Radhanath Swami

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

Radhanath Swami (1951-present)^[1]is a leading member and guru within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness^[2] who works largely from Mumbai in India and also travels exstensively throughout Europe and America. ^[3] He is well known throughout the society largely through his lectures on the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

1 Introduction to Krishna Consciousness
2 Service in ISKCON
3 Radha Gopinath temple
4 Relationship with Prabhupada
5 Disciples in the media
6 See also
7 Footnotes
8 External links

[edit] Introduction to Krishna Consciousness

Born in America as Richard Slavin, 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. After leaving India, Radhanath Swami returned to the United States where he joined the New Vrindaban ISKCON farm community in West Virginia. There he accepted initiation during February, 1973, ^[4], becoming one of Prabhupada's disciples (and receiving the name 'Radhanatha dasa').

[edit] Service in ISKCON

Radhanath Swami singing Hare Krishna with Sachinandana Swami

Radhantha Swami's early years in ISKCON were spent largely as a pujari (temple priest) at New Vrindavan. After eight years of working as a priest and looking after the temple cows he was then given the task of working as a spiritual teacher in the local colleges and universities in mid western America. He was famous for his vegetarian cooking workshops, philosophical discourses, and musical kirtan performances. He received sanyasa initiation in 1982 from Kirtanananda Swami, 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

Radha-Gopinath temple in Chowpatty, Mumbai

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^[5], Mumbai which was founded in 1986 and joined ISKCON in 1994. 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 deities 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 is presently 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, in 2005 appeared on Channel 4s programme Preachers to be. ^[6]
Sanatana Goswami dasa - based in Los Angeles, in 2005 appeared on Channel 4's ^[7]