Shihan Rohit

The search for God…

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुने: || 69|| yā niśhā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti sanyamīyasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśhā paśhyato muneḥ What all beings consider as day is the night of ignorance for the wise, and what all creatures see as night is the day for the introspective yogi. …

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Siddhi in Naṭa…

In India, there is no official Dance Day, but I guess we never needed it. Just a glimpse of the Nataraja, is enough to know how deep-rooted classical dance has been in our culture. The नाट्य शास्त्र, (Nāṭyaśāstra), of Bharata Muni, was compiled five centuries before Christ, and is the primary reference text for Indian classical …

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A sign of intelligence…

अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ।आरब्धस्यान्त-गमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ॥ १२७ ॥ anārambho hi kāryāṇāṃ prathamaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam |ārabdhasyānta-gamanaṃ dvitīyaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam || 127 || The first sign of intelligence is to not begin any task. The second sign of intelligence is to always finish a task that has been started. And so, Sthirajeevin let out a series of groans, …

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A rose by any other name…

ॐ दिवं च रोह पृथिवीं च रोह राष्ट्रं च रोह द्रविणं च रोह।प्रजां च रोहामृतं च रोह रोहितेन तन्वं सं स्पृशस्व ॥ dívaṃ ca róha pr̥tʰivī́ṃ ca roha rāṣṭráṃ ca róha dráviṇaṃ ca roha /prajā́ṃ ca róhāmŕ̥taṃ ca roha róhitena tanvà1ṃ sáṃ spr̥śasva // Raise the standards of all the aspects of your life, raise the …

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What is Karate…

A few people contacted me after reading yesterday’s post. We thought Karate was a sport, like tennis or cricket, said an overwhelming majority of those I interacted with. What you say seems like it has a lot more to offer… Well, the short answer is – YES! Here is a brief that I had written a …

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Throw a punch…please…

I am wanting to enroll my daughter into karate and I am finding such a hard time looking for a good school and a good teacher. Every Shihan I see my mind automatically compares them to you, and others at Kyokushin…You set the bar too high 🙃 An old student of mine messaged this to …

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I, me and myself…

If I am not for myself…who will be? If I am for myself alone…who am I? If not now…when? And if not you…who? Four phrases that shook me when I heard them. Hillel the Elder was a Jewish philosopher who lived over 2000 years ago. While I have not read his teachings extensively, I am …

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A good sevak…

अनभिज्ञोगुणानांयोनभृत्यैर्अनुगम्यते।धनाढ्योऽपिकुलीनोऽपिक्रमायातोऽपिभूपतिः॥७९॥ anabhijño guṇānāṃ yo na bhṛtyair anugamyate |dhanāḍhyo ‘pi kulīno ‘pi kramāYāto ‘pi bhūpatiḥ || 79 || A king may he rich, or of a renowned family or of a great dynasty, but if he does not recognise the good qualities of a servant, he will lose the services of that servant. असमैःसमीयमानःसमैश्चपरिहीयमाण-सत्-कारः।धुरियोनयुज्यमानस्त्रिभिर्अर्थ-पतिंत्यजतिभृत्यः॥८०॥ asamaiḥ samīyamānaḥ samaiś ca …

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The point of the Panchatantra…

I buy second hand books from many places in Dubai, one of them being www.bookhero.ae. Was there a few days back and got talking to the owner about books and writing when the conversation moved to the Panchatantra. Like most others, she thought of the Panchatantra as a collection of children’s tales, and so I just …

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