by Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada considers it significant that in the year of his birth (1896), the message of Krsna consciousness went to the West in the form of a small book by the great Bhaktivinoda Thakura. A year later Bhaktivinoda Thakura's book The life and Precepts of Lord Caitanya gained a place in the library of McGill College, in Montreal, Canada. The volume foreshadowed the flood of love of God that would come seventy years later from Srila Prabhupada's own publishing house, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

We cannot write the biography of a pure devotee from the mundane viewpoint. After all, the pure devotee is eternally liberated (nitya-mukta), and it is offensive for the disciple to think of his spiritual master as an ordinary person. Srila Prabhupada took his birth in a Vaisnava family, and his father was a pure devotee. So from the very beginning of his life, he was hearing about Krsna. His dedication of the Krsna book reads:

Srila Prabhupada describes his mother as always being concerned for his health and well-being. "If my mother were alive today, she would be happy just to see that I am living." Prabhupada was named Abhay Caran De (a name of Krsna which means that His lotus feet give protection from all fear). His father would say to sadhus who visited their home, "Please pray that my son, Abhay Caran, can become a pure devotee of Radharani." Srila Prabhupada describes many boyhood activities such as asking his father to buy him two water pistols. ("Why two?" "Because I have two hands.") Also, as a small child he insisted on performing a six-day Rathayatra Festival in honor of Lord Krsna and engaged both his young neighborhood friends and adults in cooking prasada for the festival and marching in the parade. One of his early memories is of trying to fly a kite. When it would not take flight he and his sister ran with the kite and prayed, "Dear God, please let it fly." As a small boy he used to consult the train schedules and meditate on how he could save the fare to go from his native Calcutta to Vrndavana, the site of Lord Krsna's eternal pastimes. Our spiritual master once said, "I cannot remember a time when I was not Krsna conscious." Srila Prabhupada offers memories from his own life to illustrate the Bhagavad-gita teaching that the self remains the same although the body changes from boyhood to youth (dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg 2.13]). And so he remembers the time of a plague in Calcutta. In order to end the plague, a local babaji organized a mass kirtana. Srila Prabhupada remembers that at the time he was only half as tall as most adults, and he was trying to look out the window at the harinama kirtana party. From boyhood to youth he was always Krsna conscious.

The main influence of his early years was his father, a pure devotee, a loving guide, who arranged for his son's worship of Radha-Krsna and Lord Jagannatha, mrdahga playing for the kirtanas, and even a marriage which would be most beneficial for his son's Krsna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada relates that there were two girls being discussed as possibilities for marriage. One girl was very beautiful looking, the other not so much. When Abhay Caran De heard that his father wanted him to marry the less beautiful girl he thought, "No, I don't want to marry her." But his father spoke to him and explained that if he married a wife who was very beautiful he would become too much attached to her and would never be able to leave her later in life when a man is supposed to accept the renounced order. Gour Mohan De's parental dealings (and their results) show that he was a genius in preparing his son to become a great disciple of a great spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada attended Scottish Churches College in Calcutta, which was taught by British professors. Once one such professor attempted to discredit the philosophy of karma, from the Christian viewpoint, by saying, "How could a person be awarded the results of all his activities in the form of karma? Many of our actions are not remembered or even witnessed by anyone. If in court there are no witnesses, no judgement can be given." Srila Prabhupada says that at the time he did not make an argumentative reply, but he shows us that the challenge from his boyhood professor is certainly defeated when one understands the position of the Supersoul, the expansion of the Supreme Lord who is within everyone's heart and who witnesses all by His all-pervading knowledge and who awards everyone his next life through the agency of material nature or karma. It is the Lord in the heart who witnesses all our actions, and He is completely competent to award us our next life based on what He has witnessed. Even hearing from his European professor, there was no question of Srila Prabhupada being affected by materialistic ideas. To one who imbibes Vedic culture in an atmosphere of love, and who grasps the transcendental science with his intelligence, there is never doubt or a falldown from the truth. Although in this period of growing up Srila Prabhupada entered marriage and business and even made political affiliation-he relates that he never at any time in his life smoked cigarettes or even drank coffee or tea. Of course, more and more so-called Hindus do these illicit practices, but Srila Prabhupada was never such a "Hindu" but always a pure Vaisnava, one who follows the essence of the original culture of India-love of Krsna. According to Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that original culture (Veda) is not intended only for Indians, but is to be spread all over the world, especially by those persons fortunate enough to be born in the land of Bharata-varsa (India).

Abhay Caran graduated from college majoring in psychology and philosophy and entered a business occupation before he was hardly twenty years old. Through an intimate friend of the family, he was appointed a manager in the chemical firm of a well-known physician-chemist, Dr. Bhosh.

In 1922, as a "newly married young man, and one of the managers of Dr. Bhosh's laboratory in Calcutta," Abhay Caran "addicted to Ghandi's movement and dressed in white khadi," met the personality who was to become his spiritual master, by the arrangement of providence. A friend insisted that he visit the most learned Vaisnava scholar and devotee of the age, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. At the first meeting Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati asked Srila Prabhupada, as an educated young man, to bring the spiritual knowledge of India's Vedas, Krsna consciousness, to the West. Abhay Caran objected, saying that first India must become politically independent before others will listen to her. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati pointed out that political dependence or supremacy was a temporary thing of no importance compared to knowledge of the soul and God, which alone can solve all the problems of humanity. Srila Prabhupada relates that he was defeated by this argument and very much impressed with his future spiritual master's transcendental wisdom. Srila Prabhupada writes,

Because of his immediate household engagements, Srila Prabhupada could not at once take up the order given to him at their first meeting, but he relates that he always meditated on how he might do so. He would always remember the impression of meeting the saintly person who would eventually become his spiritual master, and whose order became his life and soul. Srila Prabhupada began his own business, selling medicinal products, and at the same time he assisted in the activities of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's preaching mission, the Gauḍia Math. He was formally initiated by his spiritual master in 1933. Desiring to do more direct service for his guru, he wrote him in 1936 asking what he could do, and received the same order given at his first meeting with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In a letter dated just two weeks before his departure from this mortal world, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati once again implored, "Teach Krsna consciousness to the English-speaking people." Srila Prabhupada began the fortnightly journal Back to Godhead in 1944.

Srila Prabhupada says that he met with his spiritual master no more than a dozen times. In the days Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was living in this world, Srila Prabhupada was not one of the sannyasis who lived with the spiritual master, thus it may not have been clear that, on the order of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, this disciple, out of all the others, would do the most to spread pure Krsna consciousness all over the world. But there were signs even in the beginning. Srila Prabhupada was very much attached to hearing his spiritual master speak. Srila Prabhupada explained that although at first he could not understand him, he would listen attentively whenever his spiritual master spoke and would remain listening even after most others had left. "Because I was good at sravanam (hearing)," Srila Prabhupada says, "now I am good at kirtanam (chanting or speaking Krsna consciousness)." One time he wrote a poem which contained the couplet "Absolute is sentient thou has proved / Impersonal calamity thou has removed," and his spiritual master was very pleased with this and would show it to all his guests. In this way, Srila Prabhupada demonstrated that he knew the mind of his spiritual master. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was a very bold preacher who did not like his disciples to compromise-he wanted to defeat Mayavadi impersonalism and establish the eternal truth if the soul in relation to Krsna. In preaching he particularly stressed the writing, printing, and distributing of books. So from his first efforts with Back to Godhead in 1944, Srila Prabhupada showed he knew the real desire of his spiritual master.

In 1959, Srila Prabhupada accepted sannyasa, the renounced order, and began living alone in the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana and translating the Srimad-Bhagavatam into English. He managed to raise funds to publish three volumes and then in 1965 he decided to travel to the Untied States. A friend offered free passage on a ship. Now, at this time Srila Prabhupada was seventy years old, retired from material activity and living in the sacred land if Vrndavana. After so many years, why would he decide to travel to America? What hope had he, as a lone sannyasi, of creating any interest among the American people, who have always been fully immersed in what Vedic culture considers the four pillars of sinful life-meat eating, illicit sex, gambling and intoxication? Mundane biographers would like to speculate and present their psychological theories on the life of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, why he waited, prepared himself, and then left for America with virtually no support or much chance for success. But the movements of persons completely surrendered to the guru and Krsna cannot be understood by such speculative methods. It is a fact that the Absolute Truth, Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be known by the material argument or sensual inspection, and similarly the servant of the absolute truth can also never be known by any means except devotion (bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]).

Social historians have noted, however, that the arrival of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna consciousness to New York City in 1965-just when the youth of America were experiencing a spiritual crisis, the "hip" search for meaning beyond matter-couldn't have been better timed. In other words, even from the mundane historical point of view, Srila Prabhupada's coming to America in 1965 seemed truly providential; it was Krsna's arrangement for inaugurating the Hare Krsna movement in the Western world.

During the two-week voyage to America, Srila Prabhupada cooked for himself aboard the Jaladūta. He became seasick, however, and wrote in his diary that only by reading Caitanya-caritamrta did he feel solace. The ship arrived in Boston harbor, Commonwealth Pier, on September 17, 1965, for a short stop en route to New York. Srila Prabhupada expressed his helpless dependence on the will of Krsna in a poem he wrote while in the Boston harbor. Although feeling insignificant, he had courage and absolute confidence that the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam would appeal even to persons here in America, a land of demoniac living. Because everyone is the eternal servant of Krsna, Srila Prabhupada was convinced that Krsna consciousness would clean the Americans' hearts and appeal to their original spiritual nature. He arrived in New York with only forty rupees (approximately five dollars). Srila Prabhupada says that coming off the ship, he did not know where to go, whether to turn left or right. He did have a patron whom he had never met, a Mr.. Agarwal of Pennsylvania, whose invitation had enabled him to visit the United States. So Srila Prabhupada took a bus to Butler, Pennsylvania, the home of his patron. In the first Western-world news release about Srila Prabhupada, the Butler Eagle printed this article, entitled "Ambassador of Bhakti-yoga":

After staying in Butler, Srila Prabhupada was invited to stay at the New York country-asrama of a Westernized Indian guru. This guru had been in the United States for some time, and he had a small following. He informed Srila Prabhupada that in order to live in the West one had to take to Western habits-meat-eating, drinking liquor, dressing the Western way. He even attempted to show Srila Prabhupada how to eat with a knife and fork. But rather than take to Western habits, Srila Prabhupada cooked the Vedic way (dahl, rice, and chapatis), offered the food to Krsna, and distributed it to the asrama members, who were all very pleased. They had never before tasted Krsna prasada. Even the Westernized guru admitted that he became healthy only when he eat the food prepared by Prabhupada.

Still without any secure position, Srila Prabhupada moved to a small apartment in upper Manhattan and supported himself by whatever books he could sell. He had brought with him a number of three-volume sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and by occasional sales of these books he managed to push on. But one day all his belongings, including a donated typewriter and tape recorder, were stolen from his room.

Next, a young man invited him to share his loft located on the Bowery. A storekeeper who had made Srila Prabhupada's acquaintance heard of his proposed move and objected, "No, swami, you can't go to the Bowery! It's the worst place!" But the pure devotee had no other invitations, so he moved into the Bowery loft and began holding classes in the Bhagavad-gita. Srila Prabhupada relates that although there were usually derelicts lying on the street in front of his door, they would get up and clear a way for him when he came by and that they greeted him in a gentlemanly way. But Srila Prabhupada's host (a consumer of LSD) became crazy, and Srila Prabhupada could no longer stay in the Bowery loft.

In July, 1966, Srila Prabhupada obtained a storefront with a rear apartment, at 26 Second Avenue, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. A friend donated the first month's rent, and Srila Prabhupada made the storefront into the first center of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness-ISKCON, Inc.-based on the principles of bhakti-yoga taught by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Srila Prabhupada taught classes every morning at 6:00 A.M. and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:00 P.M. Also, he introduced the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. A group of about a dozen young people, mostly boys, regularly attended. After a couple of months, he offered initiation, and Srila Prabhupada's first American disciples were born. In those days of ISKCON's infancy, Srila Prabhupada personally managed all affairs. It was he who did the cooking for the devotees, he who played the drum and chanted, he who gave all the lectures, he who personally handled all petty cash expenditures, answered the phone, typed the manuscripts and letter, mailed the letters, cleaned, worshipped, etc. He worked with the strength of a young man. By material standards he overworked. His first students were mainly ex-hippies and knew nothing of Vedic culture and practices. Everything had to come gradually and Srila Prabhupada tolerated all the ignorant offenses of his disciples. He only wanted to see that they were happy, engaging in chanting Hare Krsna and serving the spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada's biography from 1966 is inseparable from the life and growth of ISKCON and the publication of his books.

Thus the milestones in Srila Prabhupada's life included these events: 1967-opening temples in San Francisco, Montreal, and Boston; 1968-the first Rathayatra festival, in San Francisco. The most significant dates in his life are the publication dates of his books, which came in a steady stream, quickly increasing to a torrent: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1968; Teachings of Lord Caitanya 1968; Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead 1970; The Nectar of Devotion 1970 (more and more books). For the past ten years, he has traveled around the world by jet many times, opening centers, visiting disciples, and managing the affairs of the society in person and by mail. Yet, wherever he is, he translates at night by speaking into a dictaphone. He usually takes his evening rest at around 10 or 11 P.M. and then rises at 1 or 2 A.M. to translate the verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Wherever he goes he takes the dictaphone and translates, even if only a single page is done in a night. "Little drops of water wear away the stone," he says, "In this way I have written all these books." There are now almost a hundred established centers and fifty published volumes of books.

Srila Prabhupada has also invested much energy in bringing Krsna consciousness back to India. Some of his western spiritual children, disciples of ISKCON, joined with Srila Prabhupada in 1970 when he returned to India to revive the original Vedic culture. Especially in India he continued to personally manage the affairs of his institution, and with great struggle he began temples and centers in Mayapura, Vrndavana, Bombay, etc. Now he has erected two pilgrimage sites with gorgeous temples capable of accommodating hundreds of devotees, at Mayapura and Vrndavana, so that his western disciples can go at least yearly and receive the blessings of such holy sites. Srila Prabhupada's plans for the future development of Mayapura, the birthsite or Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, include the construction of the largest temple in India and development of an entire Vedic city, which will include a planetarium, kirtana stadium, village industries, and even an airport. In recent years he has spent most of his time traveling in India and, at least once a year, touring the United States and Europe.

A biography of Srila Prabhupada is very difficult because he has done so much! Who can recount it all? Perhaps one day his disciples can put together an historical travel record of every place he has visited and blessed by his saintly presence, but will they be able to list all his achievements? Just as Krsna dasa Kaviraja compiled a record of places visited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on His South Indian tour, Prabhupada's disciples will have to research extensively to reproduce the worldwide travels of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. And wherever he has gone he has given his local leaders extensive blueprints or the development of Krsna consciousness in their area. He has given thousands of lectures, many of them recorded and all of them fully realized in love of Krsna and substantiated with sastric references and strong arguments of logic.

Under almost any conditions of climate, travel, or residence, Srila Prabhupada manages to follow his simple, austere routine: translating with a dictaphone, morning walk, darsana in the temple, morning Bhagavatama class, breakfast, and so forth. He usually travels with only two or three assistants: his secretary, a personal servant, and a disciple like Pradyumna dasa or Nitai dasa to assist with Sanskrit editing.

Struggling to relate the tiniest fragment of a true picture of Srila Prabhupada, I am reminded of his reply when one of his disciples asked him to speak about his own spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He said, "What can I say about him? He was a Vaikuntha man." Srila Prabhupada's biography is a continuum of loving transcendental service by a confidential servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And because he meditates, instructs, and acts only to deliver Krsna to all living beings, his life is the greatest benediction for the world.

One Indian Astrologer declared, on seeing a picture of Srila Prabhupada, "This is a man who can build a house in which the entire world can live in peace." That is a fact, because Srila Prabhupada is directly delivering Krsna, therefore He is competent to give all beings eternity, bliss and knowledge if they will surrender to His protection.

But what we do not see in Srila Prabhupada's biography as yet is the awarding of Nobel Prizes, full government support for his mission, and praise and appeals for guidance from the world's political leaders. This is due to those so-called leaders' ignorance, typical of the Age of Kali.

While Srila Prabhupada's mission flowers among persons fortunate enough to receive the perfection of spiritual realization, he will never receive the appreciation of conditioned souls whose very aim in life is to supplant the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and become Krsna themselves.

The only personality who can fully appreciate the biography of Srila Prabhupada is Krsna Himself. The Supreme Lord is keeping that biography in His heart, as affirmed by Lord Krsna in the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam: "Saints are My heart and only I am in their hearts. They do not know anyone but Me, and therefore I do not recognize anyone besides them as Mine." (Cc. Adi, 1.62)

By hearing the facts and figures, dates and places, of his activities in this world, we can better appreciate the awesome reality of Srila Prabhupada's identity-empowered intimate devotee of the Supreme Lord. Let biographers come forward and tell more and more about the events of his life. Gradually, intelligent men will appreciate Srila Prabhupada as the greatest of all personalities.

-Satsvarūpa dasa Gosvami