Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in the USA

Srila Prabhupada

11 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Accomplishments, Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in the USA, Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, estern-philosophy, Hare Krishna, India, Iskcon, Krishna, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada

At various times people have called him a scholar, a philosopher, a cultural ambassador, a prolific author, a religious leader, a spiritual teacher, a social critic, and a holy man. In truth, he was all these things and more.

Over five hundred years ago, Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa, a village in West Bengal. The purpose of His appearance was to inaugurate the Sankirtana Movement, the Yuga Dharma for this age of Kali. He declared that the chanting of His holy names would spread beyond the shores of India to every town and village in the world. He predicted that His commander-in-chief would appear to accomplish this mission.

Yes… Srila Prabhupada appeared to fulfill this prophecy.

”How I Shall Convince Them?

12 Jan 2024 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in the USA Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavad-gita, Krishna, krsna consciousness, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

(Photo:1969, Srila Prabhupada at Boston Harbor, where the Jaladutta arrived in 1965 USA)……

Prabhupada: When I was first in Boston, I was thinking on the ship that “I have come to preach here Krsna consciousness. I see these people are so much addicted to so many nonsense things. How I shall convince them? What shall I tell them? How they will understand me? It is a complete different culture, complete different…” I was thinking like that. “Anyway, when Krsna has sent me, let me try; otherwise I shall go back.” Yes. Actually I was thinking like that. I never thought that so many boys and girls will understand me and work with me. From the very beginning I was thinking that “It is impossible, because their mode of living, their mode of culture — everything is different. And I have brought Krsna consciousness. I will have to say, ‘You don’t take meat, you don’t take intoxication, don’t have illicit sex.’ How they will be able to do that?” I was thinking. But by Krsna’s grace everything is possible. That is my practical experience. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.8–11 – March 19, 1969, Hawaii)

15 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Founder-Acarya, Free Downloads, Free eBooks, Jaladuta, Poetry of Srila Prabhupada, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in the USA Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, First Arrival in the USA, Founder and Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Jaladuta, poem by prabhupada, Poetry of Srila Prabhupada, science of bhakti-yoga, Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA, transcendental loving service to God

Today we celebrate the Arrival of Srila Prabhupada in the U.S.A. 1965 with this poem written aboard the ship the Jaladuta and with a free pdf download the Jaladuta Diary. Just click on link at bottom of post to read or save the pdf file.

Poem by Srila Prabhupada on His First Arrival in the USA
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine 1970, Vol. 1, No 34

The spiritual master and founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is now engaging thousands of men and women in America and throughout the world in the science of bhakti-yoga, transcendental loving service to God. Prabhupada had no personal motive in first beginning ISKCON; he so vigorously preaches the philosophy of God consciousness simply because he has been ordered to do so by his own spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada first arrived in the United States in 1965 with seven dollars, a letter of introduction to an Indian family in Pennsylvania, and a suitcase with some volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the following poem, written in Bengali on the day of his arrival in the USA, Srila Prabhupada addresses the Supreme Lord Krsna, asking Him His purpose in sending His servant to America. The translation from Bengali was done by Srila Prabhupada himself.

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