A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

Biography

AC Bhaktivedanta swami took birth in Calcutta in 1896, the day after Janmastami, the celebrated annual appearance anniversary of Lord Krsna

He met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, his spiritual master, in 1922 in Calcutta, and although he was there for the first time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta immediately told him, "You are an educated young man. Why don't you preach the message of Lord Caitanya in English?" This request became the driving force in the life of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj.

At that time, Bhaktivedanta Swami accepted Srila Bhaktisiddhanta within his heart as his spiritual master, and, in 1932, he became an initiated disciple. To maintain his wife and family, he maintained a pharmaceutical business.

In 1936, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami wrote a letter to his spiritual master, who at that time was passing his last days on earth. He  inquired, "How can I serve you?" Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wrote back, "Preach this Krsna consciousness throughout the world." Bhaktivedanta Swami recognized this as the same instruction he had received at their first meeting, and thus knew this to be his life's mission, and he began preparing himself for this great effort.

In 1944, during the Second World War, when paper was scarce and people were not very wealthy,  Bhaktivedanta Swami began a magazine called Back to Godhead, which is still published today. He would write, edit, oversee the layout, proofread and sell the issues himself.

In 1950, he retired from his home and family life and dedicated the next ten years to preaching and studying. In 1959, he accepted the order of sannyasa, renunciation, and within a few years wrote three volumes of English commentary on the first canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He bought the paper, gathered donations to print the books, got the books printed, and sold them himself and through agents in the larger Indian cities.

Now that he had taken sannyasa and prepared three volumes in English, he felt ready to carry out the order of his spiritual master to bring the holy names of Krishna to every town and village in the world.  Bhaktivedanta Swami decided to go to America first. He was convinced that if America took to Krsna consciousness, other countries would follow.

He begged for free passage from a pious shipping magnate who sponsored the printing of his books, and he sailed for the West on the Jaladuta, a ship belonging to the Scindia Steamship Company. Traveling for thirty-seven days across the ocean, he suffered two painful heart attacks.  Bhaktivedanta Swami arrived in New York City in September, 1965. As he related later on, "I didn't know whether to turn left or right."

After a difficult half year of living here and there, his followers rented him a small storefront and apartment at 26 Second Avenue in the Lower East Side. It was here that sincere searchers for knowledge had gathered, and gradually they found shelter at the lotus feet of Bhaktivedanta Swami, whom they called "Swamiji."

One day  Bhaktivedanta Swami brought his followers to Tompkins Square Park to chant Hare Krishna in public, the first time that the chanting (sankirtana) took place outside India. Soon there were regular public chanting parties, as his followers became more serious. They eventually began taking initiation from Bhaktivedanta Swami, promising to chant the Hare Krsna mantra a prescribed minimum of times and to follow regulative principles.

Bhaktivedanta Swami also revived Back to Godhead magazine, which the new devotees distributed on the streets. He regularly chanted and gave lectures before eager groups of people at his storefront. And he distributed prasadam, spiritualized food, at programs he called the Sunday love feasts.

In early 1967, Bhaktivedanta Swami visited San Francisco to start a new center on the west coast. Many joined and spread the mission throughout their community. Bhaktivedanta Swami then sent his disciples to other parts of the world to open centers: Montreal, Boston, London, Berlin, and other cities in India, Europe and through out the USA.

By the time Bhaktivedanta Swami entered Nitya Lila, after preaching for eleven years, he had established one hundred and eight centers, written sixty volumes of transcendental literature, traveled around the world eight times, initiated five thousand disciples. The result of his preaching is felt to this very day. He has taken the holy name to the hills, valleys, mountains, everywhere there is chanting of the holy name of Sri Krsna its in some way linked to his devotion. Even sadhus who felt somewhat uncomfortable leaving Bharat Varsa for the highest good i.e. spreading the glories of the holy name , have now begun to do so.