Hari Om Parents,
Happy Ugadhi and Gudi Padwa to you all…
We commenced the with the word search worksheet that listed a number of names associated with Krishna leelas followed by chanting of daily prayers. Majority of the kids have memorized the daily prayers, we are proud of them!!
After the recital - we started pop corn reading of Krishna and Balaram's adventures, wrestling matches and eventual killing of Kamsa.
Krishna and Balarama enter the amphitheater and wrestling arena. Kamsa entered the arena and took his seat on the specially raised throne. The trumpets blew as a signal for every body that the games were about to start. Meanwhile Kamsa perused the arena, his eyes wandering and looking for Nanda and gopas, who were seated specially at a vantage point. Kamasa, projected strength and arrogance from outside, but within he was nervous, dreadful and fearful. He was constantly reminded of all the bad omens he had visions of the previous night. He was already informed of how the little boys from Vrindavan had killed the mighty elephant Kuvalyapida and it's mahut. This only added to his misery. In the midst of all this Kamasa declares the games open and commands the wrestling fights to begin.
Chanura - the chief wrestler - with a grin saluted Krishna and Balarama and addressed - o mighty boys your valor is well known. We have learned that you killed the mighty Kuvalyapida, pick one of us each and let's start the fight.
Krishna protested and retorted - fights should be between equals and that they were young boys and would like to fight with one. The crowd of spectators on hearing this quickly started chanting slogans of injustice. Kamasa was not the one who would heed to reason or was thinking rationally - his goal was to kill. He commands Chanura to start the fight. Krishna starts the fight with Chanura while Mushtika goes after Balarama. Soon Chanura and Mushtika find that the boys are invincible and succumb to them. Seeing his two greatest wrestlers vanquished, Kamsa orders his others figthers to go after Krishna and Balrama. With out much ado both boys put all of Kamsa's warriors to floor and run towards Kamasa. Seeing this Kamsa looses all his composure and starts yelling and orders his henchmen to kill Nanda, Gopas, Ugrasena and any body who is associated with Krishna. Krishna running leaps towards Kamsa high on his throne and grabs his hair, and one swoop floors him. Kamasa recovers and a fight ensues between the two. Meanwhile Balarama goes after the henchmen and gets rid of them one by one. Kamsa was no ordinary fighter but was very skilled and given Krishna a tough fight. Krishna was an equally skilled fighter and countered every move of Kamsa with better one. Eventually Krishna got the upper hand and floored Kamasa and pounded him to his death with his fists. As Kamsa gasped his last breath, a light beamed out of him and traveled towards Krishna and became one with him, for Kamsa hated Krishna his whole life - he inadvertantly was constanlty uterring and remembering the lord's name
After the pop corn reading - it was time for prayers and recognition of kids who participated in the Gita competition.
PS: Next Friday we will have a quiz with a twist - the kids have to come up with questions. Please help them and have each of your kid write one or two questions ( strictly from bala bhagavatam only) on a small piece of paper and bring them to the class.
Warm Regards
Viji Lakshmi & Shivram
