His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his student and, in 1933, his formally initiated disciple.

   At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge in English. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, assisted the Gaudiya Matha in its work, and, in 1944, started Back to Godhead, an English fortnightly magazine. Single-handedly, Srila Prabhupada edited it, typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs, and even distributed the individual copies. The magazine is now being continued by his disciples in the West. 

   In 1950 Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. He traveled to the holy city of Vrindavana, where he lived in humble circumstances in the historic temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his life's masterpiece: a multivolume commentated translation of the eighteen-thousand-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets.

   After publishing three volumes of the Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada came to the United States, in September 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than fifty volumes of authoritative commentated translations and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India.

   When he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Srila Prabhupada was practically penniless. Only after almost a year of great difficulty did he establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in July of 1966. Before he passed away on November 14, 1977, he had guided the Society and seen it grow to a worldwide confederation of more than one hundred asramas, schools, temples, institutes, and farm communities.

   He initiated about five thousands disciples, the first one – Acarya Prabhakarara das (Mishra, Dr.) when still in India. His first eleven western disciples were / are (as per Umapati Swami):
Mukunda das: now Goswami, GBC
Umapati das: now Swami
Hayagriva das: first BBT editor, left his body in 1989
Rayarama das: first BTG main editor, left the movement in 1969
Jagannath das: left the movement in the first few years
Karalapati das: left the movement in the first few years
Ravindra Svarupa das (not the GBC): left in the first few years
Satyavrata das: left in 1967 or 1968
Stryadhisa das: left in 1967
Janardana das: left in 1970
Janaki devi dasi: left the movement in the 70's

   In 1972 His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary and secondary education in the West by founding the gurukula school in Dallas, Texas. Since then his disciples have established similar schools throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

   Srila Prabhupada also inspired the construction of several large international cultural centers in India. The center at Sridhama Mayapur, in West Bengal, is the site for a planned spiritual city, an ambitions project for which construction will extend over many years to come. In Vrindavana are the magnificent Krishna-Balarama Temple and International Guesthouse, gurukula school, and Srila Prabhupada Memorial and Museum. There is also a major cultural and educational center in Mumbai. Other centers are planned in a dozen important locations on the Indian subcontinent. 

   Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution, however, is his books. Highly respected by scholars for their authority, depth, and clarity, they are used as textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into over fifty languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.

   In just twelve years, despite his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature, and culture.

Books on Srila Prabhupada

By Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

1. Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita (7 volumes)
2. Beginning at 26 Second Avenue
3. Calling Out To Srila Prabhupada
4. Here is Srila Prabhupada
5. ISKCON in the 1970's
6. Life with the Perfect Master
7. Memories
8. One Hundred Prabhupada Poems
9. Prabhupada Appreciation
10. Prabhupada Meditations (4 volumes)
11. Prabhupada Nectar
12. Prabhupada: Your Ever Well-Wisher
13. Remembering Srila Prabhupada
14. Srila Prabhupada Samadhi Diary
15. Under the Banyan Tree
16. Vaisnava Behaviour/26 Qualities of a Devotee
17. With Srila Prabhupada in the Early Days
18. You Cannot Leave Boston

By other disciples:
19. Acarya (Sesa Dasa)
20. By His Example: The Wit and Wisdom of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (Gurudas)
21. Destination South Africa (Riddha Dasa)
22. Festivals: Srila Prabhupada at the Mayapur-Vrindavana Festivals (Lokanath Swami)
23. Final Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada (Tamala Krsna Goswami)
24. He Lives Forever
25. His Divine Grace (Danavir Goswami)
26. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! (Bhakti Vikasa Swami)
27. Journey to the Pacific Rim (Bali Mardana Dasa)
28. Master at Whose Feet All Masters Sit
29. Memories (2 volumes) (Siddhanta Dasa)
30. Mission: In the service of Srila Prabhupada (Riddha Dasa)
31. My Glorious Master (Bhurijana Dasa)
32. My Memories of Srila Prabhupada (Bhakti Vikasa Swami)
33. Our Srila Prabhupada – A Friend to All (Mulaprakrti Devi Dasi)
34. Prabhupada A Roma ("Prabhupada in Rome" – Italian)
35. Prabhupada in Malaysia (Janananda Dasa)
36. Prabhupada at Radha-Damodara (Mahanidhi Swami)
37. Servant of the Servant (Tamala Krsna Goswami)
38. Srila Prabhupada & His Disciples in Germany (Vedavyasa Dasa)
39. Srila Prabhupada is Coming (Mahamaya Devi Dasi)
40. Srila Prabhupada Uvaca (Srutakirti Dasa)
41. TKG's Diary-Prabhupada's Final Days (Tamala Krsna Goswami)
42. The Great Transcendental Adventure (Kurma Dasa)
43. A Transcendental Diary (5 volumes) (Hari Sauri Dasa)
44. Vrindaban Days (Hayagriva Dasa)
45. Watering the Seed (Giriraj Swami)