Srila Prabhupada – His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada – appeared in this world in Kolkata, India, in 1896. He grew up in a devout Brahmana family and worshipped Radha Krishna and Lord Jagannatha even as a small child. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, in 1922. At that first meeting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta encouraged Srila Prabhupada to spread the Vedic knowledge through the English language. He took his initiation in 1933, and began writing in English starting the “Back to Godhead” magazine in 1944.

Srila Prabhupada took up the ‘sannyasa’ renounced order in 1959, and in 1965 he left India to travel to USA to spread the messages of his spiritual master around the world, thus fulfilling a prophecy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s father and grand-spiritual master) spoken some 80 years previously in 1885:

“Lord Chaitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men in India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the Eternal Religion…. There is no doubt that this unquestionable order will come to pass…. Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the world…. Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mrdangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns! When will that day come? … That day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaishnava dharma to be the only dharma, and all the sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaishnava dharma. When will that day come?”