The Life and Works of HDG SripadaBhaktisvarupaDamodaraSwami
Birth SripadaMaharaja was born in the Vaishnavakingdomancient of Manipur, in northeast India, on December 9, 1937. It was the holy day known as Odana-shashthi, when Lord Jagannathais given new clothes.
Birth
His parents were YogendraSingh
Sankirtanatradition.singerSinghDevi.SrimatiKanyahanbiandSriYogendrawasadevotionalintheNata
Sri
ChildhoodAroundtheage
of eight he lost his father, and just a couple of years later he and his sister were living on their own in poverty. By the time SripadaMaharaja was twelve, he was forced to live alone and fend for himself by growing rice. Sometime later his primary school teacher noticed his plight and along with a village elder arranged for a proper home and his further education.
YouthAtfourteen, SripadaMaharaja became seriously ill with typhoid. The village physicians unanimously declared that he would soon die. But his guardian prayed daily for his recovery by reciting the Dashavatara-stotra, a prayer to Lord Sri Krishna’s ten incarnations. After fasting for forty days and drinking only whey, miraculouslySripadaMaharajarecovered.
Student life In 1957, SrilaSripadajoined the prestigious D.M. College of Imphal, Manipur. He obtained his Intermediate Science Degree in 1959 and graduated with First Class Honors in Chemistry in 1961. He later acquired his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology in 1963 and further obtained his Master of Technology degree with First Class in Pharmaceutical Science from Calcutta University in 1964.
Student Life
In the US
In 1969, Srila Sripada was a student at the University of California, Irvine, USA, doing his PhD. research work in Physical Organic Chemistry.
In the US
In April 1970 SrilaSripada’smother had passed away. He wanted to return to India to perform her shraddhabut he got a letter from his guardian and teacher, Sri KeraniSingh advising him not to return to India from the shraddhaceremony. Sripadabegan to lose interest in his studies. He spent the succeeding nights meditating on the flickering nature of this material world.
Dr. RamanandaRao
Dr. Raorequested Sripadaseveral times to go with him to see SrilaPrabhupada.
Prabhupadaasked Sripadathat being born in a vaishnavafamily why did he come to USA, crossing the ocean. He added, “You young scholars and students have come here as beggars to beg scientific knowledge and dollars. But I have not come here to beg. I have come here to give the Americans something very valuable, which they do not have -Bhagavata culture. Whey don’t you do the same as I am doing? Why are you simply taking? Why don’t you also give something?”
Meeting SrilaPrabhupada
Prabhupada’sinstructionsForthenexteightyears,beginningwithSripadaMaharaja’smorningwalkswith Srila Prabhupadain the early 1970s on Venice Beach in California, to the last hours of Srila Prabhupada’smanifest pastimes in this world, in Vrindavana, 1977, SrilaPrabhupada gave numerous instructions to Sripada Maharaja on how to properly introduce Bhagavataculture to the world’s intellectuals and leaders.
BhagavataSevarpanam
BhaktivedantaInstituteSrilaPrabhupadatoldhimhewantedtostartaninstitutetopresentKrishnaconsciousnessscientificallytointellectuals.HetoldSripadaMaharajahewantedhimtobethedirectoroftheinstitute.
A Special
RelationshipSrilaPrabhupadaoncesaid,“SvarupaDamodaraissuchanicedevotee;hehasthequalityofalwaysmakingfriends,notenemies.Noonespeaksagainsthim.”
A Special Relationship
For the pleasure of SrilaPrabhupada, SripadaMaharaja organized five major international conferences, in Vrindavana (1977), Mumbai (1986), San Francisco (1990), Kolkata (1997), and Rome (2004).
Conferences
Conferences
Conferences
Conferences
Publications
Publications
Publications
BI on wheels To distribute the books of SrilaPrabhupadaand the BhaktivedantaInstitute to colleges and universities throughout India, SripadaMaharaja started the BhaktivedantaInstitute on Wheels
Schools
In northeast India SripadaMaharaja started a network of primary and secondary schools to promote the goals of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Over four thousand students attend these schools and receive a scientific education centered on the spiritual values of the Bhagavatatradition.
Schools
Sharing VaisnavaCultureThroughouthislife,SripadaMaharajaintroducedthedivineprincipleofVaishnavacultureinthenumerousfestivalsandconferencesheattendedallovertheworld.
Sharing VaisnavaCulture
In SripadaMaharaja’s work to introduce the Bhagavataculture to society’s intellectuals, he interacted with many spiritual leaders of the world’s great faiths.
Inter-faith dialogues
Intra-faith Indialoguethespiritofpeace and harmony
SrilaPrabhupadatold Sripada Maharaja, attending him in his last days, that he wanted to start the BhaktivedantaSwami Charity Trust to bring unity among all GaudiyaVaishnavasand to aid in the renovation of the ancient Gaudiyatemples and holy sites.
University of BhagavatCultureSrilaPrabhupadainstructedSripadaMaharajatomakeManipurascientificVaishnavastate.Inthisregard,SripadaMaharajabeganbuildingTheUniversityofBhagavataCultureinImphal,Manipur.
Establishing Temples
SripadaMaharaja inaugurated the construction of temples all over India including Manipur, Siliguri, Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Agartala.
Devotional Songs
A Spiritual Master and Friend
A legacy
