A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (Śrīla Prabhupāda) is the spiritual teacher who brought the teachings of Kṛṣṇa from India to the world and made bhakti-yoga accessible to people of different cultures, languages and walks of life. His life shows the power of faith, service and dedication to the spiritual master.
Śrīla Prabhupāda received his life’s mission from his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: to present the teachings of Kṛṣṇa in the English language and make them available to the world. He carried this instruction for decades with deep faith, patience and determination.
In 1965, in his later years and with very little material support, Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled by cargo ship from India to the United States of America. He arrived in New York with boxes of books, strong faith and a desire to share the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gītā and devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
In 1966, Śrīla Prabhupāda founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York. From humble beginnings, it grew into a worldwide spiritual movement with temples, kīrtan, lectures, prasādam, book distribution and communities of devotees around the world. ISKCON has been present in Croatia since the 1980s, and in the Republic of Croatia the society operates as an officially registered religious community under the Croatian name Međunarodno društvo za svjesnost Krišne u Republici Hrvatskoj.
Śrīla Prabhupāda translated and commented on the main Vaiṣṇava scriptures, including Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Many of his books have also been translated into Croatian and remain the foundation of ISKCON’s study, preaching, worship and daily spiritual practice.
For the devotees of ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda is not only a historical founder, but the Founder-Ācārya: the teacher whose instructions, books, example and mood continue to guide the society today. Through him, many people have encountered Kṛṣṇa, begun spiritual life and found meaning in service.
