A Fateful Meeting

Like his great father, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to promulgate Lord Caitanya's teachings beyond the shores of India. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had determined the course with his book Lord Caitanya-His Life and Precepts. The medium of preaching had to be English, rather than Bengali or any other Indian language, because English is the common language of the commercial world.

It was in 1922 that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura planted the seed for the great world mission he had inherited from his father. Abhay Charan De, who was later to become His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder and Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was at that time building up a successful pharmaceutical-manufacturing concern in Calcutta. A friend who had heard Bhaktisiddhanta speak took Abhay Charan De to meet the saintly teacher. Thus in 1922, on a rooftop of the house where Bhaktisiddhanta was staying in Calcutta, Abhay Charan De first presented himself before Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, although at first, because of pressing business matters, he was reluctant to go meet him. Immediately Bhaktisiddhanta gave Srila Prabhupada what was to be his life's mission: "Preach the message of Lord Caitanya, especially in the English language. You will benefit, and everyone you preach to will benefit." At the time, however, Srila Prabhupada was active in Gandhi's ever-growing independence movement; he doubted that foreigners in the West could take any instruction from India, since India was not even independent. In reply, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explained the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada was very much impressed. "Here is a real sadhu, a real saintly person," he said after taking his leave.