The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896–1977) has written more than sixty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the classics of India. His writings have been translated in over eighty languages. Dr. Larry Shinn, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Bucknell University, wrote: “Prabhupada’s personal piety gave him real authority. He exhibited complete command of the scriptures, an unusual depth of realization and an outstanding personal example, because he actually lived what he taught.”

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is known by his disciples as Srila Prabhupada. To look at Srila Prabhupada as just an author falls short of appreciating the whole, remarkable person. A short biography follows.

Prabhupada was a saint and inspired spiritual teacher who played a central role in religious history during the 60s and 70s. And he was prolific author. He wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative commentated translations and summary studies of the main classical texts of Vaishnavism, or Bhakti-yoga (devotional service to Krishna). He presented the ancient texts in meticulously detail. He would give:

• the Roman transliteration equivalent for each foreign word
• the translation for each word
• the translation for the entire text
• his commentary, drawing on the commentaries of several scholars and saints

Prabhupada referred to his commentaries, or purports, as "My devotional ecstasies." These ecstasies ushered Krishna into the hearts of thousands of readers, making "Hare Krishna" a household word in the West.

Srila Prabhupada's literary achievements did not come easy. He rose just after midnight every night—no matter how demanding his daily schedule and travel—and translated for a few hours. In translating and commentating, he synthesized the commentaries of several ancient scholars and saints, while drawing on his own knowledge of Sanskrit and devotional background in the long disciplic line of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Prabhupada's works include the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam (12 Cantos), Chaitanya-charitamrita (9 volumes), The Nectar of Devotion, Krishna: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Teaching of Queen Kunti, Sri Ishopanishad, The Nectar of Instruction, and dozens of smaller books.

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes) in India, liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge.

Srila Prabhupada became his student and, in 1933, his formally initiated disciple. At their first meeting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge in English. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, assisted the Gaudiya Matha in its work, and, in 1944, started Back to Godhead, an English fortnightly magazine. Single-handedly, Srila Prabhupada edited it, typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs, and even distributed the individual copies. The magazine is now being continued by his disciples.

In 1950 Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. He traveled to the holy city of Vrindavana, where he lived in humble circumstances in the historic temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing.

He accepted the renounced order of life ( sannyasa ) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his life's masterpiece: a multivolume commentated translation of the eighteen-thousand-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam ( Bhagavata Purana ). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets.

After publishing three volumes of the Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada came to the United States, in September 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than fifty volumes of authoritative commentated translations and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India.

When he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Srila Prabhupada was practically penniless. Only after almost a year of great difficulty did he establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in July of 1966. Before he passed away on November 14, 1977, he had guided the Society and seen it grow to a worldwide confederation of more than one hundred ashramas, schools, temples, institutes, and farm communities.

Srila Prabhupada also inspired the construction of several large international cultural centers in India. The center at Sridhama Mayapur is the site for a planned spiritual city, an ambitious project for which construction will extend over many years to come. In Vrindavana are the magnificent Krishna-Balarama Temple and International Guesthouse, a school, and Srila Prabhupada Memorial and Museum. There is also a major cultural and educational center in Bombay. Major centers are planned in Delhi and in a dozen other important locations on the Indian subcontinent.

Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution, however, is his books. Highly respected by scholars for their authority, depth, and clarity, they are used as textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into over seventy languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.

In just twelve years, despite his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. Yet this vigorous schedule did not slow his prolific literary output. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic knowledge, philosophy, religion, literature, and culture.

Your Ever-Well Wisher, Abridged Biography of Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, Unabridged Biography of Srila Prabhupada.