yoga to the world. He worked to connect Bhakti Vedanta with the consciousness of the world. This was no ordinary task. He started a global mission like ISKCON at the age of about 70, when people become inactive. This is a huge inspiration for our society and for every person. (...) Prabhupada Swami remained active for his resolutions from his childhood till his whole life. When Prabhupada ji went to America by sea, he was almost empty-pocket; he had only Gita and Shrimad Bhagwat! During the journey, he suffered heart attacks twice. When he reached New York, he did not have any arrangements for food and no place to stay. But what the world saw in the next 11 years, in the words of revered Atal ji, it was nothing less than a miracle.

Videos

• IMDb (1996). Gaurav Seth (ed.)."Following Srila Prabhupada (TV Series 1997– )".IMDb.Retrieved27 February2024.

• Morarjee, Sumati(2017),Hare Krishna! The Mantra, The Movement And The Swami Who Started It All,event occurs at 34:45,retrieved12 February2024

• Syamasundar Das (2017),Hare Krishna! The Mantra, The Movement And The Swami Who Started It All,event occurs at 1:04:45,retrieved12 February2024

• Tripati, Keshari Nath(2015),Unveiling of Brass Srila Prabhupada Statue Jaladuta Journey to USA,event occurs at 4:35,retrieved12 February2024

ISKCON-related

• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1997),Light of the Bhagavata,Los Angeles, CA: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust,ISBN9789171492678

• BBT."Languages".The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.Retrieved23 October2023.

• Bhaktivedanta Hospital,"History of Hospital",Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute,retrieved21 October2023

• Bhaktivedanta Research (1 March 2023),"Home",BRC Global,retrieved21 October2023

• Bhuta Bhavana Dasa (2018). Siddhanta Dasa (ed.).Prabhupada Memories.Vol. 47. Event occurs at 18:18.

• Child Protection Office (2018),ISKCON Child Protection Guidelines(PDF)

• Das, Daiva Rama (29 February 2020),"Major Street in Ahmedabad Renamed In Honor of Srila Prabhupada",ISKCON News,Gujarat, India

• Garga Samhita (16 July 2022),"Verse 1.2.28 [Garga Samhita]",Wisdom Library; The portal for Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Jainism, Mesopotamia etc...,retrieved22 October2023

• GBC (2024)."List of Initiating Gurus in ISKCON".

• Haribol, Thomas (16 August 2023)."NE-BBT Releases 2022 Stats Showing Growth in Distribution, Printing, eBooks, and More".ISKCON News.Retrieved23 October2023.

• ISKCON (9 July 2011)."India".ISKCON Centers - World wide directory of official ISKCON Centres & Branches.Retrieved23 October2023.

• Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1965),The Jaladuta Diary(PDF),The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

• PrabhupadaDotCom."About Srila Prabhupada".Prabhupada.com.Retrieved27 February2024.

• PrabhupadaMemories."Prabhupada Memories".Retrieved27 February2024.

• Reviews,Scholarly Appreciations of Srila Prabhupada's Books,retrieved23 August2013

• Smullen, Madhava (20 August 2018),"Srila Prabhupada and Jaladuta Sculpture Installed Outside ISKCON Boston",ISKCON News

• Vanipedia (2024)."Timeline of Srila Prabhupada's Life".

• Vedabase (14 February 1977)."Room Conversation — Varṇāśrama System Must Be Introduced".Online Vedabase.Retrieved22 October2023.

• Vedabase (21 May 1973)."Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.10".Online Vedabase.Retrieved22 October2023.

• Vedabase (28 July 2021)."Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.10".Online Vedabase.Retrieved22 October2023.

Works by Prabhupada's followers

• Greene, Joshua (2006),Here Comes the Sun. The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison,Los Angeles, CA:Turner Publishing,ISBN9780471690214

• Greene, Joshua (2016),Swami in a Strange Land,San Rafael: Mandala Publishing,ISBN9781608876440

• Griesser, John; Griesser, Jean; Ross, Lauren (15 December 2017),Hare Krishna: The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All,India: Spirituality & Practice,retrieved29 August2023

• Hayagriva Dasa (1970),"The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person"(PDF),Back to Godhead,no. 38

• Hayagriva Dasa (1985),The Hare Krishna Explosion: The Birth of Krishna Consciousness in America, 1966-1969(PDF),Moundsville, WV: Palace Press

• Jayadvaita Swami(2015),Vanity Karma: Ecclesiastes, the Bhagavad-gita, and the meaning of life,Los Angeles, CA: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust,ISBN9780892134496

• Kaunteya Das (2022),Tough Questions, Difficult Answers on Srila Prabhupada's Contentious Remarks,Eye of the Storm Press

• Kurma Dasa (1999),The Great Transcendental Adventure: Pastimes of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Australia and New Zealand,Botany, Australia: Chakra Press,ISBN9780947259228

• Mukunda Goswami(2011),Miracle on Second Avenue: Hare Krishna Arrives in the West,Badger, CA: Torchlight Publishing,ISBN978-0981727349

• Ravindra Svarupa Dasa(1993), "Disease",Back to Godhead Magazine,27(1), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

• Rosen, Steven J. (2007b),Black Lotus: The Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic,Hari-Nama Press,ISBN979-8640550719

• Satsvarupa dasa Goswami(2002),Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta,Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust,ISBN9780892133550

• Satyaraja Dasa (2011),"A Spiritual Happening on the Lower East Side",Back to Godhead,45(2)

• TheTVDB."Following Srila Prabhupada".The TVDB.Retrieved27 February2024.

Further reading

• Zeller, Benjamin E. (2023), "The Hare Krishna Look: ISKCON Adornment as Religious Activism", in Zeller, Benjamin E.; Dallam, Marie W. (eds.),Religion, Attire, and Adornment in North America,Columbia University Press,pp. 295–319,ISBN9780231555548

• Sengupta, Hindol(2023),Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of Iskcon,India Penguin Ananda,ISBN9780143462446

External links

• Vanipedia— Online repository of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's legacy
• Bhaktivedanta Vedabase– Official online multilingual library of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• The Bhaktivedanta Archives— Archives of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Cinosaur/sandboxatIMDb
• BnF118918976– Bhaktivedanta Swami, A. C. (1896–1977)
• Cinosaur/sandboxin libraries (WorldCatcatalog)
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