The Indian Military started Monday’s media briefing with quotations from Rashmirathi, the legendary poem by Mahakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. The words, taken from Lord Krishna’s stern admonition to Duryodhan in the Mahabharata, struck a strong and lyrical note before officials relayed the latest developments on Operation Sindoor. The cultural reference further underlined India’s message — if peace is denied, war becomes the only option.

Authorities then explained how more than 100 terrorists, including senior operatives Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed, were neutralized. They also confirmed 35 to 40 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the May 7-10 exchanges.

Dinkar’s Warning Rang Through the Briefing

Here is the lines from the creation of Mahakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar which was used in the video showed in the press briefing.

“जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।

हित-वचन नहीं तूने माना,
मैत्री का मूल्य न पहचाना

तो ले मैं भी अब जाता हूँ,
अंतिम संकल्प सुनाता हूं

याचना नहीं, अब रण होगा,
जीवन-जय या कि मरना होगा।

जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेकाधिकार मर जाता है।”

The lines—”Yachna nahi, ab ran hoga” (No more requests, now there will be war)—rang very true. They captured the mood behind India’s military response. Rashmirathi, which translates to “Rider of the Chariot of Light,” is a literary poem written about the life of Karna. The lines utilized were from the time Krishna issued his last warning to Duryodhan. The time in the poem describes the failure of reason and the advent of war when justice is withheld.

The phrase “Jivan hoga to maran hoga” (If there is life, there must be death) was also used. It emphasizes the certainty of conflict in the presence of righteousness being overlooked.

Cultural Commitment Confronts Strategic Firepower

The choice to begin the briefing with Rashmirathi was symbolic. As previous briefings had called up the Shiv Tandav’s fierce rhythm, Sunday’s employed Dinkar’s literary fire to reflect India’s position—measured, moral, but not afraid.

Having called up these lines, Lieutenant General Rajeev Ghai, Vice Admiral A N Pramod, and Air Marshal A K Bharti outlined how Indian strikes reduced 11 air bases within Pakistan to rubble and disabled crucial military targets.

From Poetry to Precision

The poetic lines encapsulated a briefing that was sheer fact and firepower. Operation Sindoor did not just take down terror infrastructure, but brought to the world’s notice India’s cultural and moral discernment. The military did not merely rely on weapons—it led by ethos. The words of Krishna, spoken through Dinkar, were not just verse—they were a reflection of India’s will.