The Goddess Ambika or Durga Leading the Eight Matrikas in Battle Against the Demon Raktabija, Folio from Devi Mahatmya, Markandeya Purana.

For other meanings, see Purana (disambiguation).

The Puranas (Sanskrit: पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times") are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.^[1]

Puranas usually give prominence to a particular deity, employing an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts. They are usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another. The Puranas are available in vernacular translations and are disseminated by Brahmin scholars, who read from them and tell their stories, usually in Katha sessions (in which a traveling Brahmin settles for a few weeks in a temple and narrates parts of a Purana, usually with a Bhakti perspective).^{[citation needed]}

Origins[link]

An illustration of Varaha avatar based on the Bhagavata Purana

Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata, is traditionally considered the compiler of the Puranas.^[2] However, the earliest written versions date from the time of the Gupta Empire (third-fifth century CE) and much material may be dated, through historical references and other means, to this period and the succeeding centuries. The texts were probably written all over India.

The date of the production of the written texts does not define the date of origin of the Puranas.^[3] On one hand, they existed in some oral form before being written^[3] while at the same time, they have been incrementally modified well into the 16th century^[3][4] and perhaps down to the present day.

An early reference is found in the Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.2). (circa 500 BCE). The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad refers to purana as the "fifth Veda",^[5] itihāsapurāṇaṃ pañcamaṃ vedānāṃ, reflecting the early religious importance of these myths, presumably then in purely oral form. Importantly, the most famous form of itihāsapurāṇaṃ is the Mahabharata. The term also appears in the Atharvaveda 11.7.24.^[6][7]

According to Pargiter,^[6] the "original Purana" may date to the time of the final redaction of the Vedas. Gavin Flood connects the rise of the written Purana historically with the rise of devotional cults centring upon a particular deity in the Gupta era: the Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that advance the views of various competing cults.^[8]

Common ideas are found throughout the corpus but it is not possible to trace the lines of influence of one Purana upon another so the corpus is best viewed as a synchronous whole.^[8]

The All India Kashiraj Trust, formed under Vibhuti Narayan Singh, the Maharaja of Kashi, dedicated itself to publishing editions of the Puranas.^[9]

Content[link]

According to Matysa Purana,^[10] they are said to narrate five subjects, called Pancha Lakshana pañcalakṣaṇa(Sanskrit:Template:Sanskrit) ("five distinguishing marks", though some scholars have suggested that these are shared by other traditional religious scriptures):^[11][12]

1. Sarga: the creation of the universe.
2. Pratisarga: secondary creations, mostly recreations after dissolution.
3. Vamśa: genealogy of the gods and sages.
4. Manvañtara: the creation of the human race and the first human beings. The epoch of the Manus' rule, 71 celestial Yugas or 308,448,000 years.
5. Vamśānucaritam: the histories of the patriarchs of the lunar and solar dynasties.

The Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies, as the Vayu Purana says, "to preserve the genealogies of gods, sages and glorious kings and the traditions of great men."^[13] The Puranic genealogies indicate, for example, that Sraddhadeva Manu lived 95 generations before the Bharata war.^[14] In Arrian's Indica, Megasthenes is quoted as stating that the Indians counted from "Dionysos" (Shiva) to "Sandracottus" (Chandragupta Maurya) "a hundred and fifty-three kings over six thousand and forty-three years."^[15] The list of kings in Kalhana's Rajatarangini goes back to the 19th century BCE.^[16]

Pargiter has argued that the Puranic Krta Yuga—in the Vayu Purana the four Yugas are divided into 4800, 3600, 2400, and 1200 years—"ended with the destruction of the Haihayas [by Rama Jamadagnya]; the Treta began approximately with Sagara and ended with Rama Dasarathi's destruction of the Raksasas; and the Dvapara began with his reinstatement at Ayodhya and ended with the Bharata battle".^[17][18]

Texts[link]

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The Mahapuranas[link]

Of the many texts designated 'Puranas' the most important are the Mahāpurāṇas. These are always said to be eighteen in number, divided into three groups of six, though in fact they are not always counted in the same way. Combining the various lists Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen have collated twenty names:^[19]

Classification[link]

Puranas are classified according to qualification of persons who can understand them: "Purāṇas are supplementary explanations of the Vedas intended for different types of men. All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Purāṇas are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle for existence."^[23]

The Mahapuranas are frequently classified according the three aspects of the divine Trimurti^[24]:

^[25]

According to the Padma Purana,^[26] the texts may be classified in accordance with the three gunas or qualities; truth, passion, and indifference:

The Upapuranas[link]

The Upapurāṇas are lesser or ancillary texts: these are sometimes also said to be eighteen in number, with still less agreement as to the canonical titles. Few have been critically edited. They include: Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesha, Mudgala, and Hamsa.^[27]

The Ganesha and Mudgala Puranas are devoted to Ganesha.^[28][29] The Devi-Bhagavata Purana, which extols the goddess Durga, has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Mārkandeya Purana) a basic text for Devi worshipers.^[30]

There are many others all over the Indian subcontinent.^[31]

Sthala Puranas[link]

This corpus of texts tells of the origins and traditions of particular Tamil Shiva temples or shrines. There are numerous Sthala Puranas, most written in vernaculars, some with Sanskrit versions as well. The 275 Shiva Sthalams of the continent have puranas for each, famously glorified in the Tamil literature Tevaram. Some appear in Sanskrit versions in the Mahapuranas or Upapuranas. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by David Dean Shulman.^[32]

Kula Puranas[link]

These Puranas deal with a caste's origin myth, stories, and legends (the word kula means "family" or "tribe" in Sanskrit). They are important sources for caste identity though usually contested by rival castes. This subgenre is usually in the vernacular and may at times remain oral.^[33] These have been little researched, though they are documented in the caste section of the British Census of India Report and the various Gazetteers.^[34]

Jain and Buddhist Puranas[link]

Jain Puranas deal with Jain myths, history and legends and form a major part of early Kannada literature.^{[35] [36]} The best known is the Mahapurana of Acharya Jinasena. Among Buddhist Puranas, Swayambhu Purana narrates the mythological history of Nepal and describes Buddhist pilgrimage sites inside the Kathmandu Valley.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Bhargava, P.L. 1971. India in the Vedic Age. Lucknow: Upper India Publishing.
• Dimmitt, Cornelia; van Buitenen, J. A. B. (1978). Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 81-7030-596-9. 
• Doniger, Wendy (editor) (1993). Purāṇa Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts. Albany, New York: State University of New York. ISBN 0-7914-1382-9. 
• Handoo, Jawaharlal (editor) (1998). Folklore in Modern India. ISBN 81-7342-055-6. 
• Hardy, Friedhelm (2001). Viraha-Bhakti - The Early History of Krsna Devotion in South India. ISBN 0-19-564916-8. </ref>
• Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43304-5. 
• Johnson, W.J. (2009). A Dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861025-0. 
• Kaushal, Molly (editor) (2001). Chanted Narratives - The Katha Vachana Tradition. ISBN 81-246-0182-8. 
• Majumdar, R. C.; Pusalker, A. D. (1951). The history and culture of the Indian people. 1: The Vedic age. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 
• Mackenzie, Brwon (1990). The Triumph of the Goddess - The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the DevI-BhAgavata PuraNa. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-0363-7. </ref>
• Mittal, Sushil (2004). The Hindu World. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21527-5. 
• Moghe, S. G. (editor) (1997). Professor Kane's contribution to Dharmasastra literature. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd.. ISBN 81-246-0075-9. 
• Monier-Williams, Monier (1899). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 
• Pargiter, F.E. (1922). Ancient Indian Historical Tradition. London: Oxford University Press. 
• Pargiter, F. E. (1962) [1922]. Ancient Indian historical tradition. Original publisher Oxford University Press, London. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass. OCLC 1068416. 
• Rao, Velcheru Narayana (1993). "Purana as Brahminic Ideology". In Doniger Wendy. Purana Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-1381-0. 
• Shulman, David Dean (1980). Tamil Temple Myths: Sacrifice and Divine Marriage in the South Indian Saiva Tradition. ISBN 0-691-06415-6. 
• Singh, Nagendra Kumar (1997). Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. ISBN 81-7488-168-9. 
• Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Gaṇapati: Insights into the Dynamics of a Cult. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers. ISBN 81-7304-195-4. 

Further reading[link]

• Thurston Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India (Vols I-V). Cosmo Publication, Delhi.

External links[link]

• The Puranas (bharatadesam.com)

Texts[link]

• Puranas in Devnagari, typed, PDF files
• GRETIL (uni-goettingen.de)

Translations[link]

• Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Full text of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, with the original Sanskrit, word-for-word meanings, translation, and commentary.
• The Vishnu Purana Full text of the H.H. Wilson translation at sacred-texts.com

Synopses[link]

• Contents of 18 Puranas and a list of Upapuranas (lesser Puranas) (a Java applet)
• Extensive synopsis of several Maha Puranas
• Synopsis of Puranas at Urday.com
• Agni Purana - A synopsis

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]

Summary studies[link]

Prabhupada's Samadhi in Vrindavana

• Teachings of Lord Caitanya (1969)
• Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (1970)
• The Nectar of Devotion (1970) ^[22]

Other works published within Prabhupada's lifetime[link]

Prabhupada's pushpa Samadhi in Mayapur

• Beyond Illusion and Doubt (1967)
• Search for Liberation (1969)
• Easy Journey to Other Planets (1970)
• Krishņa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System (1970)
• Beyond Birth and Death (1972)
• The Perfection of Yoga (1972)
• On The Way to Krishņa (1973)
• Rāja-vidyā: The King of Knowledge (1973)
• Elevation to Krishņa Consciousness (1973)
• Krishņa Consciousness: The Matchless Gift (1974)
• Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers (1977)
• Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūtī (1977)
• The Science of Self-Realization (1977)
• Back to Godhead magazine (founder)^[22]

Bengali writings[link]

• Geetār-gan
• Vairāgya-vidyā
• Buddhi-yoga
• Bhakti-ratna-boli^[22]

Published posthumously[link]

• Light of the Bhāgavata (1978)
• Teachings of Queen Kuntī (1978)
• Life Comes From Life (1978)
• Krishņa, The Reservoir of Pleasure (1972)
• Chant and Be Happy (1982)
• Coming Back (1983?)
• Path of Perfection (1989)
• Nārada bhakti sūtra (1991)
• Mukunda-mālā-stotra (1989)
• A Second Chance (1991)
• Journey of Self Discovery (1991)
• Laws of Nature: An Infallible Justice (1991)
• Renunciation Through Wisdom (1992)
• Quest for Enlightenment (1993)
• The Path of Yoga (1995)
• Message of Godhead (1996?)
• Civilization and Transcendence (1998)
• Dharma: The Way of Transcendence (1998)
• Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā (2005)^[22]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Prabhupada

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (October 2011)

• "Bhaktivedanta VedaBase - Srila Prabhupada's books online in English and other languages". http://vedabase.com. 
• "Bhaktivedanta VedaBase - Srila Prabhupada's books online". http://vedabase.net/en/. 
• "BBT - Publishing House". http://www.bbt.info/. 
• "iskcon.com - About A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada". http://www.iskcon.com/about/parampara/srila_prabupada.html. 
• "Letters by Srila Prabhupada - Anthology". http://www.prabhupada.blogspot.com/. 
• "The Bhaktivedanta Archives". http://www.prabhupada.com/books.html. 
• "Photos and Audio of Srila Prabhupada". http://www.prabhupada.krishna.com/. 
• "Srila Prabhupada’s Presentation of Srimati Radharani". http://www.sdgonline.org/radha/radharani_prabhupada.html. 
• "Catalogue and online lectures by Srila Prabhupada". http://www.prabhupadavani.org. 
• "Hindi and english lectures of Srila Prabhuada". http://www.iskcondesiretree.info/. 
• "A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada". http://www.vaniquotes.org/wiki/Category:Prabhupada. 
• "Bhaktivedanta College VTE Bhakti Sastri Online - Systematic study of Srila Prabhupada's books online". http://www.bhakti-sastri.com.