In 1970, His Divine Grace Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya (spiritual teacher) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) to present Vedic literature, received through the authorized disciplic succession, to the people of the modern age. For the first time in history, through Srila Prabhupada s translations and purports, the world s most profound philosophical tradition began to have a significant impact on a wide Western audience in a short period of time. Hundreds of scholars around the world examined Srila Prabhupada s books and publicly praised his complete erudition, his adherence to the original Sanskrit texts, and his unique ability to convey the most profound and subtle philosophical topics in an exceptionally simple and easily understandable manner.