Hari Om Parents,
The following is what we did during Sunday's class.
Shlokas:
- "Om Saha navavatu" (page 8 in My Prayers book)
- "Vakrathunda mahakaya" (page 27 in My Prayers book)
- "Om Saraswati namastubhyam" (page 12 in My Prayers book
- "Karegre vasate" (page 11 in My prayers book)
- "Samudra vasane devi" (page 11 in My Prayers book)
- "Akanda-mandalakaram" (page 61 in My Prayers book)
- "Ajnana-timirandhasya" (page 61 in My Prayers book) - New
- "Subham karothi kalyanam" (page 12 in My Prayers book)
Activities:
- We had our class pictures taken. Thank you for sending your kids in traditional Indian attire.
- Please sign up for Annadhanam on Saturday November 16th. 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!
If you have any issues with the link please reach out to us. It is always appreciated and valued - upholding what our pledge says 'giving more than what we take...'! Thanks in advance for your generous donations.
- We have started coloring in our Bala Ramayana coloring book. 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. 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 7. Please reiterate that the kids are recalling the story as they are coloring.
- We introduced the 3rd & 4th shloka of Chapter 1 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 1-16 & that will be their requirement for the Geeta Chanting Competition. Please refer to the following website for the Gita. gitachanting.net for the right pronunciation. Please also refer to swamiji's video link for practice.
We recapped our Bala Ramayana story so far, for the benefit of those who missed a class or 2 in the past weeks and just to see how much the kids remembered. They all did really well! Please ask the kids what they learnt in class.
Our journey through Bala Ramayana continued with the newly weds and King Dasaratha's family returning to Ayodhya. Everyone was thrilled to have their princes back. Sita made an instant impression there and all the girls wanted to be just like her. Rama and his brothers assisted their father with matters of the State. King Dasaratha was could not be happier! 12 years passed and King Dasaratha, after consulting with Guru Vasishta decided to have the coronation Rama as Yuvaraja the following day as it was the most auspicious day even though Bharata and Shatrughna were away in Kekeya. Rama takes the news of his coronation humbly. Kausalya and Sita are overjoyed. The news spreads like wildfire and the kingdom of Ayodhya is overjoyed! Immediate preparations begin.
Kaikeyi was minding her own business, while Manthara (her hunch backed maid) was instantly conjuring up a plan to poison Kaikeyi's mind. The once loving and sweet queen that was initially overjoyed by the news of Rama's coronation, turns evil and decided to cash in her 2 boons that she had received for saving King Dasaratha's life long ago. The enraged Kaikeyi demands Dasharatha to coronate Bharatha as king of Ayodhya and to send Rama to the Dhantaka forest for 14 years of exile. She goes on to threaten the king that she would take poison and would die if he refused her demand. Her death would then be the king's fault. The king is in an instant state of shock, he now had to choose between his love for his son Rama and Dharma! He was barely able to speak but faintly continues to say "Rama...Rama…"
Prince Rama is summoned and he arrives to see his father in this state of agony. Everything had changed in about 12 hours. Rama had gotten the news of his coronation the previous afternoon at 4P.M. and now he hears of totally different scenarios brewing! Rama wanted to do anything for his father to make him feel better. Kaikeyi takes the lead and asks Rama to promise that he would do as she says. She prompts him to fulfill his father's dharma. Without any hesitation, Rama agrees to both conditions and immediately prepares to depart for the Dandaka forest. We paused our story as the class was silent. We discussed how Rama stayed composed as he took both kinds of news in a calm and collected manner, he was not overjoyed upon hearing the news of his coronation and he was not sad or angry on hearing that his brother Bharatha was to be crowned king and that he was being sent to the Dhantaka forest for 14 years.
Please go to the link below to check out the pictures from this week's class
Each week's update is maintained on Google docs, if for any reason you are unable to attend class on a certain Sunday, you are requested to check for weekly updates so that your child does not miss out. Below is the link
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We require at least 1 parent inside the ashram during the full duration of the class. You are free to choose an Adult Study Group or sign up to Volunteer or Meditate/Read in the Temple.
Required books for Grade 1
- My Prayers Book
- Bala Ramayana Coloring Book
Regards,
Keerthi Kobla and Dipti Chauhan
