Vyasa
Veda Vyasa (modern painting)
Titles/honours	Festival of Guru Purnima, is dedicated to him, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day, which is believed to be his birthday.
Author as well as a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata

Vyasa (Devanagari: व्यास, vyāsa) is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa (वेद व्यास, veda vyāsa), (the one who classified the Vedas in to four parts) or Krishna Dvaipayana (referring to his complexion and birthplace). He is the author as well as a character in the Mahabharata and considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas, and the supplementary texts such as the Puranas. A number of Vaishnava traditions regard him as an Avatar of Vishnu.^[1] Vyasa is sometimes conflated by some Vaishnavas with Badarayana, the author of the Vedanta Sutras. Vyāsa is also considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins (long lived, or immortals), who are still in existence according to general Hindu belief. He is also the fourth member of the Rishi Parampara of the Advaita Guru Paramparā of which Adi Shankara is the chief proponent.

The festival of Guru Purnima, is dedicated to him, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day, which is believed to be his birthday and also the day he divided the Vedas.^[2][3]

In the Mahabharata[link]

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v t e

Vyasa appears for the first time as the author of, and an important character in the Mahābhārata. He was the son of Satyavati, daughter of a ferryman or fisherman,^[4] and the wandering sage Parashara. He was born on an island in the river Yamuna. The place is named after him as Vedvyas, possibly the modern-day town of Kalpi in the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh. He was dark-complexioned and hence may be called by the name Krishna (black), and also the name Dwaipayana, meaning 'island-born'.

Vyasa was grandfather to the Kauravas and Pandavas. Their fathers, Dhritarashtra and Pandu, adopted as the sons of Vichitravirya by the royal family, were fathered by him. He had a third son, Vidura, by a serving maid.

Veda Vyasa[link]

Hindus traditionally hold that Vyasa categorised the primordial single Veda into four. Hence he was called Veda Vyasa, or "Splitter of the Vedas," the splitting being a feat that allowed people to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda. The word vyasa means split, differentiate, or describe.

It has been debated whether Vyasa was a single person or a class of scholars who did the splitting. The Vishnu Purana has a theory about Vyasa.^{[citation needed]} The Hindu view of the universe is that of a cyclic phenomenon that comes into existence and dissolves repeatedly. Each cycle is presided over by a number of Manus, one for each Manvantara, that has four ages, Yugas of declining virtues. The Dvapara Yuga is the third Yuga. The Vishnu Purana (Book 3, Ch 3) says:

In every third world age (Dvapara), Vishnu, in the person of Vyasa, in order to promote the good of mankind, divides the Veda, which is properly but one, into many portions. Observing the limited perseverance, energy, and application of mortals, he makes the Veda fourfold, to adapt it to their capacities; and the bodily form which he assumes, in order to effect that classification, is known by the name of Veda-vyasa. Of the different Vyasas in the present Manvantara and the branches which they have taught, you shall have an account. Twenty-eight times have the Vedas been arranged by the great Rishis in the Vaivasvata Manvantara... and consequently eight and twenty Vyasas have passed away; by whom, in the respective periods, the Veda has been divided into four. The first... distribution was made by Svayambhu (Brahma) himself; in the second, the arranger of the Veda (Vyasa) was Prajapati... (and so on up to twenty-eight).

^{[citation needed]}

Author of the Mahābhārata[link]

Vyasa narrating the Mahabharata to Ganesha, his scribe, Angkor Wat.

Vyasa is traditionally known as author of this epic. But he also features as an important character in it. His mother later married the king of Hastinapura, and had two sons. Both sons died without issue and hence their mother asked Vyasa to go to the beds of the wives of her dead son Vichitravirya.

Vyasa fathers the princes Dhritarashtra and Pandu by Ambika and Ambalika. Vyasa told them that they should come alone near him. First did Ambika, but because of shyness and fear she closed her eyes. Vyasa told Satyavati that this child would be blind. Later this child was named Dhritarāshtra. Thus Satyavati sent Ambālika and warned her that she should remain calm. But Ambālika's face became pale because of fear. Vyasa told her that child would suffer from anaemia, and he would not be fit enough to rule the kingdom. Later this child was known as Pāndu. Then Vyasa told Satyavati to send one of them again so that a healthy child can be born. This time Ambika and Ambālika sent a maid in the place of themselves. The maid was quite calm and composed, and she got a healthy child later named as Vidura. While these are his sons, another son Śuka, born of his wife, sage Jābāli's daughter Pinjalā (Vatikā),^[5] is considered his true spiritual heir. He makes occasional appearances in the story as a spiritual guide to the young princes.

In the first book of the Mahābhārata, it is described that Vyasa asked Ganesha to aid him in writing the text, however Ganesha imposed a condition that he would do so only if Vyasa narrated the story without pause. To which Vyasa then made a counter-condition that Ganesha must understand the verse before he transcribed it.

Thus Lord VedVyas narrated the whole Mahābhārata and all the Upanishads and the 18 Puranas, while Lord Ganesha wrote.

Vyasa is supposed to have meditated and authored the epic by the foothills of the river Beas (Vipasa) in the Punjab region^{[citation needed]}.

There is an ashram of vedavyasa in Vedhagiri. It is believed that pandavas visited vyasa at vedhagiri and got advise during there vanavasa (exile period). The remnants of the ashram is still there on the top of Vedhagiri hill.^{[citation needed]}

Vyasa's Jaya[link]

Vyasa's Jaya, the core of Mahābhārata is structured in the form of a dialogue between Dhritarashtra (the Kuru king and the father of the Kauravas, who opposed the Pāndavas in the Kurukshetra War) and Sanjaya, his advisor and chariot driver. Sanjaya narrates each incident of the Kurukshetra War, fought in 18 days, as and when it happened. Dhritarāshtra sometimes asks questions and doubts and sometimes laments, knowing about the destruction caused by the war, to his sons, friends and kinsmen.

In the beginning Sanjaya gives a description of the various continents of the Earth, the other planets, and focuses on the Indian Subcontinent and gives an elaborate list of hundreds of kingdoms, tribes, provinces, cities, towns, villages, rivers, mountains, forests etc. of the (ancient) Indian Subcontinent (Bhārata Varsha). He also explains about the 'military formations adopted by each side on each day, the death of each hero and the details of each war-racings. Some 18 chapters of Vyasa's Jaya constitutes the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred text of the Hindus. Thus, this work of Vyasa, called Jaya deals with diverse subjects like geography, history, warfare, religion and morality.

Ugrasrava Sauti's Mahābhārata[link]

The final version of Vyasa's work is today's Mahābhārata, structured as a narration by Ugrasrava Sauti who was a professional story teller, to an assembly of (rishis) who had just attended the 12 years sacrifice of Saunaka also named as kulapati in the forest of Naimisha. Bharata^{[clarification needed]} is embedded inside it, and within it Jaya.^{[citation needed]}

Reference to writing[link]

Within the Mahābhārata, there is a tradition in which Vyasa wishes to write down or inscribe his work:

The Grandsire Brahma (creator of the universe) comes and tells Vyasa to get the help of Ganapati for his task. Ganapati writes down the stanzas recited by Vyasa from memory and thus the Mahābhārata is inscribed or written. Ganapati could not cope with Vyasa's speed and he misses many words or even stanzas.^{[citation needed]}

There is some evidence however that writing may have been known earlier based on archeological findings of styli in the Painted Grey Ware culture, dated between 1100 BC and 700 BC.^[6][7][8] and archeological evidence of the Brahmi script being used from at least 600 BC.^[9]

The difficulty faced by Ganapati (Ganesha) in writing down Mahābhārata as described in the tradition, could be real, and was most probably faced by those people who first attempted to write it down as some reciter recited it continuously. This is because, the reciter will not be able to stop in the middle of recitation and then resume it, as the lines are committed to his memory as a continuous recording.

In the Puranas[link]

Vyasa is also credited with the writing of the eighteen major, if not all, Purāṇas. His son Shuka is the narrator of the major Purāṇa Bhagavat-Purāṇa.

In Buddhism[link]

Within Buddhism Vyasa appears as Kanha-dipayana (the Pali version of his name) in two Jataka tales: the Kanha-dipayana Jataka and Ghata Jataka. Whilst the former in which he appears as the Bodhisattva has no relation to his tales from the Hindu works, his role in the latter one has parallels in an important event in the Mahabharata.

In the 16th book of the epic, Mausala Parva, the end of the Vrishnis, clansmen of Vyasa's namesake and Krishna is narrated. The epic says: One day, the Vrishni heroes .. saw Vishvamitra, Kanwa and Narada arrived at Dwaraka. Afflicted by the rod of chastisement wielded by the deities, those heroes, causing Samba to be disguised like a woman, approached those ascetics and said, ‘This one is the wife of Vabhru of immeasurable energy who is desirous of having a son. Ye Rishis, do you know for certain what this one will bring forth?Those ascetics, attempted to be thus deceived, said: ‘This heir of Vasudeva, by name Samba, will bring forth a fierce iron bolt for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.

The important Bhagavata Purana (book 11) too narrates the incident in a similar manner and names the sages as Visvāmitra, Asita, Kanva, Durvāsa, Bhrigu, Angirâ, Kashyapa, Vâmadeva, Atri, Vasishthha, along with Nârada and others - it does not explicitly include Vyasa in the list.

The Ghata Jataka has a different version: The Vrishnis, wishing to test Kanha-dipayana's powers of clairvoyance, played a practical joke on him. They tied a pillow to the belly of a young lad, and dressing him up as a woman, took him to the ascetic and asked when the baby would be born. The ascetic replied that on the seventh day the person before him would give birth to a knot of acacia wood which would destroy the race of Văásudeva. The youths thereupon fell on him and killed him, but his prophecy came true .

In the Arthashastra[link]

The only non-religious book in which Vyasa has an interesting entry is the Arthashastra of Chanakya (Kautilya). In chapter 6 of the first Department, it says:

'Whosoever is of reverse character, whoever has not his organs of sense under his control, will soon perish, though possessed of the whole earth bounded by the four quarters. For example: Bhoja, known also by the name, Dándakya, making a lascivious attempt on a Bráhman maiden, perished along with his kingdom and relations; so also Karála, the Vaideha... Vátápi in his attempt under the influence of overjoy to attack Agastya, as well as the corporation of the Vrishnis in their attempt against Dwaipáyan.

This reference matches the Jataka version in including Vyasa as the sage attacked by the Vrishnis, though Vyasa does not die here.

Author of Brahma Sutra[link]

The Brahma Sutra is attributed to Badarayana — which makes him the proponent of the crest-jewel school of Hindu philosophy, i.e., Vedanta. Vyasa is conflated with Badarayana by Vaishnavas with the reason that the island on which Vyasa was born is said to have been covered by Badara (Indian jujube/Ber/Ziziphus mauritiana) trees. Apart from Adi Shankara who refers to these two separately rather than as a single individual, many modern historians also think these were two different personalities.

Author of Yoga Bhashya[link]

This text is a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Vyasa is credited with this work also, though this is impossible, if Vyasa's immortality is not considered, as it is a later text.

See also[link]

	Hinduism portal
	Poetry portal

• Guru Gita

Notes[link]

References[link]

• The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896
• The Arthashastra, translated by Shamasastry, 1915
• The Vishnu-Purana, translated by H. H. Wilson, 1840
• The Bhagavata-Purana, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, 1988 copyright Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
• The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, edited by E. B. Cowell, 1895

External links[link]

• Srîmad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), The Story of the Fortunate One (complete)
• The Mahābhārata Ganguli translation, full text at sacred-texts.com
• Vedanta Sutras of Vyasa with Shankara Bhashya

v t e Mahabharata Kuru Kingdom Shantanu · Ganga · Bhishma · Satyavati · Chitrāngada · Vichitravirya · Ambika · Ambalika · Vidura · Dhritarashtra · Gandhari · Shakuni · Pandu · Kunti · Madri · Yudhisthira · Bhima · Arjuna · Nakula · Sahadeva · Duryodhana · Dushasana · Yuyutsu · Dushala · Draupadi · Hidimbi · Ghatotkacha · Ahilawati · Subhadra · Uttara · Ulupi · Chitrāngadā  · Abhimanyu  · Iravan · Babruvahana · Barbarika · Parikshit  · Janamejaya Other characters Karna · Drona · Amba · Vyasa · Krishna · Satyaki · Dhristadyumna · Sanjaya · Virata · Kichaka · Kripa · Ashwatthama · Ekalavya · Kritavarma · Jarasandha · Mayasura · Durvasa · Jayadratha · Balarama · Drupada · Hidimba · Shalya · Adhiratha · Shikhandi Other Mahābhārata and the Indian caste system · Avatars · Pandava · Kaurava · Hastinapur · Indraprastha · Kingdoms · Kurukshetra War · Bhagavad Gita

v t e Avatars of Vishnu Dashavatara Matsya Kurma Varaha Narasimha Vamana Parashurama Rama Krishna Balarama1 Buddha1 Kalki Other avatars Catursana Narada Nara-Narayana Kapila Dattatreya Yajna Rishabha Prithu Dhanvantari Mohini Vyasa Prsnigarbha Hayagriva Hamsa 1 Buddha or Balarama is considered the avatar of Vishnu, depending on the tradition. In North India, Buddha is included and in South India, Balarama.

v t e Hindu deities and texts Gods Deva Ganesha Brahma Vishnu Shiva Rama Krishna Murugan Hanuman Indra Surya more Goddesses Adi parashakti Devi Saraswati Lakshmi Sati Parvati Durga Shakti Kali Sita Radha Mahavidya Navadurga Matrikas more Texts Vedas Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita more Hinduism Hindu mythology

Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya (Telugu: షణ్ముఖప్రియ, హరిప్రియ), popularly known as the Priya Sisters, are eminent Carnatic music singers.^[1]

Early life[link]

They hail originally from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.They started learning Carnatic music from their father Sri V.V.Subba Ram at an early age.In order to nurture their musical talent, their father shifted base to Chennai. Later they became the disciples of the renowned duo Radha and Jayalakshmi who were disciples of the legendary G. N. Balasubramaniam. They learnt many nuances and subtleties of music during the five-year tenure under them including the advice that the singing should be so clear that the listener should be able to notate the entire kriti.^[2]

Career[link]

Improving their repertoire was a major project and learning, a continuous process. Hence they joined Professor T.R.Subramaniam. They learnt many pallavis and kritis from him.Currently, Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya are under the guidance of T. R. Subramaniam.

They are part of the trend of duo singing in Carnatic music, which started in the 1950s, with performers like Radha Jayalakshmi, Soolamangalam Sisters and later continued by Bombay Sisters^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Artist Profiles : Shanmukha Priya and Hari Priya
• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• [4]
• [5]
• [6]
• [7]
• [8]
• [9]
• [10]

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Kumara Vyasa (Kannada: ಕುಮಾರವ್ಯಾಸ) is the pen name of Gadhugina Veera Naranappa (Kannada: ಗದುಗಿನ ನಾರಣಪ್ಪ), a classical poet of Kannada. His pen name is a tribute to his magnum opus, a rendering of the Mahabharatha in Kannada. Kumara Vyasa literally means Little Vyasa or Son of Vyasa.

Place and Time[link]

The period of Kumara Vyasa's life had been a subject of scholarly dispute. Scholarly opinion placed his time in varying periods starting from the 12th Century to 16th Century. However, opinion has now agreed that Kumara Vyasa lived during the late 14th and early 15th Centuries.

His magnum opus, Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari was completed in 1430 when Deva Raya II was ruling the Vijayanagara empire. Kumara Vyasa earned high esteem as a poet in his court. Kumara Vyasa's historicity is also based on the fact that other prominent poets of the 15th century, such as Kanaka Dasa and Timmanna Kavi, have mentioned his works.

Kumara Vyasa lived in Koliwad a village 35 km from Gadag in North Karnataka. He is also called Narayanappa. A pillar in the Veera Narayana temple of Gadag exists till date. According to popular legend, Kumara Vyasa is said to have composed his work at the temple. This pillar is also known as Kumara Vyasa's pillar (Kannada: ವೀರನಾರಾಯಣ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ, ಗದಗ).

Works[link]

Kumara Vyasa's most famous work, the Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari (The Mahabharata of Karnataka)is popularly known as Gadugina Bharata and Kumaravyasa Bharata. It is a sublime adaptation of the first ten Parvas (chapters) of the Mahabharata. A devotee of Krishna, Kumara Vyasa ends his epic with the coronation of Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas. The work is easily the most celebrated in Kannada literature. Its fame arises due to its universal appeal.

Gadugina Bharata is composed in the Bhamini Shatpadi meter, a form of six lined stanza. Kumara Vyasa explores a wide range of human emotions, examines values, and displays extensive mastery over vocabulary. The work is particularly known for its use of sophisticated metaphors. It has earned him the honor of Rupaka Samrajya Chakravarti (Emperor of the World of Metaphors).^{[citation needed]} Kumara Vyasa is also renowned for his characterization. Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari is also known as Dasha Parva Bharata because it originally had only 10 parvas as opposed to the 18 in the original Mahabharata.

Kathamanjari was not complete. Reliable sources of information goes like this - The lord Narayana would narrate the story of Mahabharata that took place several years ago from behind the temple's statue. Kumaravyasa would listen to the story and translate it into poetry. Lord had laid down a condition that Kumara was to only listen to this voice without attempting to see the source or the spirit narrating the story. This was a daily routine and went on for years. One day, at the stage when the 10th parva of his work was complete, Kumara developed deep curiosity with impatience and wanted to desperately see the narrator.

Much to his surprise, it is said he saw the lord himself narrating the story. He also saw a scene of kurukhsetra battle and it seemed it was happening in front of him again. However, Kumara had violated the condition of not exploring the source of the voice. At that point, the lord disappeared and the narration of mahabharata story stopped forever.

Kumara's Kathamanjari covers only till the Gadayuddha, the battle between Duryodhana and Bheema, killing Duryodhana. The subsequent parts of the original Mahabharata like the Yudhisthira Pattabhishekha, Ashwa Medha yaaga and the Swargaarohana parva are not included.

It may be noted that Lakshmeesha, another great poet who was born a few decades after Kumara's death, took up and completed AshwaMedha yaaga parva alone in his work "Jaimini Bharata" in Kannada. This spiritual work was considered equal to Kathamanjari for its literatural ecstasy and the fragrance of narration it emits.

There is a strong belief among locals that Kumaravyasa was a blessed poet of Sri Veera Narayana i.e. Lord Vishnu. The poet used to sit in front of sanctum sanctorum in the temple and the Lord himself narrated the story of the ancient Mahabharatha from behind the statue. The poet transformed the story into an excellent poetry.

Kumaravyasa has shown an exemplary style of writing in the introduction. He proudly claims that his poetry is matchless and that it caters to the taste of all kinds of readers. He writes "A king enjoys the valor in the poetry, A brahmin the essence of all vedas, Philosopher, the ultimate philosophy, ministers and state administrators the tact of rule, Lovers, the inspiration. Besides this he proudly acclaims that this work of his is the "GURU" of the works of all other great scholars." However, his self-lessness may be noted when he says he merely noted all that was narrated by his lord, his actual poet".

The other, lesser-known work of Kumara Vyasa's is Airavata.

Influence on Kannada Literature[link]

Kumara Vyasa's works belong to the Kannada language#Phases of evolutionNadugannada (Middle-age Kannada)period of Kannada literature. His influence on later Kannada literature is significant.

Gadugina Bharata is still widely read. It is popularly sung in a unique style known as Gamaka.

See also[link]

Poetry portal

• Kannada literature
• Kannada

References[link]

• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002)
• Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).

External links[link]

• Kumara Vyasa (Kannada)
• Karnata Bharata Katha Manjari and Kumara Vyasa
• Excellent voluntary effort on the net to bring Gadugina Bharatha to life in the e-book form
• Some Gamaka based renditions of parts of the Kumara Vyasa Bharatha

Tamal Krishna Goswami
Religion	Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Hinduism
Other name(s)	Thomas G. Herzig
Personal
Born	June 18, 1946 New York City, NY United States
Died	March 15, 2002 Mayapur, West Bengal, India
Religious career
Initiation	Diksa–1968, Sannyasa–1972
Post	ISKCON guru, Sannyasi, Member of the Governing Body Commission
Website	http://www.goswami.com

Tamal Krishna Goswami (June 18, 1946–March 15, 2002), born as Thomas G. Herzig in New York City, NY United States served on International Society for Krishna Consciousness's Governing Body Commission since its inception in 1970. In January 1972, he accepted the renounced order of life sannyasa in Jaipur. He served as GBC Secretary for India from 1970–74 and was appointed trustee of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, responsible for sales in the USA. He completed a bachelor's degree in religious studies at Southern Methodist University.^[1]

Biography[link]

Born in Harlem New York, he began his association with the Krishna Consciousness movement in 1968 where he was soon accepted as a disciple by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. From 1975 until 1979, Tamal Krishna Goswami headed the "Radha-Damodara Party," a series of buses carrying disciples of Swami Prabhupada, who traveled around America distributing Prabhupada's books.^[2]

Governing Body Commission (GBC) is the name for the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. ISKCON's founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, created the GBC in 1972 and since that time it has met on an annual basis. Tamal Krishna Goswami was a member of this body since its beginnings.^[3]

Tamal Krishna Goswami died in a vehicular accident in March 2002, at Phuliya in West Bengal, India. He had been attending the Hare Krishna festival/meeting yearly but due to pressure of his academic pursuits, Goswami Maharaja attended the meetings in 2002 for the first time in six years .^[4] His samadhi is placed beside Srila Prabhupada's samadhi in ISKCON Sri Mayapur Dhama, West Bengal, India.^[5]

Tamal Krishna Goswami was the author of several books on various religious subjects, including two classical Vedic dramas.^[6] He was also doctoral student at the University of Cambridge, Clare Hall, under Dr. Julius J. Lipner^[7] where his thesis was on the theology of ISKCON's founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. At the time of his death, he had completed all but the conclusion. Dr. Lipner's intention is to publish this dissertation in Tamal Krishna Goswami's name.^[8] He also studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and received a bachelor's degree in religious studies.^[1]

Literary contributions[link]

The Mysterious Pastimes of Mohini-murti[link]

The Mysterious Pastimes of Mohini-murti is a 20th century Hindu commentary by Tamal Krishna Goswami on the Goddess Mohini.

This commentary on the Hindu Goddess Mohini was produced by Tamal Krishna Goswami during the Fall of 1993. Mohini-lila plays an important role on the periphery of Vaishnavism. There are two popular lilas of Mohini which can be found in Canto Eight (chapters 9 and 12) of the Bhagavata Purana. Mohini also plays a prominent role in the popular Hindu myth known as The churning of the ocean of milk, and her role in this story is mentioned in numerous Hindu text such as the two Epics, most of the Puranas and numerous vernacular literature. The Mysterious Pastimes of Mohini-murti covers two chapters of Prabhupada's translation and commentary on the Eight Canto of the Bhagavata Purana, Chapter 9 The Lord Incarnates as Mohini-murti^[9] and chapter 12 The Mohini-murti Incarnation Bewilders Lord Shiva.^[10]

During this commentary, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's discussions of Mohini-lila^[11] especially as they relate to gender roles in verse 8.9.9^[12] are analyzed and considered. This includes the notable passage from Prabhupada's commentary.

This commentary was released as a vinyl album in 1993. On the cover of the vinyl album, there is an artistic rendering of an episode of Mohini-lila from the Bhagavata Purana. This depiction on the album cover, is used to illustrate the puranic mythology under discussion. The audio files are available online.^[13]

Happiness is a Science - Aditi's Vow[link]

Happiness is a Science - Aditi's Vow is a 20th century Hindu theological commentary made in 1993 by Tamal Krishna Goswami in regards to the Goddess Aditi as detailed in the eighth canto of the Bhagavata Purana. This commentary discusses Aditi's vow, Payovrata, which she undertakes for the benefit of her children the Adityas.

In the narrative, Mahabali Maharaja, king of the demons, had conquered the heavenly planets and driven out their rulers the Adityas, Aditi's children. The commentary by Tamal Krishna Goswami centers on Aditi's sacrifice in which she undertook a vow of importance (the vow which is referenced is Payovrata) and discusses why Aditi undertook this vow or vrata in order to bring her children back to the heavenly planets.

This commentary was released as a vinyl album in 1993. The audio files are available online.^[14]

See also[link]

• Vishnujana Swami
• List of ISKCON members and patrons

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Official Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami Website
• Tamal Krishna Goswami Tape Ministry
• ISKCON Website
• "Obituary: Tamal Krishna Goswami" by Dr. Julius J. Lipner

Papers and Books by Tamal Krishna Goswami

• Dr. Julius J. Lipner's Comments
• Perils of Succession, Part 1
• Perils of Succession, Part 2
• Books by Tamal Krishna Gosvami

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
In Devanagari	अभय चरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामी प्रभुपाद
Religion	Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Hinduism
Other name(s)	Abhay Caranaravinda, Abhoy Charan De
Personal
Born	Abhoy Charan De (1896-09-01)1 September 1896 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	14 November 1977(1977-11-14) (aged 81) Vrindavan, India
Resting place	Bhaktivedanta Swami's Samadhi, Vrindavan
Senior posting
Based in	Vrindavan, India
Title	Founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Period in office	1966 - 1977
Predecessor	Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Successor	The Governing Body Commission
Religious career
Initiation	Diksa–1932, Sannyasa–1959
Post	Guru, Sannyasi, Acharya
Website	ISKCON Worldwide

This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Bengali: অভয চরণারবিন্দ ভক্তিবেদান্ত স্বামীপ্রভুপাদ, Sanskrit: अभय चरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामी प्रभुपादः, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda) (1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness,^[1] commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement".^[2] His mission was to propagate Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a form of Hinduism that had been taught to him by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, throughout the world.^[3] Born Abhay Charan De in Calcutta,^[4] he was educated at the prestigious local Scottish Church College.^[5] Before adopting the life of a pious renunciant (vanaprastha) in 1950,^[6] he was married with children and owned a small pharmaceutical business.^[7][8] In 1959 he took a vow of renunciation (sannyasa) and started writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures.^[9] In his later years, as a traveling Vaishnava monk, he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology to India and specifically to the West through his leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded in 1966.^[3][10] As the founder of ISKCON, he "emerged as a major figure of the Western counterculture, initiating thousands of young Americans."^[11] Despite attacks from anti-cult groups, he received a favorable welcome from many religious scholars, such as J. Stillson Judah, Harvey Cox, Larry Shinn and Thomas Hopkins, who praised Bhaktivedanta Swami's translations and defended the group against distorted media images and misinterpretations.^[12] In respect to his achievements, religious leaders from other Gaudiya Vaishnava movements have also given him credit.^[13]

He has been described as a charismatic leader, in the sense used by sociologist Max Weber, as he was successful in acquiring followers in the United States, Europe, India and elsewhere.^[14][15][16] After his death in 1977, ISKCON, the society he founded based on a type of Hindu Krishnaism using the Bhagavata Purana as a central scripture, continued to grow and is respected in India, though there have been disputes about leadership among his followers.^[17][18]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Born on September 1, 1896, the day after Janmastami, one of the most important Vaishnava holidays, in a humble house in the Tollygunge suburb of Calcutta, he was named Abhay Charan, "one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord Krishna's feet." Since he was born on the day of Nandotsava ("the celebration of Nanda," Krishna's father, a traditional festival in honor of Krishna's birth) he was also called Nandulal. His parents, Sriman Gour Mohan De and Srimati Rajani De, were devout Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu). In accordance with Bengali tradition, his mother had gone to the home of her parents for the delivery, and only a few days later Abhay returned with parents to his home at 151 Harrison Road in Calcutta, where he was brought up and educated.^[5]

He received a European led education in the Scottish Church College. This school was well reputed among Bengalis; many Vaishnava families sent their sons there. The professors, most of whom were Europeans, were known as sober, moral men, and it is believed that the students received a good education. The college was located in north Calcutta, not far from Harrison Road where Abhoy's family lived. During his years in the college, Abhoy Charan De was a member of the English Society as well as that of the Sanskrit Society, and it has been suggested that his education provided him a foundation for his future leadership.^[5][7] He graduated in 1920 with majors in English, philosophy and economics.^[19] However he rejected his diploma in response to Gandhi's independence movement.^[20] His refusal to accept the diploma he had earned was in protest of the British. He also wore the homespun cotton cloth the followers of Gandhi wore in support of home industry and protest of British rule in India.^{[citation needed]}

Religious career[link]

In 1922, when Abhoy Charan De first met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he was requested to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language.^[21] Later in 1932 Abhoy Charan De became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta. In 1944, (from his front room at Sita Kanta Banerjee, Calcutta), Abhoy Charan De started the publication called Back to Godhead,^[22][23] for which he acted as designer, publisher, editor, copy editor and distributor. He personally designed the logo, an effulgent figure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the upper left corner, with the motto: "Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness" greeting the readers.^[24] In his first magazine he wrote:

Srila Prabhupada

In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognised Abhoy Charan De's scholarship with the title Bhaktivedanta, (bhakti-vedānta) meaning "one who has realised that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the end of all knowledge"^[25] (with the words Bhakti, indicating devotion and Vedanta indicating conclusive knowledge).^[26] His later well known name, Prabhupāda, is a Sanskrit title, literally meaning "he who has taken the position of the Lord" where prabhu denotes "Lord", and pāda means "position."^[27] Also, "at whose feet masters sit".^[7] This name was used as a respectful form of address by his disciples from late 1967 early 1968 onwards. Previous to this, as with his early disciples, followers used to call him "Swamiji".^[28]

From 1950 onwards, Abhoy Charan Bhaktivedanta lived at the medieval Radha-Damodar mandir in the holy town of Vrindavan, where he began his commentary and translation work of the Sanskrit work Bhagavata Purana.^[29] Of all notable Vrindavana's temples, the Radha-Damodara mandir had at the time the largest collection of various copies of the original writings of the Six Gosvamis and their followers - more than two thousand separate manuscripts, many of them three hundred, some even four hundred years old.^[30][31] His guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, had always encouraged Bhaktivedanta Swami that "If you ever get money, print books",^[32] referring to the need of literary presentation of the Vaishnava culture.^[8]

Renunciation[link]

Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha was the place where Bhaktivedanta used to live, he had written and studied in the library of this building, here he edited the Gauḍīya Patrikā magazine and this is the place where he donated the murti of Lord Chaitanya who stands on the altar beside the Deities of Radha Krishna (named Śrī Śrī Rādhā Vinodavihārījī). During his visit in September 1959 he entered the doors of this matha dressed in white, as Abhoy Babu, but would be leaving dressed in saffron, a sannyasi.^[9] He received the sannyasa name Swami (स्वामी Svāmi), not to be confused with the title Swami. In this matha, in Mathura Vrndavana, Abhoy Charan Bhaktivedanta took Vaishnava renunciate vows,sannyasa, from his friend and godbrother Bhakti Prajnana Keshava, and following this he single-handedly published the first three volumes covering seventeen chapters of the first book of Bhagavata Purana, filling three volumes of four hundred pages each with a detailed commentary. Introduction to the first volume was a biographical sketch of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.^[31] He then left India, obtaining free passage on a freight ship called the Jaladuta, with the aim and a hope of fulfilling his spiritual master's instruction to spread the message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu around the world. In his possession were a suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry cereal, about eight dollars worth of Indian currency, and several boxes of books.^[33]

Mission to the West[link]

A message from Jaladuta Diary Journal kept by Prabhupada. Between August 25, 1965 and August 30, 1965, the Jaladuta Journal falls silent for six days. On the seventh day, August 31, the silence is broken with these simple words, “Passed over a great crisis on the struggle for life and death.”

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami sailed to the USA in 1965. His trip to the United States was not sponsored by any religious organization, nor was he met upon arrival by a group of loyal followers.^[34] As he neared his destination on the ship, the Indian freighter Jaladuta, the enormity of his intended task weighed on him. On September 13 he wrote in his diary, "Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion, Lord Sri Krishna."^[35] On this occasion and on a number of others, Bhaktivedanta Swami, called on Krsna for help in his native Bengali. Examining these compositions, academics regard them as "intimate records of his prayerful preparation for what lay ahead" and a view on "how Bhaktivedanta Swami understood his own identity and mission."^[36]

By journeying to America, he was attempting to fulfill the wish of his guru, possible only by the grace of "his dear Lord Krishna".^[36] It is in July 1966 "global missionary Vaishnavism" was brought to the West by Bhaktivedanta Swami, "the soul agent",^[1] founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City. Bhaktivedanta Swami spent much of the last decade of his life setting up the institution of ISKCON. Since he was the Society's leader, his personality and management were responsible for much of ISKCON's growth and the reach of his mission.

When it was suggested to Bhaktivedanta Swami at the time of founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966 that a broader term "God Consciousness" would be preferable to "Krishna Consciousness" in the title, he rejected this recommendation, suggesting that name Krishna includes all other forms and concepts of God.^[37]

After a group of devotees and a temple had been established in New York another center was started in San Francisco in 1967.^[19][38] From here Bhaktivedanta Swami traveled throughout America with his disciples, popularizing the movement through street chanting (sankirtana), book distribution and public speeches.

One of 108 worldwide temples opened by Prabhupada by 1977, was dedicated to Krishna-Balarama (pictured above) in Vrindavana, India

Once ISKCON was more established in America a small number of devotees from the San Francisco temple were sent to London, England. After a short time of being in London they came into contact with The Beatles, of whom George Harrison took the greatest interest, spending a significant time speaking with Bhaktivedanta Swami and producing a record with members of the later London Radha Krsna Temple.^[39] Over the following years Bhaktivedanta Swami's continuing leadership role took him around the world some several times setting up temples and communities in all of the major continents.^[17] By the time of his death in Vrindavan eleven years later in 1977, ISKCON became a widely known expression of Vaishnavism on an international basis.^[19]

In the twelve years from his arrival in New York until his final days, he:

• circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents^[17]
• initiated many disciples, awarding sannyasa and babaji initiations.^[40]
• introduced Vedic gurukul education to a Western audience^[41]
• directed the founding of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust,^[42] which claims to be the world's largest publisher of ancient and classical Vaishnava religious texts^[43][44]
• founded the religious colony New Vrindavan in West Virginia,^[45]
• authored more than eighty books (with many available online^[46]) on Vedantic philosophy, religion, literature and culture (including four published originally in Bengali)^[17][44]
• introduced international celebrations in the capitals of the world like that of Jagannatha processions^[17]
• watched ISKCON grow to a confederation of more than 108 temples, various institutes and farm communities^[42]

Through his mission, Bhaktivedanta Swami followed and communicated the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and introduced bhakti yoga to an international audience.^[17][44] Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism this was viewed as the fulfillment of a long time mission to introduce Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings to the world.^[47][48]

In his discussion with a historian Arnold J. Toynbee in London, Bhaktivedanta Swami is quoted as saying: "I have started this Krishna Conscious Movement among the Indians and Americans and for the next ten thousand years it will increase."^[49]

Books and publishing[link]

It is believed that Bhaktivedanta Swami's most significant contribution are his books.^[50][51][52] Within the final twenty years of his life Bhaktivedanta Swami translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures (such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam) into the English language.^[42] For their authority, depth, and clarity, his books have won praise from professors at colleges and universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cornell, Columbia, Syracuse, Oberlin, and Edinburgh,^[53] and his Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is was published by Macmillan Publishers, in 1968 and unabridged edition in 1972,^[54][55][56] and is now available in over sixty languages around the world and some other books by Bhaktivedanta Swami are available in over eighty different languages.^[22][44]

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was established in 1972 to publish his works, it has also published massively researched multivolume biography, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, that in opinion of Larry Shinn will "certainly be one of the most complete records of the life and work of any modern religious figure".^[1][57] Prabhupada reminded his devotees before his disappearance that he would live forever in his books, and through them would remain present as a spiritual master or guru.^[58] Bhaktivedanta Swami had instilled in his followers an understanding of the importance of writing and publishing not only with regard to his works, but also their own initiatives. His early disciples felt Prabhupada had given them Back To Godhead for their own writings from the very start.^[58]

A prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava figure, Shrivatsa Goswami, who as a young man had met Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1972, affirmed the significance of book publishing and distribution in spreading the message of Caitanya in an interview with Steven Gelberg:^[58]

Views on other religious traditions[link]

Bhaktivedanta Swami considered Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed to be empowered representatives of God, describing them within his writings as pioneers of the same essential message of dedication to God with love and devotion.^[60]

Other typical expression presents a different perspective, where Bhaktivedanta Swami would point out that "today I may be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a Christian or Muslim. In this way faiths can be changed, but dharma" is a natural sequence, a natural occupation or a connection and it can not be changed, because it is permanent, according to him.^[42] While ISKCON theology of personal god is close to Christian theology, both personal and monotheistic, being a preacher of bhakti and a missionary he sometimes would add, that "already many Christians have tasted the nectar of divine love of the holy name and are dancing with karatalas (hand-cymbals) and mridangas (drums)."^[62] Bhaktivedanta Swami's approach to modern knowledge is also seen in sectarian Orthodox Judaism, where the skills and technical knowledge of modernity are encouraged, but the values rejected. Bhaktivedanta Swami stated "devotees should not be lazy, idle...we are not afraid to work. Whatever our engagement is, by offering the result to Krishna we become Krishna conscious".^[34] Some of his representations are believed to affect women adversely and are male-centred, others are tender and celebratory. Bhaktivedanta Swami himself taught a dualism of body and soul and that of the genders. Similar to many traditional religions he considered sexuality and spirituality as conflicting opposites.^[63] However among some liberal male followers there is a positive recognition of Bhaktivedanta Swami's own example in applying the spirit of the law according to time, place, person and circumstance, rather than literal tracing of the tradition.^[64]

In line with traditional Vaishnava theology, Bhaktivedanta Swami was critical of the monist philosophies of Hinduism representing the Gaudiya Vaishnava point of view and often insulting the orthodox Vedanta adherents of monism with 'cruel words'. In the view of some, the Gaudiya-Vaishnava philosophy he followed is neither fully dualistic nor monist (this is known as Achintya Bheda Abheda). As a school of thought, Gaudiya Vaishnavism has much more in common with the Dvaita, as opposed to the Advaita schools.^{[citation needed]}

Within India[link]

ISKCON Temple in Delhi, India

ISKCON Temple in Tirupathi, India

Initially, Bhaktivedanta Swami began his public preaching mission in India. He founded the League of Devotees in Jhansi in 1953.^[65]

Following the establishment of temples and centres in the United States and Europe, Bhaktivedanta Swami returned to India in 1971, holding many public programs which were well attended. From 1971 onwards, the movement became increasingly popular and spread throughout the country, Bhaktivedanta Swami was particularly eager to see the progress at "the impressive temple project in" Mumbai which he and his disciples had fought very hard to establish,^[66] with large temples in Mayapur and Vrindavan to follow in mid 1970s. To promote the vedic education system in modern Indian education structure, he introduced the chain of Gurukul in various part of India. The Bhaktivedanta Gurukula (Vrindavan) is one of the most successful school in the list.

In 1996, the Government of India recognized Bhaktivedanta Swami's accomplishments by issuing a commemorative stamp in his honour as a part of Prabhupada Centennial celebrations.^[67][68]

Speaking at the inauguration of ISKCON's cultural center in New Delhi on 5 April on occasion of Ramnavmi in 1998, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then India's prime minister, said:

Monuments[link]

ISKCON Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in West Virginia, USA photo dated 2007

A number of memorial samadhis or shrines to Bhaktivedanta Swami were constructed by the members of ISKCON in his remembrance, the largest of which are in Mayapur, Vrindavan and at the larger sized temples in America. Prabhupada's Palace of Gold was designed and constructed by devotees of the New Vrindavan community and dedicated on September 2, 1979. Back in 1972 it was intended to be simply a residence for Bhaktivedanta Swami, but over time the plans evolved into an ornate marble and gold palace which is now visited by thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year, visiting this centerpiece of the community strongly relying upon tourist trade.^[45][72]

Selected bibliography[link]

Translations with commentary[link]

Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in 1982

• Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is (1968)
• Śrī Īśopanishad (1969)
• Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1972–77) (Vols.)
• Caitanya-caritāmrta (1974) (Vols.)
• The Nectar of Instruction (1975) ^[22]