Swami B.G. Narasingha
Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja, also known as Jagat Guru Swami, was born on Annadā Ekādaśī in Corpus Christi, USA in 1946. After studying haṭha-yoga, he received initiation from his guru, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda in 1970 and spent three years preaching in Africa before accepting sannyāsa in 1976. Following Prabhupāda’s departure, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja received śīkṣā (spiritual instruction) from Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Mahārāja and Śrīla B.P Purī Gosvāmī. While he mainly preached in India, he also traveled to Europe, Mexico, and the United States to disseminate the teachings of his spiritual masters. With over 200 essays and 13 books outlining Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava siddhānta, his contribution to the sampradaya is invaluable. He left this world in his āśrama in South India in 2020.
Ācārya Siṁha – The Life of Swami Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
This biography ‘Ācārya Siṁha – The Life of Swami Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja’ is the authorised biography of Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha and is the culmination of eight years of research and interviews with Swami Narasiṅgha himself as well as godbrothers, friends, disciples etc. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja personally provided the framework for this biography and gave his approval for it’s publication. We hope that this biography will be appreciated by his many friends, well-wishers and disciples as well those seeking to know more about his life of service to his gurus.
Chapter Navigation:
New chapters will be added as soon as they are ready…
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 – Early Years
- Chapter 2 – Escaping Conformity & The American Counterculture
- Chapter 3 – South of the Border
- Chapter 4 – Go Directly to Jail!
- Chapter 5 – The Banana Patch
- Chapter 6 – Sai and the KYC
- Chapter 7 – The Nine Chickpea Problem
- Chapter 8 – Śrīla Prabhupāda and the San Francisco Ratha-Yātrā
- Chapter 9 – “You are Jagat Guru Dāsa!”
- Chapter 10 – Cracked Feet, Christians, Courtrooms and Coups – Back in Salt Lake City
- Chapter 11 – Battles on Book Distribution
- Chapter 12 – The Bhagavat-dharma Discourses
- Chapter 13 – Viṣṇujana Swami and the Rādhā-Dāmodara Party
- Chapter 14 – Bamboozled Again! (or How Mahārāja Ended Up in Africa)
A Brief Video Biography of Swami B.G. Narasingha Maharaja
Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja appeared on August 23rd, 1946 in the USA. In his youth he practiced haṭha-yoga and in 1967, he met his guru, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda, and became his direct disciple in 1970 receiving the name Jagat-Guru Dāsa Brahmacārī.
In 1972 he was requested by Śrīla Prabhupāda to go to and open centres in Africa. After spending two years in East Africa, he helped establish preaching centres in South Africa and later went to North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Emirates. During this period, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja went through many hardships and dangerous situations in order to fulfil the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda and spread the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In recognition of his dedication and service, Śrīla Prabhupāda awarded him the renounced order of sannyāsa in 1976 and requested him to stay in India. After Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance from this world, Mahārāja stayed mostly in Vṛndāvana and continued to travel throughout India, visiting many holy places, and writing about his experiences for Back To Godhead magazine.
In 1986, Narasiṅgha Mahārāja took śikṣā (spiritual instruction) from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s beloved godbrother, Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī, and in the later 1990’s studied under another renowned disciple of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī.
For over 50 years, Swami Narasingha travelled extensively throughout India, Mexico, USA and Europe, spreading the teachings of his guardians. On January 2nd, 2020, he left this world at the age of 73 surrounded by his dear disciples, friends and well-wishers.
During his lifetime, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja wrote many articles for spiritual journals such as Back To Godhead, Clarion Call, Gauḍīya Vedānta, Gauḍīya Touchstone and Kṛṣṇa-Talk. He published works by his gurus such as In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life by Śrīla Prabhupāda, Follow the Angels, Encounters with Divinity, Divine Harmony and Upadeśāmṛta by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja.
Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja also wrote over 200 articles and authored several books such as Vaiṣṇava India, Kumbha-Mela, Evolution of Theism, The Authorized Śrī Caitanya-Sārasvata Paramparā, Prakṛta-rasa Āraṇya-chediṇī, Prabhupāda Vijaya, The Meaning of Sannyāsa, Śrī Dāmodara-kathā, Śrī Gāyatrī Mantrārtha Dīpikā, a commentary on Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Prakṛta-rasa Śata-duṣinī, a translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā, and Yoga-Vicāra – A Brief Deliberation on the Yoga System.
