द्विः शरं नाभिसन्धत्ते द्विः स्थापयति नाश्रितान् । द्विर्ददाति न चार्थिभ्यो, रामो द्विर्नाभिभाषते ॥ Rāma doesn’t aim twice, he doesn’t give refuge twice, Rāma does not give twice to a seeker, he doesn’t speak the same thing twice. He does it perfectly the very first time. It is said that if our culture was only based …
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 …
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 …
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 …
A few months back, someone told me that they had received credible information (via WhatsApp), that Sita had not actually travelled to Lanka. The story goes that she created an avatar of herself, and Ravana then took her along instead. Hmmm… Anyways, my response was – what does it matter if she went to Lanka, …
Narayana and Nara are supposed to have taken form as Sri Krishna and Arjuna. They were almost like twins, working together living together, eating together, one being in two bodies. The association of Sri Krishna with Arjuna, so inseparable, is an illustration of the inseparable relation between God and man. यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: ।तत्र श्रीर्विजयो …
The Madhurāshtakam of Sri Vallabhacharya sounds like a bit excessive at first glance. The lyrics have too much sweetness in them, it is literally in every line. But then, “Madhuram” does not mean sweet – it doesn’t translate into English very well. The attitude of a devotee expressing the emotion that exists between a lover …
After the great battle of Mahābhārata was over, the victorious Pāndava brothers organized the Ashvamedha Yagna. At the end of this ceremony, King Yudhishthira gave costly gifts to the priests and donated very large quantities of food, gold, cattle and other forms of wealth to the poor and needy. Everyone praised Yudhishthira for his generosity …
Tomorrow is Ugādi — the first day of Chaitrā māsā, or the beginning of the new year. Largely celebrated in South India (where I am from), Maharashtra (as Gudi Padwa), Sindh (as Cheti Chand), and Manipur (as Sajibu Nongma Pānba). It is also the start of Navaratri. Unlike New Year’s day as per the Gregorian calendar, the …
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 …
