His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Early Life and Spiritual Calling

Abhay Charan De was born on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta, India. From his earliest years, he was immersed in devotion. His father, Gour Mohan De, was a pure Vaishnava who raised his son to love God and serve the devotees. The young Abhay organized neighborhood Ratha-yatra festivals as a child, a foreshadowing of the worldwide festivals he would later inaugurate.

In 1922, Abhay met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, at the Gaudiya Matha in Calcutta. At their very first meeting, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati asked him to spread the message of Lord Caitanya in the English language. This instruction became the guiding mission of his life.

Preparation and Renunciation

For the next three decades, Abhay Charan worked to fulfill his spiritual master's instruction while maintaining family responsibilities. In 1944, he single-handedly began publishing Back to Godhead magazine, writing, editing, and distributing each issue himself. The magazine continues publication to this day.

In 1959, he accepted sannyasa, the renounced order of life, and adopted the name A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Settling in the holy town of Vrindavan at the historic Radha-Damodara temple, he began his life's masterwork: translating the 18,000-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam into English, with elaborate commentary.

The Journey to America

In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, Srila Prabhupada boarded the Jaladuta, a cargo steamship bound for New York City. He carried with him a trunk of his Srimad-Bhagavatam translations, a pair of hand cymbals, and forty Indian rupees—the equivalent of a few dollars. During the thirty-five-day voyage across the Atlantic, he suffered two heart attacks at sea.

Arriving in New York with no money, no connections, and no followers, he began holding kirtana (congregational chanting) in Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side. Within a year, young people were drawn to his message. On July 13, 1966, he incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City.

A Worldwide Movement

Over the next twelve years, Srila Prabhupada accomplished what is without parallel in the history of spiritual movements. He circled the globe fourteen times, established 108 temples on six continents, and initiated over 5,000 disciples from every background and nationality.

He translated and provided elaborate commentary on over 80 volumes of Vedic literature, each containing the original Sanskrit or Bengali text, Roman transliteration, word-for-word synonyms, translation, and extended purport. His Bhagavad-gita As It Is, published by Macmillan in 1972, has sold tens of millions of copies and has been translated into over 80 languages. His books are used as standard textbooks in university courses worldwide.

Legacy

Srila Prabhupada departed this world on November 14, 1977, in Vrindavan, India, surrounded by his disciples. He left behind a global institution, a vast body of transcendental literature, and thousands of dedicated followers who continue his mission.

This archive preserves every word of his published writings in their original, unedited form—exactly as Srila Prabhupada gave them. It is offered as a humble service to his unparalleled contribution to humanity.