100 Years of Minicoy Lighthouse, 1985 - First Day Cover

Minicoy Lighthouse which was built a 100 years ago found a place on a commemorative stamp, issued on 02.02.1985, by the India Post. The Cancellation on the FDC is inscribed with a Sanskrit invocation : "tamaso ma jyotirgamaya" meaning -- Lead me from darkness to light.

The Sanskrit invocation beneath the emblem.

International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, 1987 - First Day Cover

The United Nations General Assembly declared 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. It has called particularly for improved living conditions for the poor and disadvantaged in developing countries. The UN is working with Governments, involved organizations and local people to develop, communicate and put into practice the best methods for meeting this most fundamental of human needs.

  

India Post issued a commemorative stamp on 05.10.1987 to mark the occasion along with an FDC and Brochure. The stamp on FDC is post-marked with a cancellation which has a motto in Sanskrit taken from the Vedas --

यत्र विश्वं भवत्येकनीडम् 

The first verse of the text of the mantra alone is quoted here. Minor variation and transposition is seen in Yjurveda-Kāṇva-Saṁhitā 35.35, Yajurveda-Mādhyaṅdina-Saṁhitā, 32.8 (nihitaṃ guhā sat), Atharva-veda, 2.1 (rūpam).

वेनस्तत्पश्यन् विश्वा भुवनानि विद्वान्                                                                     

यत्र विश्वं भवत्येकनीडम्  .....

venas tat paśyan viśvā bhuvanāni vidvān 

yatra viśvaṃ bhavatyekanīḍaṃ.....

                      -- Mahānārāyaṇa-Upaniṣad, 1.14.

         

In the above Upaniṣad, a Gandharva named Vena* declared having seen that Paramātman: He in whom the universe finds a single place of rest ....

This is India's vision - an unique tradition of not having attacked any other country (other than inside politrics!!).

Unwanted Notes:

 

Etymological interpretations of the word "Vena" are many. The term is applied to Indra, Sūrya, Prajāpati, Gandharva. and so on. Nīḍa is a resting place, a bird's nest where the young ones live together. The word "Nīḍa" is permitted to be pronounced as "Nīḷa" in Yajurveda (ḷa in place of  ḍa - like, Agniṃ-īde and Agniṃ-īḷe).

100 Years of Service to the Blind, 1987 - First Day Cover

A set of 2 stamps were released by the Department of Posts on 15.10.1987 to feature the Centenary of Service to the Blind.

The First Day Cover (FDC) has the motto : “तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय” - (tamaso mā jyotir gamaya) meaning -- "Lead me from darkness to light". This is a mantra from one of the principal Upaniṣads, viz., the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, 1.3.28 which forms part of the Śukla-Yajurveda.

Though the context in the Upaniṣad is something different, the literal meaning very aptly suits the occasion.

The 9th AMC Reunion, 2005 - Army Cover

On 06.11.2005  

the Army Postal Service commemorated the 9th AMC Reunion by issuing a special cover, cancellation and a folder. The cover has a Sanskrit motto printed on it in bold letters. 

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्:दुखभाग्भवेत्॥
sarve santu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaściḍ duḥkha-bhāgbhavet

All be comfortable, all be free from disease
Auspicious see you all,  may you not be afflicted by grief.

Military School, Ajmer, 2005 - Army Cover

The Military School, Ajmer celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in the year 2005. The memorable occasion was commemorated by the Army Postal Service by issuing a cover on 17.11.2005, providing a cancellation with its logo and a brochure.

 

                       
शीलं परं भूषणम्

śīlaṃ paraṃ bhūṣanaṃ

"Character is the highest virtue."

The motto contained in the logo conveys a great message in Sanskrit which is adapted from Nītīśataka 82 of Bhartṛhari.

ऐश्वर्यस्य विभूषणं सुजनता शौर्यस्य वाक्संयमो
ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयॊ वित्तस्य पात्रे व्ययः।
अक्रोधस्तपसः क्षमा प्रभवितुर्धर्मस्य निर्व्याजता
सर्वेषामपि सर्वकारणमिदं शीलं परं भूषणम् ॥
aiśvaryasya vibhūṣanaṃ sujanatā śauryasya vāksaṃyamo
jñānasyopaśamaḥ śrutasya vinayo vittasya pātre vyayaḥ
akrodhas-tapasah, kṣamā balavatāṃ, dharmasya nirvyājatā
sarveṣām-api sarvakāraṇam-idaṃ śīlaṃ paraṃ bhūṣanaṃ

"Courtesy is the ornament of affluence and reticence that of bravery; calmness is the ornament of knowledge, reverence that of learning; liberality towards worthy objects is the ornament of wealth; freedom from wrath that of practicing penance; clemency is the ornament of the powerful, straightforwardness that of justice: good conduct, however, is the highest ornament for everyone being the source of all virtues." 

-- Tr. KM Joglekar,  Bhartṛhari–Nīti and Vairāgya Śatakas, Oriental Publishing Company, Bombay, 1911,

Notes and translation, p.48.

     

 

INS Delhi, 1998 - First Day Cover

A commemorative stamp on the Indian Naval Ship, INS Delhi was released on 15.11.1998. The stamp contained the emblem but without clarity. The cancellation incorporated the insignia with the Sanskrit motto:

सर्वतो जयमिच्छामि

sarvato jayaṃ icchāmi

"I seek victory from everywhere".

The 7th Post-war Reunion, The Dogra Regiment, 1979 - Army Cover

The Dogra Regiment celebrated the Seventh Post War Reunion in 1979 at the Dogra Regimental Centre, Faziabad. The Army Postal Service commemorated the history and achievements of this famous Regiment by issuing a special cover and cancellation and a brochure.

Beneath the Mountain Goat - The regimental insignia, there is a Sanskrit inscription -- 

सदोद्यमी
sadodyamī

Always with Zeal*

sadodyamī = sadā udyamī

*It is inscribed as सदोद्यामी.

The meaning also can be "Always Go Ahead" - "Always be enterprising", etc. 

 

 

Fourth ASC (Army Service Corps) Reunion, 1985 - Army Cover

The Army Postal Service came out with a special cover and postmark to commemorate the Fourth Army Service Corps Reunion on 07.12.1985. The cancellation carries a Sanskrit motto. Their insignia has also the Sanskrit words -- see left corner of the cover.

 

सेवा अस्माकं धर्मः
sevā asmākaṃ dharmaḥ

  "Service is our Creed" 

Indian Ordnance Factories, 2002 - First Day Cover

The Indian Ordnance Factories celebrated 200 years of its existence on 18.03.2002 and on the occasion a commemorative stamp was issued in the denomination of 400P.

The postmark shows the logo of IOF. The logo contains their motto in Sanskrit. Very aptly coined words are incorporated into it. विनाशाय दुष्कृताम् -- "vināśāya duṣkṛtām" -- which means “for the destruction of the evil-doers”.

These words (deleting the word - च  - 'ca') are from the 4th adhyāya (chapter), 8th śloka (verse) of the Bhagavad-Gita. The full text is as shown below:

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ॥

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya saṃbhavāmi yuge yuge

To protect the pious - the followers of the virtuous path - and to annihilate the miscreants – of the sinful ones - as well as to re-establish the principles of Dharma, I manifest Myself, in every age.
  

Motto in Logo not clear - See right

Courtesy : Internet IOF