The IAF got its motto - Nabham Sparsham Deeptam - from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is the fourth strongest air force in the world, has a unique connection with Bhagavad Gita.

Yes, it's true. The IAF got its motto - Nabham Sparsham Deeptam - from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

''Nabham Sparsham Deeptam'' literally means ''Touch the Sky with Glory!''

It has been taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (11:24), when Lord Krishna is giving the discourse to Arjuna – considered a great warrior of his time - on the battlefield of Kurukshetra during the Great War of Mahabharata.

The eleventh chapter of Bhagwad Gita talks about Lord Krishna, who is showing his supreme divine form to Arjuna and the great form of the Lord is reaching the sky with glory.

This great form of the Lord is evoking fear and loss of self-control in the mind of Arjuna.

The Indian Air Force, similarly, aims to overcome the adversaries with an application of aerospace power in defence of the nation.

The IAF shared an interesting post on Instagram in which it revealed some very interesting facts about its motto.

According to the post, the IAF motto was approved by the President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, on April 21, 1959.

Until January 26, 1950, the Air Force of India was known as Royal Indian Air Force. In January 1950, India became a Republic within the British Commonwealth and the Indian Air Force dropped its “Royal” prefix.

In all these years, the IAF has grown from a tactical force to one with trans-oceanic reach due to the induction of Force Multi-pliers like Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and credible strategic lift capabilities.