A.C Bhaktivedanta, A religious figure from West Bengal
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was the founder of International Society for Krishna Consciousness named as ISKCON. He is well known all over world for great dedication in spiritual society. He had dedicated his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Complete biography of this religious figure is described below.
Biography of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was born on 1st September , 1896 in a Vaishnava family in Kolkata. Initially he was called as Abhay Charan De. He studied at the Scottish Church College in Kolkata under the British rule. He has started the life of Vanaprastha from 1950. Before that he was married and had two children also.
Abhaya Charan De had liked to live in Vaishnava lifestyle worshipping Deities, learning bhajans, and observing festivals due to influenced from his father. He had refused to receive diploma from his school as it was under the British Government. During this time Abhaya Charan De started involves in Gandhi's movement.
In between 1922 Abhaya Charan first met his spiritual teacher , Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who a prominent devotional scholar and the founder of sixty-four branches of Gaudiya Mathas or Vedic institutes. After disciplining of 11 years he Abhaya Charan became his formally initiated disciple. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati encouraged Abhay to preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in English to the Western world. Abhaya Charan remained disciple of his teacher till 1932. He wanted to take sannyas in 1959 became a Vaishnava Sadhu.
Swami Srila Prabhupada He was refered as a Charismatic Leader as had got success in acquiring followers from United States, Europe, India and else where. He was the publisher, editor, copy editor, and distibuter of his first publication in 1944. The Gaudiya Society recognised his Scholarship with a honorific title "Bhaktivedanta". In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, and 4 years later he adopted the vanaprastha.
From 1950 he started living at the medieval temple of Radha-Damodara in the Vrindavan city. At Vrindavan he started his translation the sanskrit epic Srimad Bhagvatam and later on refering to Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita, and many other fundamental works. He was interested in spreading the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world and for which he first went to New York in 1965. In July 1966 he brought "Hare Krishna" to the International Society of Krishna Conciousness (ISKCON) in New York. He was the base standing member in growth and developement of ISKCON.
After establishing a temple with his devotees in New York he stepped towards San Francisco. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is highly respected by students, scholars and laymen till today. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusively to publish the works of His Divine Grace. His dedications are now widely used in college courses and seminars in diverse subjects, including philosophy, religion, world literature, history, and the social sciences.
His great hands in many books includes Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Civilization and Transcendence, Krsna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Science of Self Realization, Beyond Birth and Death, The Perfection of Yoga, Life Comes from Life, Path of Perfection, Mukunda-mala-stotra, Journey of Self-Discovery, A Second Chance: The Story of a Near - Death Experience, Beyond Illusion & Doubt and many more.
Arround his life time he traveled around the globe twelve times country to country, city to city, creating nearly 108 temples over the world. He was very closed to fullfil his Guru's wish through out his life. Swami Srila Prabhupada took his last breath in November of 1977.
