Appreciation program for Sruti Sagara Prabhu at Krishna House: Notes on Appreciation Program for Sruti Sagara Prabhu collected by Krishna Kripa Prabhu
[Sruti Sagara Prabhu was an Indian college student at University of Florida, who became a disciple of Kalakantha Prabhu and served as temple president of Krishna House for the last seven years. He is going on to serve as GBC for several southern states. Devotees at Krishna House decided to have an appreciation program for him. I share some of the many things that were said about him here.]
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Sruti’s father said before Sruti came to UF to study that he won a poetry award in India.
As an eighteen year old he became an undergraduate at UF because it was slightly cheaper than the other school he was accepted at. Soon he became attracted to bhakti. In the beginning he had a mustache to appear older but gave it up. He lost attraction to engineering which he was originally studying but changed to political science in which he excelled.
He helped out with college outreach in Maryland for four years.
I invited him to be ashram leader for a semester and then temple president for the last seven years.
He did amazing well handling COVID.
Prabhupada said coal becomes a diamond under pressure. He has matured wonderfully through dealing with challenging issues.
Sruti’s father:
In Delhi as a child of thirteen or fourteen he would do lots of social service. He would go to old age homes, etc. We did not realize his potential.
His poetry dealt with social issues.
Syamakisora Prabhu, board member:
I have known him for years. Most people from India come here to make it big materially, but he excelled spiritually.
Sruti’s fiancée:
I know him briefly, but I am happy to hear all these nice things about him.
I feel so welcomed here.
Mukhya Nivasini Devi Dasi:
I’ve worked with you for four years.
I am lucky to have met you. You’re kind. You offer service.
Kumari Sakhi Devi Dasi:
You have become my brother. We had the pleasure of serving together. We brainstormed so many ideas in that office. We are excited to see you going forward.
Gopal Prabhu:
I know him from when he was 18, and he grew up to be our boss. I am proud of him. It is said that sruti is like our mother.
Jonathan:
I was convinced you were a good person when you talked to a homeless person and figured how to engage him in Krishna’s service and be transformed.
Naveen Shakti Devi Dasi:
You are down to earth. A true leader by example.
Brajananda Prabhu:
The people you meet in your foundational years have a special place in your heart.
We have done many things together.
Premamrita Devi Dasi:
Appreciating you is appreciating coming to Krishna consciousness. You were my first temple president. I am so grateful. You have been a mentor and a protector.
Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:
I am so happy to see this beautiful rite of passage.
I also met him at age 18.
He once ate so much halava at Thanksgiving that he rolled on the floor laughing.
In 2010 I went to take Bhaktisastri in Vrindavan, and Sruti’s family took such nice care of me. My family was also grateful for that.
I watched from Jacksonville as you did so many things here at Krishna House.
Thank you for encouraging us in our service.
Chris:
He was funny, he was a great singer, and he made me feel welcome. He engaged me in a lot of service.
Adi Shyam Prabhu:
You have always been caring and kind despite having so many responsibilities.
Ananta Vallabha Prabhu:
He is a leader who inspires others to become leaders. He was a leader of my sadhana.
I feel I was one of the difficulties during COVID that he had to manage.
He drove me all the way from Gainesville to Potomac for my initiation.
He asked me, “Tell me how I can improve.”
Narottama Dasa Thakura Prabhu:
Your relationship with Nanda was one of the most humorous things to see. Once Sruti really wanted Nanda to put jalapeños in the chili. She didn’t want to because they would be too spicy for some of the devotees. Finally he said, “As the temple president, I order you to put jalapeños in the chili.” That was funny because to speak like that was completely out of character for him. She didn’t care. She wasn’t going to put jalapeños in the chili no matter what.
He was deep and also funny and friendly at the same time.
Nitai Gauranga Prabhu:
He has been a big brother.
He personally upholds the Krishna House morning program, including singing the morning tune. He was very timely. He served the parampara.
Shyamala Kishori Devi Dasi:
You are the first friend who became a temple president.
You inspire new people in Krishna consciousness.
The strong desire to do something for Lord Caitanya and Prabhupada’s movement is not there in everyone, but it shines in you.
Nila Mañjari Devi Dasi:
Thanks for being supportive and personable.
I was inspired by your using Yamuna’s cookbook and encouraging people to do new things.
Advaita Acarya Prabhu, Krishna House manager:
You get to really understand someone when you work with them.
I am happy you are being upgraded.
He was available and showed kindness to everybody.
He does not let people take away his japa period, and I think that is a secret of his.
Hearing, sruti, is our first service.
Wife of Advaita:
We love you, Sruti. You have helped us through so many emergencies together.
Brahmatirtha Prabhu:
Management is a challenge because those above you think you are doing a bad job, and those below you think you are doing a worse job.
Srila Prabhupada supported his managers. He saw they had relieved him from a burden.
Sruti’s family raised him well.
We are not going to get anymore pandemics as the US has put a tariff on viruses.
Sruti: Especially from China.
In 1989 for weeks Krishna House cooked a feast for the police who were dealing with the aftermath of four students being murdered. Similarly Sruti, during the COVID, served so many first responders.
Nate:
Everyone has an idea how to run Krishna House. Sruti had to deal with that.
He showed tolerance and had no fanatical mood. He encouraged me to go deeper.
Bruce:
You were available to talk.
Kunti Devi Dasi:
Although you are temple president, you manage through friendship, hearing and joking.
You have an open nonjudgmental ear.
Thank you for your friendship.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Everyone give him your blessings to become County Commissioner of Alachua and GBC of ISKCON for the Southeastern US.
Sruti:
Thank you for your love and affection. That helps me grow in life.
I would serve prasadam and eat with the devotees, and hearing Kalakantha Prabhu reading Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, I came to realize how amazing Srila Prabhupada was. I decided my desire to benefit society could best be achieved by serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
Krishna consciousness was lost after Krishna disappeared. Madhvacarya Prabhu revived it. Then Caitanya established it. Then it disappeared again. Then Prabhupada established it worldwide.
My inspiration is to keep serving Srila Prabhupada’s body.
As temple president of Krishna House I could serve and help Krishna’s mission grow.
I learned from Maryland, my hardest four years, that I should care about devotees.
I really have benefited whenever I took care of devotees. Krishna sees it and blesses you.
Krishna Kripa Das:
Niranjana Swami was my bhakta leader. Because he did that service nicely, he was promoted to temple president. Because he did that responsibly he was promoted to GBC. I see that the same is true with Sruti.
Sruti is respectful to senior people, which is a good quality recommended by Lord Caitanya that not everyone has. He was respectful even to me who am only senior by age. Once he asked if I wanted anything. I said I could use some nail clippers. Less than an hour later, he returned with some nail clippers. I had asked the temple president in Tallahassee for nail clippers two weeks before and had not gotten any, but Sruti surprised me by being right on top of it.
A lot of devotees go to bed at 8:00, 8:30, or 9:00 p.m., so you cannot interact with them after that. Sruti, however, I could count on talking to at 10 p.m., which was nice for me.
Sruti: You exposed me!
Whenever I came to Krishna House, I found Sruti was always welcoming.
One devotee: In America, people say, “How are you doing?” But they keep walking by before you can answer.
Sruti: I was told to ask, “How are you doing?” but not to disappear.
—–
These verses from Bhagavad-gita describe samadhi, the goal of the yoga system, a pleasure which continues without interruption and is so great that it vanquishes all material miseries. Want to experience that? You can by chanting Hare Krishna, the most recommended spiritual process given in India’s vast Vedic literature for this age.
yatroparamate cittam
niruddham yoga-sevaya
yatra caivatmanatmanam
pasyann atmani tusyati
sukham atyantikam yat tad
buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
sthitas calati tattvatah
yam labdhva caparam labham
manyate nadhikam tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
gurunapi vicalyate
tam vidyad duhkha-samyoga-
viyogam yoga-samjñitam
“In the stage of perfection called trance, or samadhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to see the Self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the Self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.20–23)
Sometimes while trying to sell Bhagavad-gitas, I would use these verses to attract people to the books.
Appreciation program for Sruti Sagara Prabhu at Krishna House: Notes on Appreciation Program for Sruti Sagara Prabhu collected by Krishna Kripa Prabhu
[Sruti Sagara Prabhu was an Indian college student at University of Florida, who became a disciple of Kalakantha Prabhu and served as temple president of Krishna House for the last seven years. He is going on to serve as GBC for several southern states. Devotees at Krishna House decided to have an appreciation program for him. I share some of the many things that were said about him here.]
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Sruti’s father said before Sruti came to UF to study that he won a poetry award in India.
As an eighteen year old he became an undergraduate at UF because it was slightly cheaper than the other school he was accepted at. Soon he became attracted to bhakti. In the beginning he had a mustache to appear older but gave it up. He lost attraction to engineering which he was originally studying but changed to political science in which he excelled.
He helped out with college outreach in Maryland for four years.
I invited him to be ashram leader for a semester and then temple president for the last seven years.
He did amazing well handling COVID.
Prabhupada said coal becomes a diamond under pressure. He has matured wonderfully through dealing with challenging issues.
Sruti’s father:
In Delhi as a child of thirteen or fourteen he would do lots of social service. He would go to old age homes, etc. We did not realize his potential.
His poetry dealt with social issues.
Syamakisora Prabhu, board member:
I have known him for years. Most people from India come here to make it big materially, but he excelled spiritually.
Sruti’s fiancée:
I know him briefly, but I am happy to hear all these nice things about him.
I feel so welcomed here.
Mukhya Nivasini Devi Dasi:
I’ve worked with you for four years.
I am lucky to have met you. You’re kind. You offer service.
Kumari Sakhi Devi Dasi:
You have become my brother. We had the pleasure of serving together. We brainstormed so many ideas in that office. We are excited to see you going forward.
Gopal Prabhu:
I know him from when he was 18, and he grew up to be our boss. I am proud of him. It is said that sruti is like our mother.
Jonathan:
I was convinced you were a good person when you talked to a homeless person and figured how to engage him in Krishna’s service and be transformed.
Naveen Shakti Devi Dasi:
You are down to earth. A true leader by example.
Brajananda Prabhu:
The people you meet in your foundational years have a special place in your heart.
We have done many things together.
Premamrita Devi Dasi:
Appreciating you is appreciating coming to Krishna consciousness. You were my first temple president. I am so grateful. You have been a mentor and a protector.
Amrita Keli Devi Dasi:
I am so happy to see this beautiful rite of passage.
I also met him at age 18.
He once ate so much halava at Thanksgiving that he rolled on the floor laughing.
In 2010 I went to take Bhaktisastri in Vrindavan, and Sruti’s family took such nice care of me. My family was also grateful for that.
I watched from Jacksonville as you did so many things here at Krishna House.
Thank you for encouraging us in our service.
Chris:
He was funny, he was a great singer, and he made me feel welcome. He engaged me in a lot of service.
Adi Shyam Prabhu:
You have always been caring and kind despite having so many responsibilities.
Ananta Vallabha Prabhu:
He is a leader who inspires others to become leaders. He was a leader of my sadhana.
I feel I was one of the difficulties during COVID that he had to manage.
He drove me all the way from Gainesville to Potomac for my initiation.
He asked me, “Tell me how I can improve.”
Narottama Dasa Thakura Prabhu:
Your relationship with Nanda was one of the most humorous things to see. Once Sruti really wanted Nanda to put jalapeños in the chili. She didn’t want to because they would be too spicy for some of the devotees. Finally he said, “As the temple president, I order you to put jalapeños in the chili.” That was funny because to speak like that was completely out of character for him. She didn’t care. She wasn’t going to put jalapeños in the chili no matter what.
He was deep and also funny and friendly at the same time.
Nitai Gauranga Prabhu:
He has been a big brother.
He personally upholds the Krishna House morning program, including singing the morning tune. He was very timely. He served the parampara.
Shyamala Kishori Devi Dasi:
You are the first friend who became a temple president.
You inspire new people in Krishna consciousness.
The strong desire to do something for Lord Caitanya and Prabhupada’s movement is not there in everyone, but it shines in you.
Nila Mañjari Devi Dasi:
Thanks for being supportive and personable.
I was inspired by your using Yamuna’s cookbook and encouraging people to do new things.
Advaita Acarya Prabhu, Krishna House manager:
You get to really understand someone when you work with them.
I am happy you are being upgraded.
He was available and showed kindness to everybody.
He does not let people take away his japa period, and I think that is a secret of his.
Hearing, sruti, is our first service.
Wife of Advaita:
We love you, Sruti. You have helped us through so many emergencies together.
Brahmatirtha Prabhu:
Management is a challenge because those above you think you are doing a bad job, and those below you think you are doing a worse job.
Srila Prabhupada supported his managers. He saw they had relieved him from a burden.
Sruti’s family raised him well.
We are not going to get anymore pandemics as the US has put a tariff on viruses.
Sruti: Especially from China.
In 1989 for weeks Krishna House cooked a feast for the police who were dealing with the aftermath of four students being murdered. Similarly Sruti, during the COVID, served so many first responders.
Nate:
Everyone has an idea how to run Krishna House. Sruti had to deal with that.
He showed tolerance and had no fanatical mood. He encouraged me to go deeper.
Bruce:
You were available to talk.
Kunti Devi Dasi:
Although you are temple president, you manage through friendship, hearing and joking.
You have an open nonjudgmental ear.
Thank you for your friendship.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Everyone give him your blessings to become County Commissioner of Alachua and GBC of ISKCON for the Southeastern US.
Sruti:
Thank you for your love and affection. That helps me grow in life.
I would serve prasadam and eat with the devotees, and hearing Kalakantha Prabhu reading Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, I came to realize how amazing Srila Prabhupada was. I decided my desire to benefit society could best be achieved by serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
Krishna consciousness was lost after Krishna disappeared. Madhvacarya Prabhu revived it. Then Caitanya established it. Then it disappeared again. Then Prabhupada established it worldwide.
My inspiration is to keep serving Srila Prabhupada’s body.
As temple president of Krishna House I could serve and help Krishna’s mission grow.
I learned from Maryland, my hardest four years, that I should care about devotees.
I really have benefited whenever I took care of devotees. Krishna sees it and blesses you.
Krishna Kripa Das:
Niranjana Swami was my bhakta leader. Because he did that service nicely, he was promoted to temple president. Because he did that responsibly he was promoted to GBC. I see that the same is true with Sruti.
Sruti is respectful to senior people, which is a good quality recommended by Lord Caitanya that not everyone has. He was respectful even to me who am only senior by age. Once he asked if I wanted anything. I said I could use some nail clippers. Less than an hour later, he returned with some nail clippers. I had asked the temple president in Tallahassee for nail clippers two weeks before and had not gotten any, but Sruti surprised me by being right on top of it.
A lot of devotees go to bed at 8:00, 8:30, or 9:00 p.m., so you cannot interact with them after that. Sruti, however, I could count on talking to at 10 p.m., which was nice for me.
Sruti: You exposed me!
Whenever I came to Krishna House, I found Sruti was always welcoming.
One devotee: In America, people say, “How are you doing?” But they keep walking by before you can answer.
Sruti: I was told to ask, “How are you doing?” but not to disappear.
—–
These verses from Bhagavad-gita describe samadhi, the goal of the yoga system, a pleasure which continues without interruption and is so great that it vanquishes all material miseries. Want to experience that? You can by chanting Hare Krishna, the most recommended spiritual process given in India’s vast Vedic literature for this age.
yatroparamate cittam
niruddham yoga-sevaya
yatra caivatmanatmanam
pasyann atmani tusyati
sukham atyantikam yat tad
buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
sthitas calati tattvatah
yam labdhva caparam labham
manyate nadhikam tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
gurunapi vicalyate
tam vidyad duhkha-samyoga-
viyogam yoga-samjñitam
“In the stage of perfection called trance, or samadhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to see the Self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the Self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.20–23)
Sometimes while trying to sell Bhagavad-gitas, I would use these verses to attract people to the books.