SRIL PRABHUPADA The life and teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. “When a person is advanced in spiritual consciousness or Krishna consciousness, he naturally becomes very sympathetic toward all living entities suffering in the material world…If one is actually sympathetic to fallen, suffering humanity, he should try to elevate people from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness.” — Srila Prabhupada By Yaduraja Dasa Published by Sankirtana Seva Trust Bangalore A book in English SRILA PRABHUPADA This book was adapted and compiled from the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of ISKCON, by Yaduraja Dasa who has been a member of ISKCON since 1982. Originally from England, Yaduraja Dasa has written numerous articles for magazines and plays for both stage and BBC radio, all based on the teachings of Lord Krishna as presented by Srila Prabhupada. Published by Sankirtana Seva Trust, Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road, Bangalore-10 Printed at Brilliant Printers Pvt. Ltd. Lottegollahalli, Bangalore [Total Pages : 68, 1/8 Crown] © 2011 Sankirtana Seva Trust, Bangalore All Rights Reserved ISBN: 81-8239-000-1 First Printing 2003 : 5000 copies Second Printing 2011 : 5000 copies Third Printing 2014 : 2000 copies Fifth Printing 2015 : 1500 copies Readers interested in the subject matter of this book are invited by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to correspond with its Secretary at the following address: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560 010. Tel: 080-32214522, 23471956 Mobile: 9341211119 Email: [email protected] Contents Introduction ........................................................ 5 Childhood in Calcutta.......................................... 7 Student Days ................................................... 20 Meeting a Real Sadhu ...................................... 23 Devoted to Preaching ....................................... 33 Living in Vrindavana ......................................... 38 Journey to the West ......................................... 39 Creating ISKCON ............................................. 44 Every Town and Village .................................... 49 Distributing Spiritual Foodstuffs ........................ 54 Prophecies Come True .................................... 55 His Teachings ................................................... 56 Physically Departed :Spiritually Present ........... 58 Model Questions............................................... 60 Model Answer Sheet ........................................ 68 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Founder Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness) desired that children are taught the sublime knowledge of Krishna so that they can perfect their lives. Srila Prabhupada 5 Introduction In the ancient Vedic literatures it is said that the cause and origin of everything is Lord Sri Krishna. The name Krishna means "all-attractive”. If someone is very rich, famous, renounced, clever, strong, or beautiful, we find such a person, to some extent attractive. Just imagine someone who is the wealthiest, the most beautiful, the most famous, etc. The person who has those attractive qualities to an unlimited degree is called Krishna. He is so attractive that anyone who sincerely tries to know Him will immediately become attracted. Krishna is God and is referred to by many names, according to different languages and cultures, such as Allah, Jehovah and Govinda. There are many incarnations of Lord Krishna. Each one is foretold in the Vedic literatures and appears within this material world in order to teach, by example, the path to spiritual perfection. The most recent incarnation of Lord Krishna appeared just over five hundred years ago as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Golden Avatar, in Mayapur, West Bengal. It was Lord Chaitanya who predicted that the chanting of His holy names - Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare - would spread beyond the shores of India to every town and village in the world. This is the story of how the powerful devotee of Krishna, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, single-handedly brought about this amazing prophecy. (Some conversation quotes have been edited slightly for improved reading). * * * 6 Srila Prabhupada Srila Prabhupada introduced various aspects of Vedic culture, like Deity worship, to the western world. Srila Prabhupada 7 Childhood in Calcutta On September 1, 1896, the day after Janmashtami (the appearance day of Lord Krishna), in a little house in the Tollygunge suburb of Calcutta, a male child was born. His father, Gour Mohan De, and his mother, Rajani, named him Abhay Charan, "one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord Krishna's lotus feet.” (Since we are his disciples, we shall respectfully refer to him throughout this booklet as Srila Prabhupada.) An astrologer prepared a horoscope for the baby, and the family was overjoyed when they heard the result of his calculations. The astrologer said: “When this child reaches the age of seventy, he will cross the ocean, become a great teacher of religion, and open 108 Krishna temples.” And this is exactly what happened, as we shall see. At this time the British ruled India, and occupied much of the centre of Calcutta. Srila Prabhupada's home at 151 Harrison Road was in the Indian section of north Calcutta. Srila Prabhupada's father, Gour Mohan De, was a cloth merchant, and although not rich himself, was related to the wealthy Mullik family, which for hundreds of years had traded with the British in gold and salt. An entire block of houses on either side of Harrison Road belonged to Lokanath Mullik, and Gour Mohan and 8 Srila Prabhupada his family lived in a few rooms of a three-storied building within the Mullik properties. Across the street from the De’s residence was a Radha-Govinda temple where for the past 150 years the Mulliks had maintained worship of the Deities of Radha and Krishna. Various shops on the Mullik properties provided income for the Deities and for the priests conducting the worship. Every morning before breakfast, the Mullik family members would visit the temple to see the Deities of Radha-Govinda. They would offer cooked rice, kachauris, and vegetables on a large platter and would then distribute the prasadam (sanctified food) to the Deities' morning visitors from the neighbourhood. Among the daily visitors was Srila Prabhupada, accompanied by his mother, father, or servant. He would share a pram with the young son of the Mullik family called Siddhesvar; as Srila Prabhupada described: "I used to ride on the same perambulator with Siddhesvar Mullik. He used to call me Moti ("pearl”), and his nickname was Subidhi. And the servant pushed us together. If one day this friend did not see me, he would become mad. He would not go in the perambulator without me. We would not separate even for a moment.” The servant would steer the pram towards the arched gateway within the red sandstone wall bordering the Radha-Govinda mandira, and as Srila Prabhupada and his friend rode underneath the ornate metal arch and into the courtyard, they would see high above them two stone Srila Prabhupada 9 lions, the protectors of the temple compound, with their right paws extended. The servant pushed the pram closer, lifted the two boys out, and then, holding their hands, escorted them before the Deities. As Srila Prabhupada recollects: "I can remember standing at the doorway of Radha- Govinda temple saying prayers to Radha-Govinda murti (Deity). I would watch for hours together. The Deity was so beautiful, with His slanted eyes.” The golden Radha and Govinda Deities, freshly bathed and dressed, stood on Their silver throne amidst vases of colourful flowers. Radharani, dressed in a shiny silk sari, held up Her reddish right palm to bless onlookers, and Krishna, in His silk kurta and dhoti, played on a golden flute. Their necklaces of gold, pearls, and diamonds shimmered in the dappled sunlight. The silver crowns on Their heads were covered with jewels. Radha and Krishna were both slightly smiling. To Srila Prabhupada, the Deities appeared most attractive. Then the kirtana (chanting of the names of Krishna) began. Devotees chanted and played on mridangas (clay drums) and karatalas (small hand-held brass cymbals). Srila Prabhupada and his friend kept watching as the pujaris (priests) offered incense, its wispy smoke hanging mystically in the air, then a flaming ghee lamp, a conch shell, a handkerchief, flowers, a whisk, and a peacock fan. Finally the pujari blew the conch shell loudly, 10 Srila Prabhupada and the arati ceremony was over. * * * When Srila Prabhupada was one-and-a-half years old, he fell ill with typhoid. The family physician, Dr. Bose, prescribed chicken broth to help him recover. His father protested strongly. As strict devotees of Krishna they were pure vegetarians; no meat, fish, eggs, not even onions or garlic. "No,” Gour Mohan objected, "I cannot allow it.” "If you do not he may die,” argued the doctor. This was a difficult dilemma. Typhoid is an extremely serious disease, and often proves fatal to the very young and old. Yet for a devotee of Krishna, eating meat is strictly forbidden since it cannot be offered to the Deity, it is cruel to kill innocent animals and by the laws of karma (action and reaction) one will suffer the same pain as