Hare Krishna!
My name is Mahabhagavat Das. I am a disciple of Srila Sankarshan Das Adhikari, who is a disciple of His Divine Grace Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
I was born into a traditional Madhva Vaishnava family, yet for the longest time, I had no real understanding of what it actually meant to be a Vaishnava. I lacked a scientific comprehension of God, and my restless questions went largely unanswered. Coupled with a strong Western education dominated by impersonalistic, and often explicitly atheistic philosophies, I eventually drifted into complete atheism.
Like millions of young Indians, my eyes were set on material ambition. As a young software engineer and entrepreneur, I moved to the West early in life. No one migrates to the West to advance spiritually; we come searching for material prosperity. I came, I strived, and I mostly achieved the financial success I set out to find. Yet spiritually, I was completely lost.
If not for the Krishna Consciousness movement established by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I would have remained hopelessly adrift.
Yet I never had the blessing of meeting Srila Prabhupada in person. He departed this world in 1977, when I was only a toddler. Nevertheless, more than two decades later, his message reached me across oceans and cultural divides.
How was that possible?
It was possible because of his disciples, grand-disciples, and even great-grand-disciples. It was because of the courageous pioneers who embraced this path and tirelessly propagated it for the benefit of a misguided world, and for misguided souls like me. Without their perseverance, Srila Prabhupada would have come and gone, and I would have remained none the wiser.
I am writing this post to express my deepest gratitude to these dedicated souls. They persevered against unimaginable odds, sacrificing their youth, wealth, family comfort, and personal ambitions simply to make the Krishna Consciousness movement take root worldwide.
They built temples alongside Prabhupada. They published, translated, and distributed his books. They held fast to his instructions and preserved the sublime process he gave us. Through dark times, personal hardships, and uncertainty, they enthusiastically carried his light to every corner of the globe.
My gratitude is not reserved solely for the prominent figures or famous leaders. My heart goes out to every single rank-and-file devotee:
- The cooks in the kitchens and the pot-washers behind the scenes
- The drivers, the fundraisers, and the quiet priests at the altars
- The unsung book distributors and the joyful souls singing Harinam Sankirtan
- Those who endured severe hardship, isolation, and personal torment
- Those who struggled to commit fully, and those who left along the way for reasons only you and Krishna know
- Those who stumbled or made mistakes, big or small, yet still offered their energy to the mission
To each and every one of you, I offer my most humble gratitude and prostrated obeisances. I can never truly repay the debt I owe you for your contribution. Your efforts saved me and countless others! But I promise you this: I will do my utmost to carry forward the sacred torch you so valiantly received, preserved, and passed down.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to all his followers!
Hare Krishna!
P.S. I am building a dedicated page featuring a list of the specific souls who have helped me directly or indirectly along my journey. For each person, I will write a brief tribute honoring their contribution. This will be an ongoing, evolving effort, and I look forward to publishing it separately soon.
