Category:I Have Started (Prabhupada)

Theme Analysis

The category capturing Śrīla Prabhupāda's phrase "I have started" offers a profound window into the origins, motivations, and miraculous growth of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. By frequently recalling his humble beginnings, he sought to instill gratitude, faith, and a deep sense of responsibility in his followers, reminding them that the movement's success was entirely dependent on Kṛṣṇa's grace and the order of his spiritual master. He arrived in America completely alone, equipped with only forty rupees, and started the movement single-handedly in a New York storefront. Yet, from these humble origins, he watched the movement expand globally, ultimately pleading with his disciples never to spoil the immense success achieved through such hard labor.

• Humble Origins and Absolute Faith: He consistently reminded his disciples that the movement began with immense struggle—arriving alone in America at an advanced age with practically no money—relying solely on chanting and Kṛṣṇa's grace.
• The New York Foundation: He fondly recalled his early days in New York, where he began his mission in a storefront, chanted in Tompkins Square Park, and personally cooked and distributed prasādam.
• Following His Spiritual Master's Order: He emphasized that every endeavor, from starting Back to Godhead magazine to naming the society "Krishna Consciousness" instead of the generic "God consciousness," was done strictly to execute the will of his Guru.
• From Scarcity to Global Opulence: He contrasted his start with forty rupees to the movement's massive global expansion, warning his disciples to cooperate and maintain purity so as not to spoil the hard-won success.

• Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: I Have Started - Prabhupāda's Humble Beginnings of Worldwide Movement.