Hari Om Parents!
Please find the summary of the last class ( 1/10) below:
Ps: We sent 'Likhita japa' books with kids to home. Please send those book along with a pencil to every class. We will spend few minutes doing the Likhita japa in the class. The kids can also do this at home. This also helps with house points.
Topics of the day: 'Hanuman, The Life Saver' and 'Hanuman, The Glorious'
After reciting the 'opening prayers', Hanuman Dhyana Shlokas and 'Rama nama japa', we chanted the first 20 caupais of the Chalisa. Please help the kids memorize the shlokas at home as well. This will help get their attention more when we explain the meanings . We see the pride in their faces when we praise them for chanting the caupais from memory.
We then got into the topics of the day and went over the meanings and the supporting commentary for 11 - 14 caupais.
11th Caupai: Laya Samjivana Lakhana Jiyaye…
Meaning: You fetched Sanjivani herb to revive Lakshmana and pleased Sri Rama who embraced you with love.
· To understand how Hanmanji was a life saver, we reviewed the part of Ramayana where Lakshmana gets injured when fighting against Indrajit, son of Ravana. Hanumanji comes to the rescue and gets the required sanjivani herb. He brings the whole mountain to ensure he neither wastes time nor picks the wrong herb. Lord Rama overwhelmed with love and gratitude, embraces Hanumanji with tears of joy.
12th Caupai: Raghupathi Kinhi Bahuta Badai….
Meaning: Sri Ramachandra praised hanuman ji and said "You 'very highly', you are as dear to me as my brother Bharata
· This again gave us an opportunity to go back to Ramayana and discuss Bharatha's role and his sacrifice of leading a vanavasi life although staying at the palace. He took the responsibility of protecting Ayodhya while Rama completes his vanavasa. Lord Rama always remembers Bharata and his sacrifice. He was very dear to Sri Rama. Lord Rama compared his love for Hanuman to be on par with his love for Bharata , his own brother. Unless someone does something so special and dear to oneself, they wouldn't love that person as a sibling.
· We brainstormed with kids ways to appreciate someone who has done something special for them going above and beyond.
· As homework, we asked them to do something very nice for a friend, sibling or a family member.
13th Caupai: Sahasabadana Tumharo jasa gavaim…
Meaning: Lord Rama continues to praise him saying 'Even Seshanaga, the thousand headed serpent sings your glory'
14th Caupai: Sanakadika Brahmadi Munisa…
15th Caupai: Jama Kubera digapala jahan te…
Meaning for both : The great sages like Sanaka and gods like Brahma, Seshanaga, Narada, Goddess Saraswathi, Yama, Kubera and the 8 Digpalakas, poets and scholars have not been able to praise you adequately.
· Reminiscing the glories of Hanumanji, we got the kids to talk about 'How does one gain glory' – tie themselves to a rising balloon to rise up and gain glory? Gaining glory is not simply a git given but has be earned through hard work, dedication and practice. To emphasize this, we went over a story where the popular musician 'Beethoven' tells a woman that his glory was achieved through dedication and practicing piano for 8 hours a day for 40 years. It didn't happen overnight, Practice makes a man perfect.
· We also discussed another story of 4 boys wishing for different things when the magical genie appears in front of them. One asks for genie to complete his homework every day , other asks for food for life so he never has to work etc. The last boy asks for the Genie to disappear before granting any of these wishes. Our kind God has given us eyes, ears, arms and legs as gifts We should make full use of these gifts to make ourselves and others happy.
· We wrapped up the discussion with the moral – God has given us so much. Do not beg but work hard and achieve. There are no shortcuts to success and glory.
We wrapped up the class with Closing prayers after learning couple of Bhagavad-Gita shlokas from Swamiji. The class ended few minutes early to watch 7th grader's play on 'Ramayana quiz'
Regards,
Mythili and Madhuri
