"Janani Janmabhūmishcha Swargādapi Garīyasī" ( Devanagari: जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी; IAST: Jananī janmabhūmiśca svargādapi garīyasī, pronounced [dʑɐnɐniː dʑɐnmɐ bʰuːmɪɕtɕɐ sʋɐrɡaːdɐpɪ ɡɐriːjɐsiː], Nepali: [d͡zʌnʌni d͡zʌnmʌbʱumist͡sʌ swʌrɡadʌpi ɡʌrijʌsi]) is a hemistich of a Sanskrit shloka from the Hindu epic Ramayana, and the national motto of Government of Nepal. [1]
Translation
"Mother and motherland are greater than Heaven." [2]
Origin
The verse might be present in certain recensions of the Hindu epic Ramayana, though it is not present in its Critical Edition. [3]
Further, at least two versions of the shloka are prevalent. In one version (found in an edition published by Hindi Prachara Press, Madras in 1930 by T. R. Krishna Chary, Editor and T. R. Vemkoba Chary the publisher at 6:124:17 [4]) it is spoken by Bharadwaja addressing Rama:
मित्राणि धन धान्यानि प्रजानां सम्मतानिव |
जननी जन्म भूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ||
Translation: "Friends, riches and grains are highly honoured in this world. (But) mother and motherland are superior even to heaven."
In another version, it is spoken by
Rama to
Lakshmana:
अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते |
जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ||
Translation: "Lakshmana, even this golden
Lanka does not appeal to me. Mother and motherland are superior even to heaven."
See also
References
- ^ "रामायण का वो श्लोक, जो bharat का नेशनल मोटो है और इसका मतलब क्या है". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
- ^ "Janani Janmabhoomi scha Swargadapi Gariyasi". www.speakingtree.in. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
- ^ "The Rāmāyaṇa". bombay.indology.info. Retrieved Jun 10, 2020.
- ^ "Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda". www.valmikiramayan.net. Retrieved Jun 10, 2020.