Krishna, Hanuman were greatest diplomats: Jaishankar

Mangalore Today News Network

Pune, December 21, 2025: Emphasising India’s civilisational traditions of strategy and statecraft, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman were the “greatest diplomats”, citing their roles in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Speaking at the Pune Book Festival, Jaishankar said the contemporary global order resembled coalition politics, where no single power enjoys a clear majority and alliances are formed issue by issue, guided by national interest.

He stressed the need to use and popularise Indian concepts and terminology in strategic thinking, noting that global discourse has long been dominated by Western perspectives that often overlook India’s rich traditions of diplomacy and statecraft.

Explaining his remarks, Jaishankar said Lord Krishna exemplified diplomacy in the Mahabharata, while Lord Hanuman’s mission to Lanka in the Ramayana demonstrated intelligence gathering, strategic assessment, morale-building and psychological advantage over the enemy.

"Think about what Hanuman did. Hanuman was sent to Sri Lanka, actually, to get information. He was able to get information. He was able to go all the way to meet Maa Sita. He was able to get her morale up. He was able to go in the court, size up Ravan’s whole setup, he did the talent escorting of Vibhishan... and then in a way he was able to pyschologically defeat Ravan... Which bigger diplomat can you find? He was given one job and he did ten and that too beyond expectations. Now, if a person like you don’t present before the world, I think we do our culture a great injustice," he said.

Asked if one Jaishankar is enough for the country, Jaishankar quipped "your question is wrong". "You should have asked me: there is one Modi. Because ultimately, shri Hanuman finally serves... Countries are defined by leaders and vision. There are people who execute it. But ultimately, it is the vision, the leadership, and the confidence that makes the difference today," he said.

Responding to a question on brain drain, Jaishankar said Indians today enjoy a strong global brand and urged young people to view the world as a global workplace, citing growing international demand for Indian talent.