by Caitanya Candrodaya das
Just as it is true to any lasting relationship the actualisation of a relationship with the Bhagavata—embodied in the living tradition of the guru, scripture (sastra), and the devotional community (sanga)—requires fidelity over mere formality. In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), this relationship was once vividly personal through the presence of its Founder-Acarya, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Schismatic deviations were rare and easily rectified, in person, by Founder-Acarya himself. However, after his departure in 1977, ISKCON faced multiple schismatic episodes that tested the community’s ability to sustain authentic fidelity to Prabhupada in the absence of his physical proximity, in other terms in post-samadhi paradigm. These crises revealed deeper structural and theological tensions and illustrated how schisms in the body of his movement, and outside of it, emphasised the greatness of Srila Prabhupada’s prophetic significance, effectively strengtening his position as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.