The teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are summarised in the phrase vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga, which means 'renunciation through the wisdom that comes from practicing devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna.' The greatest exemplar of that renunciation and wisdom in the modern age is His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In this collection of essays, translated from the Bengali, he explains these teachings in the light of Sri Krishna's immortal instructions in the Bhagavad-gita, showing how one who follows them will attain freedom from material bondage and the highest bliss of love of God.

Introduction

1. Knowledge of the Supreme
2. The Science of Devotion
3. Topics of Spiritual Science
4. The Deluded Thinkers
5. The Highest Use of Intelligence

Index

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, liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (in 1933) at Allahabad he became his formally initiated disciple. He then laboured to broadcast Vedic knowledge using the English language in a variety of publications.

Recognizing Srila Prabhupada's learning and devotion, the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society honoured him in 1947 with the title 'Bhaktivedanta'. In 1950, at the age of 54, Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Srila Prabhupada traveled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in humble circumstances in the historic medieval 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.

Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965 to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. Subsequently, he wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India.

In 1965, when he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Srila Prabdhupada was practically penniless. After almost one year of great difficulty he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in July 1966. Before his passing away on November 14, 1977, he guided the Society and saw it grow to a worldwide confederation of over one hundred asramas, schools, temples, institutes and farm communities which continue to operate today.