Nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
Sri mate bhaktivedanta-svaminiti namine
Namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani –pracarine
Nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in 1896 in Calcutta on Nandotsava in a devotional family of vaishnava.His childhood name was Abhay Charanaravinda (Abhay Charan De).
He sent to English & Bengali medium school at the age of eight years. Then he did BA in 1920 from Scottish Church College in Calcutta. After exams he joined Mahatama Ghandi’s movement. In 1921, he was appointed as Assistant Manager inDr. Bose’s Laboratory. He got married during his studies in 1918.
He meets Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada (SSBSGP) in 1922 in Ulta Danga district of Calcutta. He enjoyed a lot in Hari-Katha from SSBSGP. Because he knew English so SSBSGP wants that he should preach people aboutHari-Katha outside India. He took diksha & upanayana (secred thread) from SSBSGPin 1932. By this his name changed to Sri Abhay Charanarvinda Dasadhikari. Hestart writing essays & articles in English for the magazine named ‘TheHarmonist’.
After that he got the association of Gurupadapadma Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharajaji (SSBPKGM). For him he organized many educated & qualified people for preaching.
His diksha guru SSBSGP disappeared in 1940. Then he get associated with Gurudeva Vinodabihari Brahmacari(GVB) in Allahabad where he had huge business in pharmaceutical firm named as Prayaga Pharmacy & he lived with his familythere.
In 1955, he came to Mathura for his business. At that time he visited various reputed cities of North India. After going back he gave up his household life & all possessions in Calcutta & again came to Mathura. At Mathura, hestarted living Hooli Wali Gully near Bengali Ghat. But then he was brought toKesavaji Gaudiya Matha (KGM in Mathura) by Shri Srimad Bhaktivedanta NarayanaMaharaja (SSBNM) , as he know him very well n serve him most of time earlier.In KGM, he wrote Srimad Bhagavat Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam in English & sangbhajans n hariname very beautifuly. He was very fond of cooking n he cook forLord Krishna in pure ghree & also feed to all vaisnavas there. He wasexpert in playing mardanga. All the time in day n night he makes himself busyin devotional activities.
Then he was appointed as the Director of Sri Bhagvat Patrika (Hindi monthly) & Sri Gaudiya Patrika (Bengali monthly). Along with that he established an English magazine ‘Back to Godhead’& started giving lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam & Caitanaya –Caritamrtain English because it was his diksha guru’s wish that he gave lectures inEnglish so that other country people can aware of all these puranas.
In 1959, he took Sannayas from SSBPKGM. At this ceremony SSBNM helped him in dressing. SSBNM chanted Hare Krishna mahamantra countinusly from 8:00am to 3:00pm at this occasion of takingsannayas in most sweet & deep manner.In this ceremony he was given a nameas ‘Swami’ means ‘controller’ or ‘master’. Earlier in Calcutta after takingdiksha he was titled as ‘Bhaktivedanta’ & due to his services in KGM he wastitled as ‘Maharaja’. So colleborly his name become ‘Srila Bhaktivedanta SwamiMaharaja’ ie., controller of many many jivas heart.
After accepting Sannayas he lived at Sri Radha Damodara Mandir in Sridham Varindavan. Then for preaching he planned to go to America. But before going there he went to Chippiwada Radha Krishna Temple at Delhi to publishing 3 volumes of SriSrimad Bhagavatam. There he preached public very vigorously about Radha-Krishna& Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu’s Mission.
In 1965 he went to USA for preaching & in 1966 he established The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He came back to India in 1967 to meet SSBPKGM who leave this world by 1968. In this time he wrotemore than 50 books on Krishna Bhakti in various languages.
Later on he became very ill, at that time Sukananda Prabhu start offering him naturopathic massage with gangajal. This massage helped him a lot. He then circled the glove twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to sixcontinents. At that time he introduced Gurukul education. He developed thereligious colony new Varindavan in West Virginia.
In his last days he stayed at Krishna-Balaram Mandir at Varindavan & he wished to go to Govaradhana by bullock cart like Nanda Baba, Jasodamata, all Vraja vasi n like all gopis. But as he was very ill so he could not go. On Novomber14, 1977 he stop speaking & at that time SSBNM was called from Mathurabecause SSBNM was very near to him. On that day he rememberd the past time ofLord Krishna at Varindavan . At the time of departute from this world he had nopain, no distraction & his mouth looks like a blossom rose like lotus. Then according to their wish a Mahotsava wasarranged in Sridham Varindavan in Krishna-Balaram Mandir. SSBNM took him onprocession in front of most of the important deities with continuous chantingof maha mantra. At that time all vraja vasis came into the streets to honorhim. Special mantras were written on their chest n tilak was applied onforehead. Salt was used for his bodyfollowed by proper vaishnava procedure. At last SSBNM put his transcendentalbody into Samadhi which was his last wish.
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
