Srila Prabhupada is not just an acharya; not just the founder of a society; he is the Founder-Acharya of the Krishna Consciousness Movement, which is a dynamic spiritual reality - the Yuga Dharma. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada is to be appreciated not merely as the acharya of a few intimate servants or even the acharya of a single generation of disciples. Rather, as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, he established the standard of Krishna consciousness to be practiced by all sincere followers for ten thousand years to come.
The scriptures predict that although the present age is continually becoming more inauspicious, unfortunate and degraded, a 'Golden Age' of Krishna consciousness will appear for a period of ten thousand years, following the advent of Sri Chaitanya, despite the force of Kali Yuga.
Srila Prabhupada should not be limited by describing him as a founder within the drama or the one who started or only started the ISKCON. He was empowered by Krishna to do what no other spiritual master has ever done, or would ever do in the future - 'na ca bhuto na bhavisyati sa ca pujyo Prabhupada: He is the Founder-Acharya for spreading Lord Chaitanya's sankirtana movement worldwide, for ten thousand years within the midst of Kali.
It is important to note that Srila Prabhupada himself, repeatedly emphasized that he was Founder-Acharya. It is noted in the Lilamrta (IV p. 93), that he became deeply annoyed when an ISKCON publication described him as "acharya of ISKCON", even though at that time there was no question at all of the existence of another acharya.
There have been many acharyas and there will be many more after him, but His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada is the sole Founder-Acharya of the Golden Age, known synonymously as ISKCON.
In his discussion with historian Arnold Toynbee, in London, Srila Prabhupada said; "I have started this Krishna Conscious Movement among the Indians and Americans and for the next ten thousand years it will increase. Then there will be a gloomy picture of Kali Yuga. Ten thousand years is not a short time. It is our duty on behalf of Krishna." (Lilamrta Vol. V, Ch. 6, p. 161)
Anyone who wants shelter from the evil effects of the present Godless age may have it by taking to devotional service under the guidance of Lord Chaitanya's teachings, as given by Srila Prabhupada in his books. The dynamic preaching and realizations of Srila Prabhupada reveal the sublime teachings of Lord Chaitanya, which otherwise have been neglected, misused or kept secret within the confines of India. Srila Prabhupada prepared his translations and Bhaktivedanta purports on the essential Vaisnava scriptures - Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-caritamrta and Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu - with the plan for forming the foundation of the Krishna Consciousness Movement for the next ten thousand years. (Books Are The Basis)
He says in the Chaitanya-caritamrta; "In our Krishna Conscious Movement we have limited our study of Vedic literatures to Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-caritamrta and Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. These four works are sufficient for all preaching purposes. They are adequate for understanding the philosophy and spreading the missionary activities all over the world. That is the principle."
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