12-05-2025
Air Marshal Recites Lines From Ramcharitmanas, Wins Hearts At Operation Sindoor Briefing
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Responding to a journalist's question, Air Marshal AK Bharti paused and took a moment and recited lines from Ramcharitmanas.
The press brief by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces began on Monday, with the officers giving details about India's Operation Sindoor. The atmosphere was serious and formal until the room took a poetic turn after a question from a journalist.
A journalist referred to the videos played before the briefings featuring Shiva Tandava Stotram and lines from Rashmirathi by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, particularly from the stirring section 'Krishna ki Chetavani', and asked what message was intended by such verses.
Responding to the journalist's question, Air Marshal AK Bharti paused and took a moment to respond not with standard military rhetoric, but with poetry.
Without looking at notes, he then recited lines from Ramcharitmanas, channelling the moment when Lord Rama, after three days of humble pleading with the ocean to part for his army, finally spoke:
'Binay na maanat jaladhi jadh, gaye teen din beet.
Bole Ram sakop tab, bhay binu hoye na preet."
(When the ocean did not respond to gentle requests and three days had passed,
Lord Rama, filled with righteous anger, declared: Without fear, there can be no love.)
The message was unmistakable: India's patience is rooted in strength. Peace is preferred, but not at the cost of dignity or security.
What happened next was unusual for a military press briefing. The journalists, moved by the Marshal's powerful response, started applauding.
Even Vice Admiral AN Pramod, seated next to Bharti, was seen smiling.
The Navy Vice Admiral concluded with a final note, echoing a Vedic blessing: 'Sham No Varunah" — May the Lord of the Oceans be kind to us.
The room was filled with the strength of words that stirred courage, pride, and unity.
Operation Sindoor
On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK, in strong response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists and one local.
First Published:
May 12, 2025, 19:56 IST
