By Damaghosa das
This is a short summary about the life of Sukadeva das (ACBSP)
I have known Sukadeva das since the early 1970’s where he was TP in Seattle Wa USA.
We have been great friends for all those years and later as he traveled from LA Calif to our farm in Wash several years in a row to lead our Janmastami/vyasa puja festivals.
He joined the movement in LA California back in 1969 and was formally initiated personally by Srila Prabhupada who gave him that name because he could see that he was so much attached to kirtan and preaching, something he did up until his last days.
Sukadeva was known then as one of the best kirtan leaders in iskcon and his kirtan tapes were sought after. Anyone would become enlivened just by being around him.
He got married to Jagamohini dasi and had three children, two boys, Abhaya, and Nila Madhava and one girl, Madhurya lila, and lived in LA for a brief time .
As devotees at that time were sent all over the USA to open preaching centers, Sukadeva was sent to Arizona, Laguna Beach, Portland, San Francisco, Hawaii,Florida, and Seattle to preach on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. Later he also lived, after separation from his family, in the Los Angeles temple for around 5 years and later re locating to Albuquerque New Mexico.
During his stay in LA temple he was asked to come to various temples in Coconut Grove,Florida, Nairobi Africa, and India and they all asked him to remain there as Temple President, which he humbly declined.
Sukadeva spent his life dedicated to the service of his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada and was greatly attached to reading his books daily. He and I would have many long discussions over the years over the Krsna Conscious philosophy based upon those books and personal realizations. He also worshiped over 300 Salagrams Silas as part of his daily program.
Myself and hundreds of others will miss his association when they learn of his passing. He was a wonderful, always laughing, happy, and totally determined devotee.
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