Pandit Sahadeo Persad Dube (Third Dharmacharya of Trinidad & Tobago SDMS)

The life of Pandit Sahadeo Persad Dube, the third Dharmacharya of the SDMS, stands as a profound testament to spiritual dedication and community leadership in Trinidad and Tobago. Born on August 12, 1911, in Avocat Village, Fyzabad, his destiny was naturally linked to the spiritual foundation laid by his forefathers.
Pandit Dube was the descendant of a distinguished lineage; his father, Pandit Satnarine Dube, was a learned young Pandit who bravely brought his rich Vedic knowledge from India under the Indentureship Program. This deep-rooted tradition, traced back to his paternal grandfather, Pandit Kalika Dube, became the foundation of his life’s work.
Despite his early education at the Fyzabad C.M. School and working at Apex Oilfields Limited, his heart belonged to the scriptures. His Panditai training began at the remarkably early age of twelve, tutored by his father and later formalized by taking Guru Diksha from the highly respected Pandit Latchmidath Sharma of Avocat.
After residing in Avocat, he later established his long-time home on Saunders Road, Moruga. Pandit Dube was a man of the earth, fostering an equal dedication to farming cultivating cocoa, coffee, and fruits and rearing cows, illustrating a grounded, practical faith. Together with his beautiful wife, Shrimatie Phulmatie Devi from Hindustan, he raised a large family of eight lovely children, five boys and three girls.
Pandit Dube’s intellectual discipline and mastery of holy texts, including the Bhagwat Mahapuran, Shiva Mahapuran, Bhagvad Gita and Ramayan, propelled him to the nation’s highest spiritual office. His tenure as a Dharmacharya was characterized by his uncompromising dedication as he held the prestigious, influential position of Dharmacharya (Spiritual Head) of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) of Trinidad and Tobago from the year 1977-1986.
During his life, he performed hundreds of yagnas and delivered countless lectures. His spiritual integrity was legendary; he was known for his stringent practice of never leaving the Yagyashala for the entire duration of a Yagya.
As a revered Guru (preceptor), Pandit Dube mentored numerous disciples who went on to become popular Pandits across the islands. His greatest legacy, however, remains with his family: three of his sons became popular Pandits, Pandit Jankie Persad Sharma (a.k.a. Swami Atmananda), Pandit Deokie Persad Sharma and Pandit Narine Persad Sharma. This rich tradition continues to thrive through seven of his grandsons, one of whom is Pandit Krishendath Maharaj, from Brampton, Ontario.
The great soul of Pandit Sahadeo Persad Dube left this earthly realm in September 1987, leaving the nation in mourning for a guiding light whose profound knowledge and discipline shaped Hindu life in Trinidad for decades. (Copyright Pandit Ashram Sharma 2025).