Mayapur ISKCON

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (Srila Prabhupada) created the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the West in 1966. ISKCON is affiliated with Gaudiya (Bengal) Vaishnavism, a devotional religion founded on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1532), his brother Nityananda Prabhu, and six of his closest companions, the Goswamis of Vrindavana, taught and codified the principles and practises of ISKCON in the 15th century (Sanatana, Rupa, Jiva, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta.) The Bhagavad-gita was written for the first time around 5000 years ago. The Hare Krishna MovementTM Organization's primary text is the Bhagavad Gita. Its origins date back over 5000 years. Sri Caitanya, who is revered by followers as a direct incarnation of Krishna, sparked a major bhakti (devotional) movement across India. Hundreds of volumes on the theory of Krishna awareness were created under his guidance. Many followers followed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preceptorial path, notably Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914), an excellent Vaishnava theologian who presented Krishna awareness to a modern audience in the 19th century. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami (1874-1937), Bhaktivinoda's son, became Srila Prabhupada's (1896-1977) guru and directed him to propagate Krishna awareness across the West. The history of ISKCON involves a disciplic succession (sampradaya or guru parampara). Its validity is derived from its standing in a lineage of spiritual leaders and students (parampara). The Brahma-Gaudiya-Madhva (relating to Madhvacharya [A.D. 1239-1319]) sampradaya, established by Lord Krishna Himself, is one of the four great disciplic successions. The other three are known as the Sri Sampradaya (relating to the goddess Laksmi), the Rudra Sampradaya (referring to the deity Shiva), and the Kumara Sampradaya (referring to the four Kumaras [celibate sages]). The Brahma Sampradaya has several branches. ISKCON is part of the Brahma-Gaudiya-Madhva tradition, which was created in the 16th century by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.