Srila Prabhupada Swamy
Prabhupadha (Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) (1896 –1977) was a great spiritual leader and the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly referred as the “Hare Rama Hare Krishna Movement”. He is also considered as a messenger of Sri Chaintanya Mahaprabhu. And it is believed that he was born for the main purpose of invoking the people in the “KRISHNA BHAKTI SPIRIT”, and to make the people to live in a peaceful manner. His birth name was Abhay Charan De.
LIFE
He was born in a Bengali family and educated at Calcutta. After finishing his graduation, he got married and was running a small business. In the year 1959, he become a saint and started writing holy books on Hinduism. He spread the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnava throughout the universe and he founded ISKCON in the year 1966. He conducted spiritual meetings and explained the importance of following hindu religion and about worshipping Lord Krishna as the main god. He received mixed response for his activities from the foreign countries as well as in india. He started his own publication house, and begun publishing about the bhakti essence of Lord Krishna and about the performance of miracles to his sincere devotees. He also translated lot of religious books in English language.
He propagated his mission, throughout the world. His guru was Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati. Even after his death in 1977, ISKCON continued to grow. Its main books are Bhagavat Gita and Bhagavat Purana, which deals with Lord Krishna.
A number of shrines to Bhaktivedanta Swami were constructed by the members of ISKCON and the most popular one is situated in Mayapur, Vrindavan and also in America.
IMPORTANCE
Throughout his life, his concentration was full of devotion on Lord Krishna, and he attained sainthood, and spread the principles of Chaintanya Mahaprabhu and awakened the spiritual energy of the devotees. He was the main person in establishing a big society for spreading the message of Lord Krishna. And through his divine blessings, the ISKCON movement is still going stronger, and has established several branches all over the world. They are also doing lot of charitable activities like providing food to the poor children and to the poor people. Lot of foreigners were also joined in the ISKCON movement, and taking part in their spiritual journey.
Let us worship the holy saint and be blessed.
“OM SREE PRABUPADA SWAMIGALE NAMAHA”
“JAI KRISHNA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR