Bābā Premānanda Bhāratī: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The article "BABA PREMANANDA BHARATI (1857-1914), AN EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENCOUNTER OF VAISHNAVA DEVOTION WITH AMERICAN CULTURE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY" by Gerald T. Carney, explores the significant yet largely forgotten mission of Baba Premananda Bharati, an early 20th-century Vaishnava missionary in the United States. Arriving in 1902, before the more widely recognized mission of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bharati founded the first Krishna temple in the US, published the successful book Sree Krishna, the Lord of Love, and issued a periodical, Light of India. The article details his initial reception in New York, his efforts to propagate Krishna devotion in American cities like Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles, and his refutation of prevailing Western misconceptions about Indian culture, notably those promoted by Rudyard Kipling. It highlights his emphasis on "love for all men" as the core of his religious message and examines the fading, yet discernible, influence he had on later spiritual groups and individuals. By presenting this comprehensive account, the article offers a valuable comparative perspective on the transplantation of Indian spiritual traditions to the West.