Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1896-1977) came to New York in 1965 and in twelve short years made the chanting of ‘Hare Krishna’ known throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada’s authoritative English translations, commentaries, and summary studies of Vedic literature have become standard textbooks of transcendental science. Coming from a lineage of self-realised spiritual masters, Srila Prabhupada gave a fearless exposition of devotional wisdom which had been kept locked within India for centuries.
The life of Srila Prabhupada epitomises pure devotion to the Supreme Lord. The process that he taught and exemplified is known as bhakti-yoga − the science of spontaneous, loving devotional service in pure love of God.
Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
For more than half a century, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (1921 – 2010) dedicated his life to propagating the science and culture of bhakti-yoga throughout India, particularly in Vraja (the sacred land where Lord Krsna appeared over 5,000 years ago). In 1996 he began traveling internationally, circling the globe more than 31 times and providing insightful guidance and loving shelter to spiritual seekers everywhere. In his erudite commentaries, he shared the unmistakable warmth and depth of experience that inspired the World Religious Parliament to honor him in 2004 as the foremost living exponent of the Vedic tradition of his time.
A bold spiritual leader and prolific translator and commentator of the Vedic literatures, he is recognized as a pure devotee of Lord Krsna in the lineage of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.