Hari Om Parents,
Wishing you all a very Happy, Bright, Beautiful & Festive Deepavali!
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) - New
1st Grade Annadaanam:
Our balavihar/ashram has been doing annadaanam (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 shlokas 43 & 44 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 shlokas 41 & 42 well. We will be having a test next class on 41 & 42, we will be giving small motivational prizes for those who are able to chant (we will give them some help if required). 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.
- The kids colored Lessons 12 & 13 in their Balaramayana 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. As we have a few extra school days off this week, can you have the kids color the pages in the middle that they haven't completed. Please stop on Lesson 13. Please reiterate that the kids are recalling the story as they are coloring.
- We told the kids the significance of Deepavali & the reason why we celebrate the festival & narrated a few stories.
We continued our journey through Bala Ramayana with a quick recap of where we ended during our previous class. This week, we were back in Grief- stricken Ayodhya. We were in King Dasaratha's room, he was lying on his bed & was slowly narrating to his beloved queens, the curse of Sravana's parents & how it was coming true! He begged Kausalya & Sumitra for their forgiveness. His eyes were getting heavy, his hearing slowly declining, he was struggling to breath as he was crying out "Ha Rama! Ha Lakshmana! Ha Sita! Rama! Rama! His head drooped & the oil in his lamp ran out as he took his final breath.
Ayodhya at that point had just been hit with a double whammy of Rama's banishment & their king's passing. Sage Vasishta was the only voice of reason at that point. He tells the messengers to Kaikeya to bring back Bharata & Shatrughna without telling them about Ayodhya's condition. Bharata had been feeling bad omens & was not sure what to expect. As the brothers passed through Ayodhya, they were not greeted by anyone, everyone were sad & sort of angry too. The confused brothers arrive at the palace & Kaikeyi is the only one there to greet him. He immediately asks why his father is not there...as he always welcomes them back with a warm & loving embrace. He then becomes aware of the plot that Mantara had cooked up & how his mother became poisoned.
Bharata is ENRAGED! He does not believe his ears. He does not want the throne, he immediately went to beg for forgiveness from Kausalya & Sumithra. The funeral takes place. Everyone's initial reaction on seeing Bharata is rage. But then they find out that he had nothing to do with his mother's evil acts. Bharata refuses to take the throne & insists on seeing Rama. Everyone wanted to do the same. So the whole of Ayodhaya head to Chitrakuta like a large army. Bharata went in bark garments & denied any special treatment or food. Their journey continued for 2 days & they were nearing the banks of river Ganga. Guha could see an army from a distance & he immediately sets his tribe up for battle, but some of the elders advise him otherwise. Then on closer analysis, they realize that Bharata was not coming with any evil intention. Bharata was in an eager haste to see Rama so they departed early the next morning. As they neared Chitrakuta, Rishi Bharadvaja was observing the army approaching & had a similar initial reaction as the others. But soon he too realized that Bharata had nothing to do with his mother's plan & guided him to proceed in the direction of Chitrakuta. We paused our story here.
Please go to the below link to check out the pictures from this week's class
Regards,
Keerthi Kobla & Rukmini Sriram
