India is not merely an administrative state but a cultural civilization thousands of years old — united by shared traditions, pilgrimages, rituals, and the name of Ram echoing across every region.

Modi argues that India's unity is cultural, not administrative. Despite 100+ languages and changing customs every 20 miles, a common thread runs through — the name of Ram appears in every region in different forms, pilgrims carry water between Rameshwaram and Kashi, and every ritual begins with a cosmic invocation narrowing from the universe to the family. This civilizational identity, he says, is what Western models failed to grasp. ✦ AI generated

Narendra Modi · Lex Fridman · 2025-03-16 · original ↗

Look, India is a cultural identity. It is a civilization that dates back thousands of years. Consider the vastness of India, over 100 languages, thousands of dialects. India is so diverse that we have a saying that every 20 miles the language changes. Customs change, cuisine changes, even clothing styles ship from region to region, from the south to the north. You will see immense diversity across the country. But if you dig a little deeper, you will find a common thread. For example, the stories of Lord Ram can be heard everywhere in India. His name echoes in every corner of the country. But if you look closely, from Tamil Nadu to Jammu and Kashmir, you will always find people whose names include Ram in some form. In Gujarat, he might be called Ram Bhai. In Tamil Nadu, Ramachandra, and in Maharashtra, Ram Bhau. This unique cultural bond is what unites India as one civilization. Take something as simple as bathing in water. We have a ritual where all the rivers of India are remembered. They chant, I am bathing with the waters of all these rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri. It's a sentiment that unites a nation. When someone makes a resolution, performs a puja, or even during weddings, we start by invoking the entire universe, beginning with Jambudweep, Bharat Khand, Aryavrat, and gradually narrow it down to the village, then mentioning the specific family, and finally, we invoke the family deity. This practice is still alive, happening daily in every corner of India. But sadly, the Western and global models began viewing nations only as administrative systems. India, however, has had a variety of administrative systems throughout history. Many systems were fragmented, scattered, and varied across regions. Kings and rulers were numerous, but India's unity lay in cultural bonds.

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