Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada, or more precisely Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is the founder-acharya of the Hare Krishna movement in the Western world. Acharya is usually translated as "founder" or "spiritual teacher."
He was born in 1896 in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. He first met his spiritual teacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura Prabhupada, in Calcutta in 1944. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a renowned religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), recognized the potential of this well-educated young man and persuaded him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his follower and, eleven years later in Allahabad, was formally initiated as his disciple. At their very first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested that Srila Prabhupada spread Vedic knowledge in the English language.

His Work
In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and assisted the Gaudiya Matha mission. In 1950, he began publishing the English-language magazine *Back to Godhead* every two months. Srila Prabhupada carried out all the work himself: editing, typing manuscripts, proofreading, and even personally distributing individual copies. The magazine is now continued by his disciples.
In 1950, Srila Prabhupada retired from family life and entered the vanaprastha order, allowing him to devote more time to study and writing. He traveled to the holy town of Vrindavana and lived very simply in the historic Radha-Damodara Temple. There he spent several years engaged in deep study and writing, eventually accepting the renounced order of life (sannyasa).
While residing at the Radha-Damodara Temple, Srila Prabhupada began work on his masterpiece: a multi-volume translation and commentary on the 18,000-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets.

America
After publishing the first three volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada traveled to the United States in 1965 to fulfill the instruction of his spiritual teacher. In the years that followed, he translated and wrote authoritative commentaries on more than fifty volumes of India's philosophical and religious classics. He also authored several summary studies.
When Srila Prabhupada arrived in New York aboard a cargo ship, he had very little money. Only after a year of considerable hardship did he succeed, in July 1966, in founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Worldwide Expansion
Until his passing on November 14, 1977, he guided the movement and witnessed its growth into a worldwide organization comprising more than one hundred ashrams, schools, temples, institutions, and farming communities.
He introduced the Vedic model of primary and secondary education to the West through the establishment of the first gurukula (guru's school) in Dallas, Texas. Under his leadership, his disciples founded additional schools in the United States and around the world.
Srila Prabhupada also initiated the construction of several major international cultural centers in India. The center at Sridhama Mayapur in West Bengal became the site of a planned spiritual city, an ambitious project intended to be developed over many years.

His Books
Vrindavana is home to the beautiful Krishna-Balarama Temple, the International Guesthouse, and a gurukula. It also contains a memorial dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and a museum. Mumbai (Bombay) is another important center for culture and education. Additional centers were planned for other major locations throughout the Indian subcontinent.
However, Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution is considered to be his books. They are highly regarded in academic circles for their authority, depth, and clarity, and are used as textbooks in many institutions of higher education. His works have been published in more than fifty languages.
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), established to publish Srila Prabhupada's writings, grew to become the world's largest publisher of books on Indian philosophy and religion.
Despite his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada traveled around the world fourteen times within just twelve years, visiting all six inhabited continents. Despite his demanding schedule, he continued writing and translating without interruption. His works constitute a vast library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature, and culture.