A Note On Sri Krishnaprem
A Little-Known Vaishnava Luminary
Keywords:
Sri Krishnaprem, Ronald Henry Nixon, Vaishnava, Krishna-bhakti, Mirtola Ashram, Uttar Vrindavan, Yashoda Ma, Madhava Ashish, Guru-bhakti, Dilip Kumar Roy, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana MaharshiAbstract
This article introduces Sri Krishnaprem (born Ronald Henry Nixon, 1898–1965), a lesser-known yet significant Western Vaishnava luminary. It explores how this British academic, after encountering Hindu spiritual traditions and being initiated into Krishna-bhakti by his guru Yashoda Ma, established the Uttar Vrindavan temple in Mirtola. The author details Krishnaprem's profound devotion, his emphasis on guru-bhakti, and the unique synthesis of Eastern mystical thought with Western philosophies that evolved at the ashram, which later included environmental concerns under his disciple Madhava Ashish. The piece highlights Krishnaprem's role in inspiring Indians towards their own cultural heritage and his enduring influence, particularly through his correspondence with figures like Dilip Kumar Roy and the admiration he garnered from Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharshi.
