Sripad Aindra Prabhu is a disciple of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, Founder of ISKCON & Hare Krishna Movement.
Aindra Prabhu has inspired the third generation of Hare Krishna Movement (Gaudiya) Vaishnavas to take to Harinam Sankirtana with all sincerity and surrender. His shudh nama sankirtan has transformed the lives of so many youths globally.
He re-started the 24-hour sankirtan at ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan in 1986.
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| Born | March 12, 1953 Arlington, USA |
| Childhood Name | Edward Striker |
| Year of Diksha | 1973 |
| Residence in Vrindavan | 1986-2010 |
| Guru | AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada |
| Position Held | Head of Kirtan Department at ISKCON Vrindavan |
| Known for | 24 Hour Sankirtan |
| Sect | Gaudiya Vaishnavism |
| Albums | Kirtan is our Bhajan, Vraj Vilas, Vrindavan Mellows, Cintamani Nam, Prayers to Dust of Vraj |
| Departed | 17 July 2010 Vrindavan, India |
| Book |
The Heart of Transcendental Book Distribution
Harinam Kalapatru Gem I & Gem II (Transcripted from Aindra Prabhu's lectures) |
Early Life
Aindra Prabhu was born at Arlington Hospital in the USA on March 12, 1953. Prior to becoming a Hare Krishna devotee, his name was Edward Striker. He was born in a family of musicians, artists and himself was a guitarist as well as played other instruments.
He had a huge interest in painting and as well as music, and it reflects in the way how he has decorated the entire 2nd floor of Gurukula Building (Brahmachari Ashram) as well as his room (at Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan), which is something which looks very unique and different to any new-comer. It carries a very out-of-the-world, deep and spiritual vibe.
In an interview, he mentions that his father was actually a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in past life, which was revealed to him in a dream when his father was about to leave his body. Actually, his brother had contacted him and mentioned about his father's health, but Aindra Prabhu was in Vrindavan and had renounced worldly affairs a long time ago and ignored the message subtly.
Later, he got a dream where it was mentioned to him that his father was a fallen disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada and will get liberated via him. Scriptures and Vaishnavas mention it again and again that anybody who does bhajan empowers his 21 generations of the family he is born in to get devotional service.
So, Aindra Prabhu contacted his brother and asked him to put tulsi beads and garlands of Radharani (from local temple) around his father's neck so that his father's soul eventually gets liberated. This is how guru-kripa works and no matter what, guru never leaves you.
Another interesting aspect about Aindra Prabhu's journey is that the very first week he picked up the Krisha Book, he got so deep in the meditation while reading the lilas of Lordships that he had the visuals of Krishna and Balarama playing in the Nitya-Goloka Lila.
While doing concerts in his late teens, he had encountered the Hare Krishna devotees but didn't engage with them apart from just getting a packet of incense sticks and a Beyond Birth and Death book written by Srila Prabhupada (which he didn't read much then).
Then after a few years, as he states, his so-called-wife from four years gave him the Sri Isopanishad Book written by Srila Prabhupada. Aindra Prabhu got so deeply involved with the book that he renounced immediately, went to the temple, and joined there full-time and gradually was initiated by Srila Prabhupada.
Devotional Life
He was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1973 at the age of 20 years as Aindra Dasa. He was a pujari for a long time and used to do book distribution and Harinam Sankirtan on the streets of New York for about 8 years.
He would go out on streets in New York and do Hare Krishna Mahamantra sankirtan for 8-12 hours on a daily basis. This was for a period of about 8 years between 1973 to 1981-82
He came to Vrindavan for the first time in 1982. The first time he came here, all his luggage and money got stolen right in the bus to Vrindavan. He then later went to Mayapur for some time and before returning back to the US. In 1986, he came here and re-started the 24 Hour Sankirtan (which was originally started by Srila Prabhupada).
The story of how 24-hour kirtan re-started is rather interesting and very inspiring. Aindra Prabhu during that period was seeking sincere answers on the inner confidential aspects of vraja-prema-bhakti and had read a scriptural reference that anybody who dies (actually gives up the body) in the Yamuna is bound to go back to Goloka Vrindavan.
He was so hell-bent on getting the answers amongst all the chaos that he started his walk to Yamuna Maharani for leaving his body, but along the way, he got a voice within him telling to revive and restart the 24-hour Hare Krishna kirtan which Srila Prabhupada had inaugurated earlier.
Aindra Prabhu came back and restarted the 24-hour kirtan single-handedly by the mercy of Sri Vrindavan Dham and Prabhupada.
Having almost no support, he wore a payal (anklet) to give the effect of kartal (cymbals), played his harmonium and sang his heart out for 16-18 hours on a daily basis before more devotees got inspired and assisted him. In initial days, there was no mridanga player so Aindra Prabhu would ask any vrajvasi baba visiting mandir for taking darshan of Radha Shyamsundar to play mridanga with him. The baba would be like, "but I don't know how to play it." Aindra Prabhu was like, "Just beat it however you like or do dum dum dum". That's how the 24-hour kirtan restarted!
By the effect of Aindra Prabhu's shudh harinam sankirtan, anybody who does kirtan at Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan by default engages in shudh harinam sankirtan!
A lot of general masses and devotees who come at Krishna Balarama Mandir often are seen unable to hold back their tears while participating in sankirtan and taking darshan of Gaur Nitai, Krishna Balarama, and Radha Shyamsundar.
Evening sankirtan during the time period of 7 PM - 8.45 PM at Krishna Balarama Mandir is surcharged as a lot of devotees prefer to visit in the evening time. As there is an assembly of a lot of devotees crying their hearts out, the kirtan is euphoric and one can't usually resist participating in it and dancing ecstatically.
Aindra Prabhu's Room, Anecdotes, Nitai Sachisuta and Life in Vrindavan
Aindra Prabhu's Room
Aindra Prabhu's room (Room Number 89 in Brahmachari Ashram, 2nd Floor, Gurukul Building, ISKCON Vrindavan) has more than 1200 Shaligram Shilas, deities of Nitai Sachisuta, Radha Giridhari Giriraj Shila, Asta Sakhis, Ananga Manjari, Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Gopeshwar Mahadev.
Aindra Prabhu used to do daily worship of all his deities and massage all his Shaligram Shilas, apart from singing 6-10 hours of kirtan on almost a daily basis in the main temple complex.
His nitya-seva is playing Swara Mandalika Vina in Goloka Vrindavan (as written by dear Aindra Prabhu in his book), and there is a representation of this in physical form as one enters his room (It can also be seen from the transparent glasses if the door of his room is locked).
Aindra Prabhu used to wash the toilets of brahmachari ashram at late night when all the devotees used to be asleep. He was very receptive of devotees who wanted to talk about vraja-prema-bhakti and encouraged everybody in his association to desperately cry out holy names. Those who have had his association closely speak of Aindra Prahu's inner nature of humility and someone who's presence just made them remember Divine Couple.
There is also a confidential painting of his vraja-swarup which he had painted it himself, though very few devotees are aware of this fact.
Nitai Saci Suta
How Nitai Saci Suta (Aindra Prabhu's Gaur Nitai Deities) came to him is something very different and unusual. There was a bus party who's bus had crashed on Parikrama Marg and they had left the bus mid-way. This bus had the deities of Gaur Nitai.
Aindra Prabhu got to know this and went there and saw that Gaur Nitai are in extremely hot and humid weather and unserved by anyone. He just picked them up and brought them to his room.
The bus party devotees later came to know this and came to ask for the deities back, but Aindra Prabhu and Gaur Nitai were in no mood to listen to those bus party devotees, and that's how Aindra Prabhu started worshipping Nitai Saci Suta!!
Shaligram Shilas
Most of the Shaligram Shila in his room was left by devotees. He had brought around 100 shaligram shila from Nepal, and henceforth all the shilas were left over by unknown devotees in front of his room.
Slowly, there were over 1200 shilas in his room and he would take care of each of them personally.
He states that "Krishna has come to me by his own will, how can I refuse to serve him." Eventually, as the number of shilas went up, there would be an announcement in the temple for devotees not to leave Shaligram Shila at Aindra Prabhu's room door.
Astrological Chart
Aindra Prabhu's birth chart is extraordinary for spirituality. He was not ordinary and his chart reflects that he had come here for a special gantavya (purpose) of Srila Prabhupada and guru-shishya-parampara.
His Rahu and Moon are conjunct in his lagna (ascendant). If somebody even has a decent idea of astrology (I am also a beginner and student of astrology purely for spiritual research reasons), then they would be knowing that Rahu is amplifier and moon is the mind. Where ever you moon is located in your astrological chart, you are very emotional about the signification of that house and have to cry for it.
For Aindra Prabhu, the moon is located in his lagna (first house) which represents his ownself and own personality. Add to it, the moon here is in conjunction with Rahu, which makes it thousand times more powerful, and this is the reason why Aindra Prabhu was very eager to know his real spiritual identity (vraj-swarup) from the very beginning.
Again, interesting thing to note here is that both Rahu and Moon are in Sharavana nakshatra, which is nakshatra ruled by Moon and its deity is Lord Vishnu. The meaning of this is that he is born for shravana and kirtana (that is also one of 9 ways of offering devotion) or chanting of holy names.
This is why Aindra Prabhu had his gantavya (purpose) clear and that was loudly chanting of holy names and inspiring others to take yuga-dharma-harinam-sankirtana!
Pradhan Senapati of Pradhan Senapati of Mahaprabhu
Srila Prabhupada is called as the pradhan senapati (commander-in-chief) of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I was perplexed when I was made aware that Aindra Prabhu's astrological chart has Mars in 191% strength and sitting in its own sign of Aries in the fourth house.
Mars stands for commander-in-chief of the Devas (Demigods) in terms of astrology.
With the kind of preaching Aindra Prabhu did simply by sankirtana is enough to conclude that he is the pradhan senapati of Srila Prabhupada or pradhan senapati of pradhan-senapati of Mahaprabhu Himself!!
It is Aindra Prabhu's kirtan which has inspired the majority of the youth in Hare Krisna Movement to come back from all other activities and take to yuga-dharma-harinam-sankirtana in all seriousness!
A lot of devotees globally are shifting to Vrindavan and many of them are listening to Aindra Prabhu's kirtan 247 and are eagerly seeking the top-most vraja-prema-bhakti given by our Srila Prabhupada, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and guru-shishya-parampara.
Srila Prabhupada's only one word to Aindra Prabhu in person
Aindra Prabhu just had a one-word conversation with Srila Prabhupada in person in his entire life. Actually Srila Prabhupada had come at the temple (I guess it was New Vrindavan or New York, will update it after verifying), and Aindra Prabhu was in early days of Krishna Consciousness. He didn't know how to play the mridanga well then, but he was leading the kirtan and singing in all ecstasy and excitement. Srila Prabhupada was coming that way. He saw Aindra Prabhu, looked at him, smiled and just said, "Jai!"
This was the only word Srila Prabhupada directly told him in person but Aindra Prabhu carried it always in his heart. Later, he had many dreams and astral communication with Srila Prabhupada guiding him at every stage in life.
ISKCON Movement is Complete
In one lecture, with a choked-up voice, Aindra Prabhu says loudly, "ISKCON movement is complete." The best would be to listen to Aindra Prabhu's words from his own voice here.
He has a deep meaning here and talks about the highest prayojana (goal) of prema-bhakti given by our acharyas. Though, he was very aggressive against devotees not focusing on Harinam. It has been discussed deeply in his book and lectures.
Anecdotes from Aindra Prabhu's Life
There are plenty of anecdotes from Aindra Prabhu's life which I have heard from devotees or in his lectures, but I will try sharing here some of which comes to my mind at the time of writing this (as inspired by Sri Vrindavan Dham).
Aindra Prabhu used to say that those who follow him and say that they like kirtan but don't like chanting should not call themselves as his followers. He stated that he chants 116 rounds daily and if somebody really wants to please him, then they should chant a minimum of 16 rounds daily as instructed by Srila Prabhupada.
He also used to say that if somebody is playing mridanga in kirtan without singing the holy names, then that is a big zero, and these people are just entertainers.
Aindra Prabhu used to get really furious when somebody disturbed him while kirtan. His lectures are a testimony to how he was really inclined to make people realise the importance of Harinam and vraja-prema-bhakti.
He has mercifully simplified and guided all the inner confidential aspects in his book and lectures that a sincere seeker should follow to gain entry in Vrindavan Prema Rasa (which is the prayojana or goal of Srila Prabhupada through his teachings, books and lectures).
He was one of the rare people in Hare Krishna Movement to talk of inner passtimes, including the mood of maid-servants of Radharani and confidential associates of Divine Couple with all references from Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Six Goswamis.
These subjects are rarely discussed in the devotee circle and usually, there has been a trend to just talk about scriptures from lifestyle and dry philosophical perspective. Aindra Prabhu talks about this fact in his book and mentions that vaidhi bhakti is not the prayojana (goal) and one must redirect to raganuga bhakti by taking shelter of Harinam Sankirtana.
His lectures and book are full of deep realisations for the sincere seekers, though he emphasises on Harinam Sankirtan as the only business which will open all doors of top-most vraja prema. In his lectures, he has beautifully spoken and has revealed inner secrets.
In fact, the idea of Vraj Vrindavan came into existence after a few days of when I had read one of Aindra Prabu's checklists that there needs to be an online community where there are devotees talking about the vraja-prema-bhakti aspect and not just be limited to vaidhi bhakti.
Creating this website was an impromptu thing as inspired by Sri Vrindavan Dham but I strongly feel that it is Aindra Prabhu's kripa (mercy) because of which this site came into being without any planning or any strategising of any sort. Though, please note that I write just for my own bhajan (by remembering our acharyas and Sri Vrindavan Dham) and not for anybody else (as mentioned in About Section).
Inner Confidential Aspects
This section may not be for everyone and especially not for those who are unaware about 5 rasas, the exalted position of Sri Vrindavan Dham or have not gone through foundational books by Srila Prabhupada.
Rasika Vaishnavas are non-different from Sriji and Krishna Themselves. Meditating on Aindra Prabhu's vraj-swarup on the cover photo of his book, where he is sitting near Srimati Radharani and playing his swara mandalika vina (his nitya seva as mentioned in Aindra Prabhu's Book), empowers the devotee to move towards vraja-prema bhakti.
If one chants 16 rounds sincerely and attends kirtan while remembering Aindra'a Prabhu's vraj-swarup, then the devotee will easily be empowered to approach vraja-prema-bhakti and everything will be revealed internally.
Aindra Prabhu very beautifully speaks about inner confidential identity of Srila Prabhupada as saktyavesh avatar of nityananda swarup shakti of Lord, Jahnava Nitai, who is none other than Ananga Manjari, thus, a confidential servant of Ananga Manjari.
Srila Rupa Goswami writes in Ujjvala Nilamani that Anagana Manjari is head of all up-manjaris and Rupa Manjari is head of all mukhya manjaris, hence Aindra Prabhu gives a slight hint to the seekers to meditate on Srila Prabhupada as confidential Rasika Vaishnav (related to Ananga Manjari) who specially came to reclaim us back to where we belong!
24 Hour Sankirtana
24 Hour Sankirtan has emerged as a popular attraction in Vrindavan and hundreds of devotee coming to take darshan at ISKCON Vrindavan take part in sankirtana, with some of them just crying their hearts out in their very first time in Vrindavan! It is euphoric and the beauty of kirtan here is that anybody who remembers Aindra Prabhu here and crying their lungs out is actually sitting in shudh harinam kirtan laden with prema rasa.
Inspired by this, there are many 24-hour kirtan festivals held globally. There are devotees who sit in shifts here at all times, ignoring all the summer and cold season. It is magical and indeed delights the soul. One needs to be there to feel it! However, doesn't matter wherever you are, listen to Aindra Prabhu's kirtan 247 or as much as possible. Aindra Prabhu emphasised enough on nama nama nama! Just tune in to kirtan 247 and every answer will manifest on own in the heart.
Aindra Prabhu's Book The Heart of Transcendental Book Distribution
The Heart of Transcendental Book Distribution is a piece of Aindra Prabhu's prema-bhajan and is the sure-shot ticket to exponentially enhance the desire (lalsa) and lobha (greed) for vraja prema bhakti in the mood of confidential maidservants of Divine Couple. Aindra Prabhu talks about book distribution, vraja swarup, nitya seva, the soul's constitutional position, and topmost vraja prema bhakti given by Gaudiya Acharyas. You can read the detailed review and confidential secrets revealed in Aindra'a Prabhu Book Heart of Transcendental Book Distribution here.
Later on, based on his lectures and rooms conversation, two books Harinam Kalapatru (Gem I and Gem II) were released in Kartik 2018 and Kartik 2019 respectively.
Samadhi
Aindra Prabhu's samadhi is located on the second floor of Gurukul Building at ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan. He left his body and went back to his nitya-seva in Goloka Vrindavan on 17 July 2010 in a fire accident in his room.
The general masses and girls are not allowed here as you have to go to the brahmachari quarters on the second floor of gurukul building and you will be stopped by the guard at the entry itself.
If you know somebody here, you can ask them to take you up there, or if you are a Hare Krishna devotee (only male), tell the guard that you want to take darshan of Aindra Prabhu's deities. It is open around 7-8 PM only, though the time varies around that evening period. At 7.45 PM, it's open mostly.
Though you need to be friends with pujari there to enter inside as the main door is closed and you can have darshan via the glass door, and sometimes the door is left open by pujaris. Going inside the room totally depends on your luck (or shall I say kripa?)
Must listen to lectures of Sripad Aindra Prabhu
Download all lectures of Aindra Prabhu here.
All his lectures are full of spiritual guidance and inner vraj-prema-bhakti discourses. I will share a few which I listen to on a regular basis on loop. You can listen to them if Sriji inspires you from within. Here's the list (in no particular order):
- Everything is Radha
- Rasa Dance and How to Get There?
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur Disappearance Day Lecture
- Lalita Sakhi Appearance Day Lecture
- Radhastami Lecture
- Last Bhagavatam Class
Ecstatic Kirtans by Sripad Aindra Prabhu
Check our list of favourite Aindra Prabhu's Kirtan