[17] He was born Stephen Guarino,[15] the elder of two children, to Italian Roman Catholic parents in Staten Island, New York and attended Brooklyn College.

[25][26] His books include Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta,[27] a biography of Prabhupada.,[28] He Lives Forever (1978) (lectures on the significance of Bhaktivedanta Swami) and five volumes of Prabhupada Nectar (1983–86) and a number of other titles.

After assuming duties of a GBC (Governing Body Commissioner) in 1970, Satsvarupa was asked by Bhaktivedanta Swami to accept the order of sannyasa in 1972.

BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) Library Party headed by him in the mid-1970s was active in establishing distribution network mainly to the Universities of the United States, with some members of the team such as Bhakti Tirtha Swami and Suhotra Dasa traveling as far as Eastern Europe.

While following the direction of Governing Body Commission, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of the pioneers who attempted to reform the system, by assuming more humble and appropriate role of a guru as per recorded instructions of the "Founder-Acarya.

This remained evident especially among the older American devotees who even now speak with an Indian accent and display many of Bhaktivedanta Swami's gestures like turning one's head or moving one's hand in a certain way.

[46] In years 1978–1985 he took part in a controversial zonal acarya system in a position of an Acharya while initiating reform of a high standard of worship.

[49] In following years, his devotional life has included the creation of hundreds of paintings, drawings, and sculptures[50] that capture and express the artist's vision of Krishna consciousness.

[53][54] Following a period of health recovery, at the age of 68, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami took residence in the East Coast United States where he is engaging in a number of preaching activities, such as regular lecturing and traveling to the holy dhamas.

All of the associated preaching and traveling is complementing his main service of commenting and answering disciples' questions on the Bhaktivedanta Purports being published as the volumes of A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam and daily online journal.