Born in 1896 in Calcutta, India, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had a transformative encounter in 1922 with his spiritual Master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta. Impressed by Prabhupada’s intellect, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati encouraged him to dedicate himself to spreading Vedic wisdom in the Western world. Over the next eleven years, Prabhupada became a formally initiated disciple in 1933 in Allahabad.

During their initial meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura urged Prabhupada to share Vedic knowledge in English. In the following years, Prabhupada authored a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and, single-handedly, launched an English fortnightly magazine in 1944.

In recognition of Prabhupada’s erudition and devotion, he was honored with the title “Bhaktivedanta” by the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society in 1947. In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Prabhupada embraced a retired lifestyle, transitioning to the vanaprastha order to focus on his studies and writing. He resided humbly in the historic Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana, delving into extensive study and work, and eventually adopting the renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959.

While at Radha-Damodara, Prabhupada embarked on his magnum opus—a multi-volume translation and commentary on the 18,000-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam. Notably, he also composed “Easy Journey to Other Planets.”

Having published three volumes of the Bhagavatam, Prabhupada ventured to the United States in 1965, fulfilling his guru’s mission. Despite initial financial challenges, he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966. Under his guidance, the Society flourished, expanding to nearly one hundred ashrams, schools, temples, institutes, and farm communities within a decade.

In 1968, Prabhupada founded New Vrndavana, an experimental Vedic community in West Virginia, inspiring the creation of similar communities globally. In 1972, he introduced Vedic primary and secondary education to the West through the Gurukula school in Dallas, Texas.

Prabhupada’s vision extended to the establishment of significant construction projects in Sridhama Mayapur, India, along with the Krsna-Balarama Temple and International Guest House in Vrndavana. These centers provided Westerners a firsthand experience of Vedic culture.

His most enduring legacy lies in his prolific literary contributions. Revered by scholars for their authority and clarity, Prabhupada’s books are used as standard texts in various college courses and have been translated into several languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 for publishing his works, is now the world’s premier publisher of Indian religious and philosophical literature.

Despite his age, in his final decade, Prabhupada embarked on twelve global lecture tours across six continents, while continuing to write prolifically. His extensive writings form a comprehensive library encompassing Vedic philosophy, religion, literature, and culture.

Srila Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977, in the holy town of Vrindavan, surrounded by his loving disciples who carry on his mission faithfully to this day.