A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — ISKCON Founder and His Mission

Introduction

Significance

Auspicious Time

Required Samagri (Materials)

Preparation Steps

1. 1Bathe and wear clean clothes, preferably traditional (dhoti/kurta or sari)
2. 2Set up a clean altar with Prabhupada's picture/deity, Guru-parampara, and deities of Krishna-Balarama or Gaura-Nitai
3. 3Arrange offerings (bhoga) on a plate: fruits, sweets, water
4. 4Light incense and ghee lamp
5. 5Sit on an asana facing the altar
6. 6Begin with pranama mantras to the spiritual master and guru-parampara

Steps

1. 1Offer obeisances (dandavat pranama) to Srila Prabhupada and the guru-parampara
2. 2Chant the Prabhupada pranama mantra (namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine...)
3. 3Chant the Pancha-tattva mantra (sri-krishna-chaitanya prabhu-nityananda...)
4. 4Chant at least one round (108 repetitions) of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on japa beads
5. 5Read daily from Bhagavad-gita As It Is or Srimad-Bhagavatam, focusing on Prabhupada's purports
6. 6Offer arati (if deity worship) or pushpanjali (flower offering) with devotion
7. 7Honor prasadam (offered food) with gratitude
8. 8Engage in practical service (seva) — book distribution, deity care, cooking, cleaning, or preaching
9. 9Reflect on Prabhupada's instructions: 'Chant, read, distribute books, and serve the mission'
10. 10Retire with remembrance of Krishna and the spiritual master

Mantras

Guidelines

• •Follow the four regulative principles: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication (including tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol)
• •Chant a minimum of 16 rounds (1,728 names) of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra daily on japa beads
• •Rise early (preferably by 4:00 AM) for mangala-arati and morning sadhana
• •Read Srila Prabhupada's books daily — at least 30 minutes
• •Offer all food to Krishna before eating (prasadam only)
• •Wear Tulasi kanthi mala and apply tilaka (Urdhva-pundra) daily
• •Attend weekly Sunday feast program at local ISKCON temple or home gathering
• •Observe Ekadashi fasting (from grains and beans) twice monthly
• •Participate in book distribution and preaching activities regularly
• •Maintain celibacy (brahmachari) or regulated married life (grihastha) according to ashram

Do's

• ✓Approach Prabhupada's teachings with humility and faith (shraddha)
• ✓Associate with serious devotees (sat-sanga) who follow his instructions
• ✓Distribute his books widely — he called them 'the basis of our movement'
• ✓Serve the deity and Vaishnavas with love and respect
• ✓Keep a daily spiritual diary to track chanting, reading, and seva
• ✓Celebrate his appearance day (Vyasa Puja) and disappearance day with festivals
• ✓Support ISKCON's farms, goshalas, and educational projects
• ✓Teach children Krishna consciousness through gurukula or home schooling

Don'ts

• ✗Do not manufacture personal interpretations contrary to Prabhupada's purports
• ✗Do not criticize other Vaishnava sampradayas or bona fide spiritual paths
• ✗Do not neglect japa chanting or reduce rounds without valid reason
• ✗Do not accept disciples or give initiation without authorization from ISKCON's GBC
• ✗Do not use ISKCON resources for personal sense gratification
• ✗Do not engage in mundane politics or controversial social activism in Prabhupada's name
• ✗Do not disrespect the deity, guru, scripture, or Tulasi
• ✗Do not eat unoffered food (karmi-bhoga) or food cooked by non-devotees without offering

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• •Thinking Prabhupada's books are only for 'beginners' — they contain the deepest philosophy
• •Confusing ISKCON's institutional challenges with Prabhupada's pure teachings
• •Imitating external symbols (robes, tilaka) without internal transformation
• •Neglecting book distribution, which Prabhupada called 'the most important service'
• •Seeking initiation from unauthorized persons claiming to be his 'successors' outside ISKCON
• •Treating prasadam as ordinary food or wasting it
• •Using the maha-mantra mechanically without attention or offense-free chanting
• •Judging other devotees' advancement instead of seeing their service attitude

Regional Variations

• •In India: Emphasis on traditional Vedic rituals, Sanskrit chanting, and temple worship alongside book distribution
• •In North America/Europe: Focus on Sunday feasts, college preaching, Food for Life (prasadam distribution), and interfaith dialogue
• •In Latin America: Vibrant sankirtana parties, street festivals, and strong family-based communities
• •In Russia/Eastern Europe: Underground preaching history, now open temples with strong youth engagement
• •In Africa: Integration with local cultures, emphasis on farming communities (e.g., Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula in Kenya)
• •In Southeast Asia: Collaboration with local Buddhist/Hindu communities, temple tourism, and prison preaching

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Traditional Notes

• •Primary source: Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami (authorized biography, 6 volumes)
• •Prabhupada's own books: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-charitamrita, Nectar of Devotion, etc.
• •ISKCON GBC resolutions and official statements on guru-tattva and Prabhupada's position
• •Historical records: Immigration documents, incorporation papers of ISKCON (1966), early Back to Godhead magazines
• •Scholarly works: 'Hare Krishna in the Modern World' (Harvard), 'The Hare Krishna Movement' (Columbia Univ. Press), studies by E. Burke Rochford, Larry Shinn
• •Gaudiya Vaishnava scriptures: Chaitanya-charitamrita (Krishnadasa Kaviraja), Chaitanya-bhagavata (Vrindavana Dasa Thakura), Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (Rupa Gosvami)

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