A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in the year of 1896, in Calcutta, India. He met for the first time with his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj, in Calcutta, in the year of 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a pre-eminent erudite devocional and the founder of sixty four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked that educated youth and it convinced him to dedicate his life to teach the Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his disciple and eleven years later (1933) in Allahad became his disciple in formal character.

In the first encounter that they had in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura asked that Srila Prabhupada spread the Vedic knowledge in English language. In the years that were proceeded, Srila Prabhupada wrote a comment on Bhagavad-gita, it helped Gaudiya Matha in its work and in 1944, without the help of anybody, led off a biweekly magazine in English, writing it, typing the manuscripts and revising the proofs. He distributed the copies individually gratuitously and it struggled to maintain the publication. Ever since, the magazine called "Back to Godhead", continues being published ininterruptly; now in West disciples continue her publish it in more than thirty languages.

Recognizing the philosophical erudition and Srila Prabhupada's devotion, the Society Gaudiya Vaisnava honored him in 1947 with the title "Bhaktivedanta". In 1950, to the 54 years of age, Srila Prabhupada left of the married life, adopting the order of solitary life (Vanaprastha), in order to dedicate more time to their studies and writings. Srila Prabhupada traveled to the sacred city of Vrindavana, where he/she lived in a humble way in the medieval and historical temple of Radha-Damodara. He was devoted there for several years to study deeply and to write. He accepted the order of renounced life (Sannyasa) in 1959.

In Radha Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began to work in the work excels of his life: a translation in many volumes, with comments, of the eighteen thousand verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata-Purana). he/she also Wrote " Easy Travel to the Other Planets."

After publishing three volumes of Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada went to the United States in 1965, in order to accomplish his spiritual master's mission. From that time, His Divine Grace wrote more than sixty volumes of translations, comments and authorized summary studies on the philosophical classic - religious persons of India.

When in 1965 it arrived for the first time to the city of New York in a load ship, Srila Prabhupada didn't have a cent practically. It was alone after almost a year of a lot of difficulty that he founded the International Society for the Krishna Consciesness in July of 1966. Before his disappearance on November 14, 1977, he guided the Society and saw it develop in a world confederation with more than a hundred Asramas, schools, temples, institutes and rural communities.

In 1968, Srila Prabhupada created New Vrndavana, an experimental Vedic community in Virgínia Westerner hills.

Inspired for the success of New Vrndavana, that if it turned prosperous rural community with more than 168 bushels, their disciples ever since have been founding several similar communities in everybody.

In 1972, His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary and secondary education in the West, when founding the first school Gurukula in the United States. Ever since, under his their supervision disciples have been establishing schools Gurukula in the whole world, with the main established education center in Vrndavana, India.

Srila Prabhupada also inspired the construction of several international cultural centers in India. The Center in Sridhama Mayapura in Begala Ocidental is the area for a planned spiritual city, an ambitious project whose construction will settle down for next decade. In Vrndavana, India, is the magnificent temple of Krshna and Balarama, the International House of Guests and the Monument Srila Prabhupada. There is also a great education center in Mumbai. There are plans to establish other centers in local other a dozen important of the Indian subcontinent.

However, Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution is their books. Highly respected by the academic community, given his authority, depth and clarity, those books are adopted as normative text books in numerous academical courses. Srila Prabhupada's writings have been translated for thirty five languages. Established in 1972 exclusively to publish the works of His Divine Grace, "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" became like this the largest world publisher of books in the field of the religion and of the Indian philosophy.

In only twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada traveled for the world fourteen times, giving conferences on the conscience of Krishna and helping their disciples in the administration of the Society and in the fomentation of new projects. In spite of their constants trips, Srila Prabhupada always wrote prolificamente, and their works constitute true philosophy library, religion and Vedic culture. " Srila Prabhupada was not just other erudite, guru, mystic, yoga teacher or instructor of oriental meditation. He was the corporification of an entire culture, which implanted in the West."