Hari Om Parents,
The following is what we did during Sunday's class.
Shlokas:
1. "Om Saha navavatu" (page 8 in My Prayers book)
2. "Vakrathunda Mahakaya" (page 27 in My Prayers book)
3. "Karegre vasate" (page 11 in My prayers book)
4. "Akanda-mandalakaram" (page 61 in My Prayers book)
5. "Ajnana-timirandhasya" (page 61 in My Prayers book)
6. "Gururbrahma" (page 61 in My Prayers book)
7. "Samudra vasane devi" (page 11 in My Prayers book)
8. "Saraswathi namasthubyam" (page 12 in My Prayers book)
9. "Subham karothi kalyanam" (page 12 in My Prayers book)
1st Grade Annadaanam:
Our balavihar/ashram has been doing annadanam (food donation) from different grades each month. Grade 1 are is scheduled for this month. It is on November 17th, 2018
Please see the link below for the items that can be donated, etc. Scroll down the sign-up genius list, and sign up for the items you would like to contribute. Please drop off the items well within the mentioned time. Kindly check the time and place to drop in the sign up sheet.
Parents and kids who are interested can go to the soup kitchen directly and serve as well, address is posted in the sign up sheet as well!
It is always appreciated and valued - upholding what our pledge says 'giving more than what we take...'! Thanks in advance for your generous donations.
Activities:
- We introduced shloka 45 of Chapter 18 in The Geeta. They are in our handbooks in both Sanskrit & English. Please help the kids practice the slokas that were taught in class. The kids will be learning slokas 41-56 & that will be their requirement for the Geeta Chanting Competition. Please refer to the following website gitachanting.net for the right pronunciation.
- Most of our class are reciting slokas 41 & 42 well. We tested the kids on slokas 41 & 42. A few of the kids did really well. Please stress on proper pronunciation at home & make sure that they are not rushing through the slokas. Please record videos & send your individual child chanting the shlokas to the Geeta Chanting Team cnjbalaviharhouses@gmail.com to earn house points. I have recorded the class group chanting.
- We did a Diwali craft with Diyas (lamps) where the kids shared what they did for Diwali.
- If you have some extra time at home, please have the kids complete their coloring pages in their Bala Ramayana coloring books. Some kids have missed a class or 2, & we have had a few abbreviated sessions due to other activities & were unable to fit the coloring activity in. Please stop on Lesson 15. Please reiterate that the kids are recalling the story as they are coloring.
Our adventures through Bala Ramayana continued.
Lakshmana like all those prior to him, assumes that Bharata is coming with evil intentions of harming Rama. But was immediately calmed down by Rama & as the army moved into closer proximity, they see Bharata & Shatrughan in bark garments. Bharatha immediately falls at Rama's feet begging for forgiveness. Rama was very nonchalant, inquiring about the kingdom, the people & his father. Bharata responded by saying he did not accept to be king as only the first born was to take that role & as for their father, he conveyed the horrifying news of his demise! Rama is drowned by sorrow, swoons & faints. Sita & the brothers revive him & they perform the final rites & rituals.
Rama then explained to Bharata that everything - sadness, happiness - is the play of fate. Having taken human birth, we must bow our heads before the destiny marked for us and accept them as they are. Kingdom, wealth, name, fame - all these mean nothing. All these things shall pass. Why weep for them? He tells his beloved brother not to grieve. He then asks him if there is anyone on earth to whom sorrow, disease,and death have not visited?
Bharata then asks for Rama's sandals, takes them & places them on his head. He agrees to run the kingdom for 14 years till Rama returns to Ayodhya. He would live a simple life like the rest of the people & have Rama's sandals take the throne.
Rama realizes that even though Chitrakuta was a perfect location for their stay & Sita was very comfortable there, he decided to move further into the depths of the Dandaka forest to prevent the people from temptation of coming to meet the trio. As they continue their journey, they encounter several Rishis, get their blessings & are presented with powerful Astharas. On their way, they encounter various demons as well. A notable one was the huge rakshasa Viradha. He had the boon of no death. He scares Sita & puts her on his shoulder. Rama & Lakshmana are furious, then both of them take Sita's spot. The brothers chop off Viradha's arms & all other body parts till he thumps on to the ground & his neck find Rama's feet & he is finally liberated. The trio arrive at Sutikshana's ashram. They accept to make that their home & to protect the Rishis from demons.
10 years went by...the trio went from one ashram to another, slaying demons & collecting astharas. Sita didn't understand why Rama was doing this & involving himself in violence. Rama explained that it was Kshatriya Dharma to protect the Rishis. Rama had a great desire to see Sage Agastya. We told them the kids why Agastya was so powerful & the story about the Vindhya mountain range. Rama, Sita & Lakshmana continue their journey further south. Then we told them the story about the clever demon brothers Vatapi & Ilvala & about their cunning plan they used to kill multiple rishis. Agastha used his own clever plan to consume & digest Vatapi & used his own terrifying vision to burn Ilvala to ashes. The kids enjoyed that part very much. The trio arrive at Agastya's ashram, he was overjoyed to see them. They took the sage's blessings. Rama was then gifted a bow that Vishvakarma had made for Vishnu and then made their way towards Panchvati. We paused here.
Please go to the below link to check out the pictures from this week's class
Regards,
Keerthi Kobla & Rukmini Sriram
