Lokanatha Swami

Lokanath Swami
Religion Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Hinduism
Personal
Born 1949
Aravade (now Maharashtra), India
Religious career
Initiation Diksa–1972, Sannyasa–1975
Post ISKCON Guru, Sannyasi
Website lokanathswami.com

Lokanath Swami (born 1949) is an ISKCON guru from India.[1][2][3] He is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON).[4][5] Lokanatha Swami oversees ISKCON activities and preaching in Maharashtra and Noida,[6] and serves on the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON as a Minister of Padayatra.[7] Lokanatha Swami is involved with various worldwide ISKCON preaching activities.[8] He travels in India and in the West, giving discourses on Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu texts.[4][6]

Lokanatha Swami was born in Aravade, a small village Maharashtra, India.[5] He pursued his secondary education from Wellington College, Sangli and moved to Bombay to study Chemistry at Kirti College. In the year 1971, after meeting A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his western disciples at a preaching program in Mumbai, he "forsook his study of chemistry in favour of studying the Bhagavad Gita" and joined ISKCON.[4] He took sannyasa (renounced order of life) in 1975.[4] In 1976 he inaugurated the Padayatra walking pilgrimage tour of India where, together with a group of Hare Krishna devotees, a cart and religious books, "he treaded his way on foot across India, preaching the knowledge of sanatana dharma".[4] In 1989 he inaugurated the same preaching program in America.[9] Since then, Padayatra has become instrumental in propagation of Krishna consciousness.[10] In 1986 Lokanatha Swami was appointed an initiating guru in ISKCON.[11] In 1996 he was responsible for organising a celebration of 100th Anniversary of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in India.[12]

Bibliography

In English

In Hindi

In Marathi

In Gujarati

In Russian

References

  1. ↑ Rochford, E. Burke (2007). Hare Krishna transformed. The new and alternative religions series. New York: NYU Press. p. 186. ISBN 0-8147-7579-9.
  2. ↑ Das, Hrdaya. "Lokanatha Swami visits ISKCON Boston". Visit. ISKCON Boston. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  3. ↑ Das, Hrdaya Caitanya. "Transcription – HH Lokanath Swami lecture in Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir". Bhaktivedanta College. ISKCON MAYAPUR. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mungroo, Veruschka (3 September 2008). "Discourse on holy scripture". Durban: Post. p. 5. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Anuttama Dasa (9 February 2009). "50,000 Expected for Aravade Temple Opening Grand Finale". ISKCON News. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Raina, Parmarthi (11 December 2003). "ISKON Noida celebrates Gita Jayanti Mahostava". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "ISKCON GBC Releases 2010 Resolutions". ISKCON News. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  8. ↑ Mungroo, Veruschka (11 July 2007). "Tribute to the holy book". Durban: Post. p. 7. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  9. ↑ Religious documents North America annual 1. Academic International Press. 1989. pp. 71–72. ISBN 0-87569-169-2.
  10. ↑ Mungroo, Veruschka (18 July 2007). "Swami captivates for five days". Durban: Post. p. 5. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  11. ↑ "GBC Resolutions 1986". Mayapur, India: Governing Body Commission. 28 March 1986. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  12. ↑ Marcos Silva da Silveira (2000). HARI NAMA SANKIRTANA: ETNOGRAFIA DE UM PROCESSO RITUAL. SÉRIE ANTROPOLOGIA (in Portuguese) 277. Brasília: Universidade de Brasília. p. 15.

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