Radhanath Swami
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Radhanath Swami is a leading member and guru within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who works largely from Mumbai in India and also travels exstensively throughout Europe and America. He is well known throughout the society largely through his lectures on the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
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[edit] Introduction to Krishna Consciousness
American by birth, Radhanath Swami studied a number of religious paths in his early days such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam on a quest for spiritual truth. Then at the age of 19 he decided to geographically widen his field of exploration and began travelling and hitchhiking through Europe and Middle-East, eventually ending up in the Himalayas. There he spent a considerable time devoted to the tradition of Shaivism and was living as a renunciate Shaivite in India when he first met with Krishna devotees near Delhi. He was forced to leave a train at Vrindavana due to the train breaking down which happened to be the day of Janmashtami (Krishna's 'birthday'). Through contact with the devotees in Vrindavan Radhanath Swami began to focus exclusively on his spiritual path in Krishna Consciousness, and in 1971 came into contact with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during the ISKCON Cross Maidan festival in Mumbai. Prabhupada called Radhanatha Swami up onto the stage to speak with him, and after their initial contact Radhanath Swami formally accepted initiation from him a number of years later, becoming one of Prabhupada's disciples (and receiving the name 'Radhanatha dasa').
[edit] Service in ISKCON
Radhanth Swami's early years in ISKCON were spent largely as a pujari (temple priest) in the farm community known as New Vrindavan. After eight years of working as a pujari and looking after the temple cows he was then given the task of working as a preacher in the local colleges and universities in America. He received sanyasa initiation from Kirtanananda Swami in 1982, and after this dedicated more of his time to traveling and preaching. His schedule is now primarily based around giving public lectures and supporting, teaching and inspiring other devotees within the movement.
[edit] Radha Gopinath temple
In later years Radhanath Swami became an accomplished preacher within Krishna Consciousness and was instrumental behind the growth of the Radha-Gopinath temple in Chowpatty, Mumbai which he founded in 1986. The temple is named after the two main deities - Radha (shortened form of Radharani) and Gopinatha (another name for Krishna, meaning 'lord of the gopis'). There are also dieties of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & Nityananda, and Shrinathji alongside Radha Gopinath in the main temple room. The temple itself is primarily a preaching centre, focusing on the study of scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. It has one of ISKCON's most internationally admired devotee communities and an innovative counselor system which has now also been taken on elsewhere within the movement. It also houses a vegetarian restaurant and has been instrumental in the founding of the Mumbai Bhaktivedanta hospital.
[edit] Relationship with Prabhupada
Radhanath Swami personally served Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on a number of occasions during his visits to New Vrindavan when Radhanath Swami was living there as a brahmacari (monk). On numerous occasions Prabhupada made the comment that "Radhanath makes the best sandesh" referring to the sweets which Radhanath Swami made personally with the purpose of being given to Prabhupada as prasadam. There was also a moment wherein Radhanath Swami spontaneously served Bhaktivedanta Swami some prasadam directly from the deities offering plate (against standard procedure) to which Prabhupada's eyes lit up, and he promptly tasted some and distributed the rest to the other devotees in the room.
[edit] Disciples in the media
- Gauranga dasa - Based in Mumbai, India. He regularly appears on the Star Plus TV Show Aatma which is based on the Bhagavad Gita.
- Navadvipa Chandra dasa - based at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford, he recently appeared on Channel 4s programme Preachers To Be.
- Sanatana Goswami dasa - based in Los Angeles, he recently appeared on Channel 4's Preachers To Be.
