In the quaint streets of Triplicane, under Chennai's embracing sky,Was born a sage of sight, whose fame would never die.

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In the quaint streets of Triplicane, under Chennai's embracing sky,
Was born a sage of sight, whose fame would never die.
Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath, a name revered with grace,
Whose life's work, like an artist's brush, touched the human race.

His lineage noble, father an engineer of esteemed repute,
His mother, a daughter of law, from Tamil Nadu's astute.
Tragedy struck early, in youth's tender embrace,
Yet he rose, like a phoenix, with fortitude and grace.

Blessed with intellect, though childhood illness delayed his start,
He pursued knowledge at PS High, with a determined heart.
Loyola's halls whispered wisdom, from '55 to '57's end,
A seeker of science, on whom many lives would depend.

Madras Medical College's gates opened, a new chapter to chart,
Graduating in '63, a healer's journey to start.
New York's shores beckoned, with knowledge vast and deep,
Glasslands, NYU, Brooklyn Eye – commitments he did keep.

In Boston's halls, under Schepens' guiding light,
He honed his skills, restoring vision, fighting night.
A fellow, a diplomate, his expertise did soar,
In Canada, and the USA, his reputation grew more.

But home called him back, to India's welcoming arms,
Where he served, healed, and showcased his charms.
In Chennai, his practice flourished, his skill became renowned,
In Vijaya Hospital's corridors, his patients' hopes unbound.

1978 marked the birth of a vision, grand and bright,
Sankara Nethralaya stood tall, a beacon of light.
A hospital not just of walls, but of compassion and care,
Where the needy found hope, and treatment rare.

A thousand eyes daily, in his care found solace,
A hundred surgeries, in skilled hands, found grace.
His institute, a temple of learning, in ophthalmology's realm,
Where knowledge and skill, overwhelmed.

Elite School of Optometry, his vision's crowning jewel,
Where minds were nurtured, by science's finest fuel.
India's first, in optometry's noble cause,
His legacy, in each student, forever endures.

In the autumn of '23, as leaves turned gold and red,
S. S. Badrinath, the sage of sight, his earthly ties shed.
At eighty-three, his journey ended, but his legacy stays,
In every healed eye, in every student's gaze.

In verse, I honor his story, his life's poetic scroll,
A healer, a teacher, a visionary, an immortal soul.

©️ Venkataramanan Ramasethu

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