The word "jai" is derived from jaya (Sanskrit), which means "triumph, victory, cheers, bravo, rejoice".[8] The word jaya appears in Vedic literature such as in Atharvaveda 8.50.8 and in post-Vedic literature such as the Mahabharata.[9]
According to Sumantra Bose the phrase is devoid of any religious tones. The term became popular as a slogan and greeting of the Indian National Army organized by Bose and his colleagues, particularly between 1943 and 1945.[7]
After India's independence, it emerged as a national slogan, and has been a common form of greeting the Indian people by political leaders and prime ministers such as Jawaharlal Nehru,[14]Indira Gandhi,[15]Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and others.[16][17] Indira Gandhi in particular often ended her political speeches with a triple shout of "Jai Hind".[15] Since the mid-1990s, it came to be used as a greeting among Indian Army personnel.[7]
A follower of Subhas Chandra Bose, Ramchandra Moreshwar Karkare, of Gwalher (Gwalior) Madhya Bharat, wrote the patriotic drama Jai Hind in March 1947, and published a book in Hindi with the same title. Later, Karkare became Congress president of Central India Province.[citation needed]
The Jai Hind postmark was the first commemorative postmark of Independent India. The first stamps of an independent India were issued on November 21, 1947, with Jai Hind inscribed on them, in 1.5 anna, 3.5 anna and 12 anna denominations. Along with Jai Hind, these bore images of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the national flag, and an aircraft respectively.[18] "जय हिन्द" is also stated on the first, Independence series of Indian stamps.