Describe the origins of two modern Hindu groups and explain the way in which they have developed.

Authors Avatar

Describe the origins of two modern Hindu groups and explain the way in which they have developed.

Today there are many, many Hindu groups all with different origins, beliefs and practises.

One of these is ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), a primarily western groups (although there are ISKCON centres all over the world including in India).

ISKCON was founded by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (often referred to a Srila Prabhupada for short).

Srila Prabhupada took birth in this world in Calcutta in 1896, on the day after Janmastami (Lord Krishna’s appearance day). The name given to him at birth was Abhay Charan De.

The inspiration for Srila Prabhupda’s like came from his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, whom he met in 1922 at the age of 26. Srila Prabhupada was immediately recognised by his teacher as an ‘intelligent young man’. His teacher then asked him, ‘why don’t you preach the message of the Lord Chaitanya(an incarnation of Krishna who appeared in the 15th century in India) in English?’. (quote taken from an email received from the president of ISKCON Calcutta).

In 1932 Srila Prabhupada became Srila Bhaktisddhanta’s officially initiated disciple.

In a letter Srila Bhaktisiddharta wrote in 1936 (shortly before he died) he said to Srila Prabhupada ‘I am fully confident you can explain in English our thoughts and arguments, ...I have every hope that you can turn yourself into a very good English preacher’. This became Srila Prabhupada’s life mission and he began to prepare himself.

He began a magazine named ‘Back to Godhead’ in 1944, even though the Second World War was causing shortages of paper. He wrote, edited and perfected the layout of every issue (at that time it was in newspaper format), he gathered donations to pay for printing and went on the streets himself to sell the issues.

Join now!

Srila Prabhupada had stared a successful pharmaceutical company to support his family in 1932, however in 1950 he left his home to dedicate his life to preaching. He took the order of sannyasa (full renunciation from material life) in 1959. Soon after this he wrote 3 volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, finishing the first 12 cantos. As with ‘Back to Godhead’ he wrote, edited, proof read, paid for paper and had the books printed and bound. He sold the books in the larger Indian cities through book shops and agents.

However, his spiritual masters final ordering was always in his mind, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay