based on presentation by Caitanya Caran dasa (RNS)
Srila Prabhupada was born Abhay to a devotee family in Calcutta in 1896, on the day after Janmashtami, August 1. At the time of his birth, India was under colonial rule. To understand the life of an individual, it is necessary to consider the context in which they acted and the content of their actions. This allows for a more nuanced appreciation of their actions and the circumstances in which they were carried out. Abhay de was born into a devout family, Gaur-mohan and Ranjani, father and mother. They were followers of the Bhakti tradition. He was born into the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage, which was common in the Bhakti tradition in West Bengal at that time. He was born on the day immediately following Janmashtami.b
This in itself was a remarkable occurrence. It indicated his mission. It is often the case that events of great cosmic significance are accompanied by certain omens or signs indicating that something significant is about to happen. Srila Prabhupada is appearing on the day immediately following the day of the appearance of his Lord, Lord Krishna, who appeared on earth some 5,000 years ago and established Dharma and taught the path of Dharma in his timeless message of the Bhagavad Gita. Thus, the mission that the Lord had come to fulfil would now be accomplished in due course by His great devotee. This person would, in due course, carry it forward in the modern world as he grew up. Thus, as was the custom in India then and now, a horoscope was prepared for the child at birth. When young Abhay’s horoscope was prepared, the family members rejoiced at the prospect of him becoming a great saint.
At the age of 70, he would embark on a journey across the seven oceans, travelling to distant lands to spread the message of bhakti and establish 108 temples worldwide. The prophecy was so extraordinary that it thrilled the hearts of all who heard it. Abhay was born in India, which was still under British colonial rule. Before that, the country had been ruled by various Islamic invaders from different parts of the world.
Their subsequent arrival had a profound effect on Indian culture, Indian traditions, and the Indian political landscape. Prabhupada’s family, Abhay’s family, was actually a Suvarnava family, a family of merchants. His father was a cloth merchant and they were related to the Mulik family who were very influential. In fact, the Talegunj area of Calcutta, where Abhay was born, belonged to the Muliksas, who were also Suvarnavans.
She wanted Abhay to follow the career path that was the norm for young educated Indians at the time, which was to go to America or England and become a lawyer. And if you look at contemporary India at that time, many of the leaders or people who became leaders had chosen to become lawyers. So Nehru, Gandhi and many others had tried to follow that path.
It was a very respectable career and some of the uncles approved of it. But to Abhay’s father, Gaur Mohan, they said no. He said, ‘If my son leaves India for the West, there is such a licentious culture there.
At one point in history, during the reign of the Islamic rulers, they were given the title of Mulik. Subsequently, a daughter of the De family had married into the Malik family, creating a close relationship between the two families. Thus, Abhay’s father, Gaur Mohan De, was a cloth merchant by profession, but by nature he was a devotee, a simple-hearted and devoted worshipper of the Lord.
Abhay’s earliest childhood memories are of bells ringing and his father engaged in the practice of aarti or puja, worshipping the deities. It is also worth noting that Abhay’s mother, Rajni, was born into a devout Gaudiya Vaisnava family.
For Gaur Mohan, his decision to dissuade his son from pursuing a promising career demonstrates his unwavering devotion to his beliefs and had a profound influence on Abhay during his formative years. In contrast, his mother tried to instil in him a practical, worldly sense of success.
His father focused on his own inner devotion, in keeping with the cultural norms of the time among devout Indians. It was not uncommon for householders to take in renunciate sadhus and provide them with food, service and spiritual guidance in exchange for their blessings.
However, whenever Gaur Mohan hosted a sadhu, which was very often, he would serve them with the utmost sincerity and then ask for their blessings. I would be grateful if you could bestow your blessings on my son in the hope that he will become a devoted disciple. I would be grateful if you could bless my son so that he may become a great devotee of Srimati Radharani. Once again we see the divine aspiration of a father for a particular career. This desire is not merely sentimental or negative; it is a divine directive. The father is instructed not to pursue this career or to seek blessings only. Gaur Mohan also provided practical facilities. He taught Abhay the art of playing the mridanga.
With diligent practice and competent training, he became an expert in playing the mridanga. As a result, he would begin to sing devotional hymns accompanied by the playing of the mridanga. He would become absorbed in the hymns, lost in the experience. His father would engage in devotional practices involving worship of deities and images of the Lord on their altar.
Observing this phenomenon, Abhay would occasionally assist his father in the worship rituals, but at other times he would experience a desire to worship himself. As a result, he requested his father to allow him to worship the deities on his own.
His father wanted to facilitate his son’s devotional desires, but also wanted to ensure that his son was aware of the responsibility that this entailed. Abhay assured him that he would be able to do this. Subsequently, as a child, he began the practice of worshipping the deity, arca-vigraha. One of the most notable events in Abhay’s childhood was an incident that foreshadowed his future actions. (Part 2 to follow)