New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) The book based on the life and leadership of A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON, was launched at the IIT Delhi campus on Thursday.
The book, ‘Sing, Dance and Lead: Leadership Lessons from the Teachings of Srila Prabhupada’, authored by historian Hindol Sengupta, explores how faith, discipline and service shaped Prabhupada’s leadership philosophy.
Speaking at the launch event, Sengupta said he began reflecting on Indian models of leadership during his student days. “There were no examples from India. There was a whole universe of knowledge that was not being tapped into at all,” he said.
Describing Prabhupada as “an organisational genius,” the author said, a 70-year-old monk who went to the United States in the 1960s with little money, went on to establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and began a global spiritual movement, widely known as the Hare Krishna movement.
ISKCON has since grown into a global network of temples, followers, and humanitarian initiatives, he added.
The event was attended by economists, students, academics, and ISKCON devotees, including the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Sanjeev Sanyal, ISKCON-Bengaluru President Madhu Pandit Das, Akshaya Patra Foundation vice chairman and co-founder Chanchalapati Das, and Director of the IIT Delhi, Rangan Banerjee.
Sanyal drew parallels between spiritual conviction and public decision-making, recounting the government’s efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.
“At some level, it requires a level of conviction and honesty with yourself. That is the sensible thing to do, even when others are losing their head all around you,” he said.
He added that it is okay to have self-doubt, but one should believe in oneself.
Panellists said Prabhupada’s life offered lessons for leaders across fields, from building sustainable organisations to staying grounded during times of crisis.
Chanchalapathi Dasa said Prabhupada led with clarity of purpose and compassion. “Leadership is not about control, it’s about compassion and responsibility. Prabhupada inspired people not through authority but through service,” he said. PTI MSJ OZ OZ
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