HH Bhanu Swami

His Holiness Bhanu Swami maharaja was born in Canada on the 26th December 1948 to the most fortunate Japanese parents. HH Bhanu Swami Maharaja is one of the senior disciples of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder acharya of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He holds a BA Degree in Oriental fine arts history from the University of British Colombia. He joined the Hare Krishna movement in India in 1970. Initiated in 1971 by Srila Prabhupada, he took sannyasa vows in 1984. Bhanu Swami was personally instructed in the art of Deity worship by Srila Prabhupada, and within ISKCON he has become an authority on the topic. He is a great inspiration for many devotees around the world and he preaches Krishna consciousness in Japan, Malaysia, Russia and India.

HH Bhanu Swami Maharaja met the disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1971 in Tokyo, just after his graduation in history. Srila Prabhupada was about to set on his India tour with his Western disciples and Bhanu Maharaja joined with them.

By 1972, His Holiness Bhanu Swami maharaja already earned credit from Srila Prabhupada for his exact Sanskrit pronunciation, expertise in cooking and excellence in deity worship. He also began to translate Srila Prabhupada’s books into Japanese.

He continues with this translation service to this day, giving us the nectar from the Bengali and Sanskrit works of the previous Vaishnava acharyas to enhance our understanding of the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. He is also a member of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON.

Here is the list of some important translated works of His Holiness Bhanu Swami Maharaja.

• Caitanya-Siksamrta (Bengali) by Srila Bhakthi Vinod Thakura

• Ananda-vrndavana-campu of Sri Kavikarnapura

• Sri Madhava-mahotsava of Sri Jiva Gosvami

• Haribhakti Vilas

• Bhavartha-sangraha of Sri Kavikarnapura

• Krsnaahnika-kaumudi of Sri Kavikarnapura

• Commentary of Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on Bhagavad Gita

• Laghu-bhagavatamrta — Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s commentary

• Brahma-Samhita commentary of Jiva Gosvami

• Isopanisad commentary of Baladeva Vidyabhusana

• Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu with commentaries of Jiva Gosvami and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

• Ujjvala-nilamani with commentaries of Jiva Gosvami and Visvanahta Cakravarti Thakura

• Vaisnava-tosani of Jiva Gosvami

• Krsna-karnamrta commentary of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami

• Sarartha Darshini

• Commentary of Visvanatha chakravarthi thakura on the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam

• Gita-govinda commentary of Prabhodananda Sarasvati

• Vidagdha-madhava commentary of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

• Gopala-campu by Jiva Gosvami

• Sat kriya sara dipika

• Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya by Srila Bhakthi Vinod Thakura

• Hari Nama cintamani by Srila Bhakthi Vinod Thakura

• Madhurya Kadambi commentary of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura