Paying tribute to Sakti Das, MD

Gopal H. Badlani, MD

Sakti Das, MD, a friend, a mentor (guru), and an inspiration to me, passed away recently. I can go on with the accolades, as this gentle soul meant so much to so many. It is traditional to highlight his accomplishments in his field of urology. (Please see the Western Section of the American Urological Association [AUA] tribute by Tupper Stevens, MD, at tinyurl.com/yrn86p4z). However, I would like to focus on the humanitarian and artistic aspects of his life and share why his being meant so much.

Das hailed from the land of Rabindranath Tagore, Calcutta. His prose, conversations, and writings were poetic. As a resident, I became aware of him through his publications in the Journal of Urology. When I eventually met Das at an AUA annual meeting, his smile and demeanor were captivating. I had to push through the hordes of admirers to get close to him. Once he befriended you, you were a recipient of his largesse of knowledge, history, and path in life. His writings and paintings are part of the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History, including well over 200 publications, books, etc.

Das was influenced by Mother Teresa from Calcutta; serving and educating those in need was his karma. There are few places in the world where he did not travel to operate, teach, and open a school or an orphanage, and he inspired and cajoled others to follow. Das joined the modern-day “Mother Teresa of urology,” Catherine R. deVries, MD, MS, to make International Volunteers in Urology a medium through which many could serve. Named Humanitarian of the Year by the Urology Care Foundation in 2022, he perhaps received much more in the blessing from those he served. Below, I share with you the many messages I have received.

“I will miss his stimulating Tagore quotes, his humility, and [his] zest for contributing to the well-being of our planet.”

“Sakti was a humble, vibrant being of light, radiating love and care wherever he was. We are blessed to have basked in his light and encouragement.”

“I am incredibly grateful to have crossed paths and to have been taken under his wing as a student years ago. Sakti [not only] shared his technical skills but also [his] life philosophy.”

“May the love, patience, and generosity Sakti showed each of his many mentees ripple forth from those whose lives he has touched to touch the lives of many to come.”

“He was an amazing friend, [a] colleague of my husband, and a wonderful human being. Through his philanthropy, he was a shining light in the dark spots that sometimes occur in this world. Whether it was building schools for girls or doing hypospadias surgeries, he gave his time, [his] expertise, and his heart. He was an amazing man, and I am honored that my husband and I could call him a friend.”

“He personified his personal motto of ‘I serve, therefore I am.’ He was a multifaceted person. His humility, generosity, and genuine concern for all, as well as [his] willingness to act quickly and create meaningful changes, touched many lives. We borrowed his personal motto, converted it to ‘We serve, therefore we are,’ and created the nonprofit Caring Hands [Foundation]. He championed many causes. We embraced them and built many schools, orphanages, old-age homes, etc. He has been the inspiration and nurturing guide for Caring Hands. We still have a few projects that Sakti brought to us in the pipeline. How I wish things just went on like before! But life must go on. We will keep his service legacy alive and carry on his work in Caring Hands.”

“The passing of Dr Sakti Das, a giant in the field of urology, leaves a profound void not just in the medical community but [also] in the hearts of those privileged to have been mentored by him. I can’t express how deeply his guidance has impacted my life, both professionally and personally. Growing under his mentorship, reading his works, and working alongside him has been a profound experience. His loss is immeasurable to me, and I will forever carry his teachings and memories with me. He will always remain in my thoughts, and his influence will continue to guide me. I will miss you greatly, sir.”

“He touched many lives across continents as a person, a mentor, [a] teacher, [a] role model, [and a] facilitator. [He was] always willing, supportive, [and] helpful, paving paths [as] a visionary. Certainly, [he] helped me, and [I am] forever grateful for it. He will be missed tremendously. He introduced me to Rabindranath Tagore, who shares these words from Gitanjali:

‘In one salutation to thee, my God, let all my senses spread out and touch this world at thy feet.

Like a rain cloud of July hung low with its burden of unshed showers, let all my mind bend down at thy door in one salutation to thee.

Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current and flow to a sea of silence in one salutation to thee.

Like a flock of homesick cranes flying night and day back to their mountain nests, let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home in one salutation to thee.’”

I hope these messages have given you a sense of his influence on many of us. I have not even tried to express the feelings of the thousands of patients and school students he transformed.

We communicated frequently, and I was fortunate to spend quality time with Sakti at the last AUA annual meeting. In parting, we both knew it may be the last time we would see each other. In his last message, as was his habit, he ended with a quote: “Let this be my last word, that I trust in thy love.”

PS: If you feel generous, please contribute to the https://caringhandsfoundation.org.