Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday once again used a Sanskrit shloka to urge people to display their collective resolve and strength to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
“Utsaho balavanarya nastyutsahat param balam | Utsaharambhamatrena jayante sarvasampadah. Meaning there is no force greater than our enthusiasm and spirt in this world. There is nothing in the world that cannot be achieved with this force. Let’s come together to defeat corona and make India victorious,” Modi said in his 10-minute video message.
The Prime Minister recited the Sanskrit shloka from the Mahasubhasitasamgraha, a collection of Sanskrit aphorisms collected from various sources.
Modi also called people across the country to light candles, lamps or use their mobile phone’s flashlights at 9pm for nine minutes on April 5 to “raise the great power of 130 crore Indians”.
“The collective strength of the nation to combat coronavirus will be experienced,” the Prime Minister said in his address.
He, however, cautioned that the Lakshman Rekha of social distancing should not be crossed while showing this collective resolve as it is the only ramban or definite solution to break the chain of the infection.
“We should all feel that none of us is alone and we are all united against this global pandemic. We have to move towards light and assurance for the uncertainty and gloom that coronavirus has inflicted,” he said.
Friday’s video message was the Prime Minister’s third address to the nation as the country fights the coronavirus pandemic. Modi had called for a Janta Curfew or people’s curfew on March 19 and announced the 21-day lockdown on March 24 as a step to break the chain of infection.
India has reported 2068 cases of the coronavirus disease, including 53 deaths, till 6pm on April 2.