Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Background and publication

In 1967, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had experienced a severe heart attack and wondered whether he would live to present the world with a translated version of the "divine pastimes" of Krishna on earth. Prabhupada had translated the Second Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, but knew that many years of work remained before he would reach the Tenth Canto, where these accounts of Krishna are contained. He therefore decided to write Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also known as KRSNA Book, before undertaking the remaining cantos.

Once Prabhupada had completed the manuscript, he requested that Shyamsundar Das, one of the founding devotees of the Radha Krishna Temple in London, ask George Harrison of the Beatles if he would finance its publication. The sum required was $19,000 for an initial print run of 5000 copies.

Harrison's support for the Hare Krishna movement had been crucial to the establishment of ISKCON's UK operation in 1969, and his production of the London devotees' hit single "Hare Krishna Mantra" had promoted ISKCON and the 5000-year-old Maha Mantra worldwide. Shyamsundar was loath to impose further on Harrison, but Prabhupada insisted, saying: "You will see. Krishna will help you to say it." The acharya also emphasised the importance of the book since, although Krishna's name was now being heard throughout the West, people had no knowledge of the deity's life or his physical appearance.

Shyamsundar passed on Prabhupada's request during dinner at the house of the London sculptor David Wynne, who had just helped Harrison choose a marble slab for an altar he was donating to the new temple. The devotee recalls that a thunderstorm raged outside that evening, and Harrison's reaction became "grimmer and grimmer" as it became clear that he was being asked to provide further financial assistance. In Shyamsundar's account, there was then a flash of lightning outside, accompanied by a loud clap of thunder, and all the lights in the house went out. When the power had been restored, Harrison said, "Well, there's no arguing with that, is there?" and agreed to finance the publication.

Harrison authorised the printing in March 1970. The book was printed in Japan by the company Dai Nippon, with advance copies arriving in England by May that year.