A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was a Bhagavat kathakar and Kirtaniya who spread the Hare Krishna mantra and the teachings of “Krishna consciousness” to the world. Born as Abhay Charan De and later legally named Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was born in a suvarna-vanik community, he parents Gour Mohan De and Rajani De. Gaudiya were Vaishnavas i.e. followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who taught that Krishna is Brahma and that pure love for Krishna is the highest attainment Following Indian tradition. After his birth Abhay’s father invited an astrologer, who predicted that at the age of seventy, Abhay would cross the ocean and a become a famous religious teacher.
Life before Initiation –
Abhay’s mother wanted Abhay to go to London to study law, his father rejected the idea, fearing Abhay would be negatively influenced by Western society and acquire bad habits In 1916 Abhay began his studies at Scottish Church College, a prestigious school in Calcutta founded by Alexander Duff, a Christian missionary. In 1918, while in college he was married to 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 pharmaceuticals and later opened his own pharmaceutical company in Allahabad. In 1920, Abhay graduated from college with a specialization in English, philosophy, and economics.
In 1922, while still in college, Abhay was persuaded by a friend, Narendranath Mullik, to meet with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874–1937), a Vaishnava scholar and teacher and the founder of the Gaudiya Math – a spiritual institution for spreading the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Bhaktisiddhanta was continuing the work of his father, Bhaktivinoda Thakur (1838–1914), who regarded Chaitanya’s teachings as the highest form of theism, intended not for any one religion or nation but for all of humanity.
The Gaudiya Math and initiation –
After meeting Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in 1922, Abhay had little contact with the Gaudiya Math until 1928, when sannyasis (renounced, itinerant preachers) from the Math came to open a center in Allahabad, where Abhay and his family were living. In 1932, he visited Bhaktisiddhanta in the holy town of Vrindavan, and in 1933, when Bhaktisiddhanta came to Allahabad to lay the cornerstone for a new temple, Abhay received diksha (spiritual initiation) from him and was given the name Abhay Charanaravinda. After Bhaktisiddhanta passed away, the unified mission of the Gaudiya Math split, and a battle for power broke out between his senior disciples. In 1939, elders in the Gaudiya community honored Abhay Charanaravinda (A. C.) .
In an effort to fulfill the order of his guru, in 1944 A. C. Bhaktivedanta began publishing Back to Godhead, an English fortnightly magazine presenting the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He singlehandedly wrote, edited, financed, published, and distributed the magazine. On September 17, 1959 he took Sanyas and received title A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. From 1962 to 1965 Bhaktivedanta Swami stayed in Vrindavan at the Radha-Damodar temple. There he translated Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) in English which became tool of his further propaganda.
Travel to America –
An August 13, 1965, at the age of 69 he started his journey to America and reached New York on September 17, 1965 . He started his kirtan and in July 1966 he founded International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). In 1967 Bhaktivedanta Swami established a second center, in San Francisco. In early 1970s, Prabhupada had established his movement’s American headquarters in Los Angeles and its world headquarters in Mayapur. June 25, 1971 he began Krishna consciousness movement in the Soviet Union. He visited several countries and spread his organization.
Death-
On November 14, 1977, at the age of 81, after a long illness, Prabhupada passed away in his room at the Krishna Balaram Mandir.
Birth Chart A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada-
