ISKCON is a non-profit organization that works for social welfare. He was a genuine holy person with enormous integrity and compassion, and he had a powerful impact on those who met him. He never claimed authority and respect for himself; what he said and did was always in the name of Krishna”– Dr Thomas J. Hopkins.

Early Life

On 1st September 1896, Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was born in a Hindu family. In 1922, he met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, who encouraged him to spread the message of Krishna in the west. This meeting became a turning point, and in 1933, Srila Prabhupada became his disciple and prepared for the mission for over 32 years.

Expanding Boundaries

At age 69, Srila Prabhupada traveled to New York with only Rs40, a trunk of books, and no shelter. He began from scratch by teaching Bhagavad-gita in the Bowery and performing kirtans in parks. His message reached young seekers, eventually founding ISKCON on 11th July 1966. He went on to travel the world 14 times and shared Krishna Consciousness globally.

His Message to Society

Srila Prabhupada’s message of peace and goodwill resonated strongly with the hippie community and younger generation; some even came forward to become serious students of the Bhakti-yoga (loving devotion to God) tradition. With the help of his students, followers, he rented a small piece of land and registered his organization officially. On 11th July 1966, he formally established the ISKCON or International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In the next 11 years, he circled the entire world around 14 times. He conveyed the teaching of Lord Krishna to countless people on six different continents

Achievements & Legacy

Srila Prabhupada came back to India with a wish to cultivate the better roots of Lord Krishna. He opened numerous temples and one of the largest centers of ISKCON in the holy towns of Mayapur and Vrindavana. The most imperative contribution of Srila Prabhupada is conceivably his books. He wrote more than 70 volumes on the tradition of Krishna, which Scholars highly appreciate because of its depth, clarity, and faithfulness toward the tradition. Several colleges have used his work in textbooks, and all his books have been already translated into 76 different languages. His lifetime achievements are innumerable, magnificent, and extraordinary. Some of his achievements are listed below:
1. He dictated a total of 22,000 pages of text.
2 .He translated and wrote purports to 18,000 verses of Srimad Bhagwatam and 700 verses of Srimad Bhagwat Gita.
3. He translated and wrote purports to 700 verses of the Srimad Bhagwat Gita and 12,555 Chaitanya Charitamrit.
4. He published 147 books, wrote 7000 letters to his disciples, and brought his magazine Back to Godhead into the mainstream with 1 million copies distributed.
5. His Bhagwad Gita lectures are compiled in 7 volumes, and Srimad Bhagwatam in about 12 book volumes.
6. His conversations with scientists, professors, editors have been compiled in 42 volumes. And also produced innumerable recordings.
7. At the age of 70, he started the mission to bring Lord Krishna’s name to every household. In the short span of 9 years, he achieved 5000 devotees and established 108 Isckon temples worldwide.