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The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces at a press conference gave briefings about their respective branches and then took the first question. Madhurendra, a journalist from News Nation, asked:
“Before beginning the press conference, the Army played a video that used lines by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar in the background. Yesterday’s video had Shiva Tandava Stotram. Through this, what message were you trying to convey to the enemy?”
Air Marshal A.K. Bharti was visibly pleased by this question. He asked again for the journalist’s name and agency to make note of it.
The lines mentioned by the journalist were from “Rashmirathi,” a famous epic poem by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, specifically from the section ‘Krishna ki Chetavani’ (Krishna’s Warning).
The lines are as follows:
दुर्योधन वह भी दे ना सका, आशीष समाज की ले न सका,
उलटे, हरि को बाँधने चला, जो था असाध्य, साधने चला।
(Duryodhana could not even give that, He could not earn the blessings of society, Instead, he tried to bind Hari (Krishna), Attempting the impossible.)
जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है, पहले विवेक मर जाता है।
हरि ने भीषण हुँकार किया, अपना स्वरूप विस्तार किया।
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले, भगवान कुपित हो कर बोले।
जंजीर बढ़ा अब साध मुझे, हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।
(When doom hovers over a man, the first thing that dies is wisdom. Hari roared fiercely and expanded His divine form. Great warriors trembled and stumbled. God, enraged, said: Extend your chain now, bind me! Yes, Duryodhana! Try to bind me!)
Responding with this context, A.K. Bharti replied through the verses of *Ramcharitmanas*. Without glancing around, he fluently recited the following as their intended message:
बिनय न मानत जलधि जड़ गए तीनि दिन बीति।
बोले राम सकोप तब भय बिनु होइ न प्रीति |
(The ocean remained unmoved by humble requests; three days passed. Then Lord Rama, with rising anger, declared: Without fear, there can be no love.*)
This was when Lord Rama, waiting for the Sea God to grant way to Lanka, lost patience after three days and grew angry. He declared that love does not exist without fear, and lifted his bow. Only then did the Sea God appear and extend a helping hand.
Generally, in a press conference, journalists don’t cheer, applaud, or even stand up when guests arrive—except during the national anthem or state song. Especially in a serious military press conference, such responses are rare. But after hearing A.K. Bharti’s spontaneous and emotionally charged words, journalists couldn’t help but applaud. Even Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod of the Navy, who was seated beside Air Marshal Bharti, broke into a gentle smile.
Before concluding the press conference, Pramod remarked: “Sham No Varunah” — a Vedic invocation meaning “May Varuna (God of the oceans) be auspicious to us.