Study Guides/General Knowledge/Motto of Indian Navy
Study Guide · General Knowledge

What is the Motto of the Indian Navy?

Every Indian armed force has a Sanskrit motto reflecting its values and purpose. The Indian Navy's motto is drawn directly from the ancient Vedas.

Question (Click to Flip)

What are the mottos of the Indian Army and Air Force?

Answer

Indian Army: 'Service Before Self' Indian Air Force: 'Nabha Sparsham Deeptam' (Touch the Sky with Glory) — from the Bhagavad Gita.

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Key Facts

The Indian Navy was established in 1612 as the East India Company's Marine. After independence, it was formally constituted as the Republic of India Navy in 1950.

The Official Motto

The motto of the Indian Navy is:

शं नो वरुणः (Sha No Varunah)

Meaning

  • Sha (शं) = Auspicious, Blessing, Benevolence
  • No (नः) = For us / To us
  • Varunah (वरुणः) = Lord Varuna (the Vedic God of the Oceans, water, and celestial order)

Translation: 'May Lord Varuna be auspicious unto us' — or simply, 'May the God of the Sea bless us.'

Source

This motto is taken from the Taittiriya Upanishad (a part of the Krishna Yajurveda). It is a prayer to Varuna — the Vedic deity who governs the seas, rivers, and the cosmic moral order (Rita).

Questions and Answers

What are the mottos of the Indian Army and Air Force?+

**Indian Army**: 'Service Before Self' **Indian Air Force**: 'Nabha Sparsham Deeptam' (Touch the Sky with Glory) — from the Bhagavad Gita.

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