HariOm Parents,
This Sunday's class, students enjoyed chanting, listening to stories, doing an activity and most enthusiastically offered ideas for our Grade performance which is on Mar22nd.
Class began at 9:20am with the chanting of OMs and daily prayers. Parents, please refer to the list below with page reference from My Prayers Book. (Green Type):
Om Sahana Vavathu Pg 8
Vakrathunda Mahaakaya
KaragreVasate Pg11
Samudra Vasane Pg11
Sarasvathy Namasthubhyam Pg12
Brahmarparnam Pg 12
Subham Karoti Pg 12
Kara Carana Krutham vak- Pg 13
Sometimes we repeat 3 times any of the above if the students are unfamiliar. Please do guide your kids with chanting these regularly. (Daily is better and preferred.)
By this time all students have arrived! There is a two or three minute interlude for students to share amongst them anything they have to tell each other.
We continued with chanting, Krishnashtakam, all 9 verses. It is a delight to hear them recite, many have memorized and rest are comfortable with reading from the book.
Grade 4 covers two texts during the course of the year.
1. Krsna Krsna Everywhere - this is Bhagavatham Ch 10
2. My 24 Teachers - this is Bhagavatham ch 11
Since the day's lesson was from 24 Teachers we did a quick recall of earlier lessons. We listed the teachers' names as the students called out and then matched it with the message learned from those. The teacher for the day was Osprey. There is a riddle given at first for students to guess the teacher and they were close, "Eagle, bird, pigeon." When the answer was told some knew about Osprey and some didn't. After a little commotion and settling down we narrated the story on Osprey - What saint Dattatreya perceived from Osprey's behavior and learned from it.
(A brief intro on 24 Teachers: My 24 Teachers is adopted from the eleventh chapter of Bhagavatam. It is popularly known as Avadhuta Gita. ( Note- Chapter Ten of Bhagavatam is about Lord Krishna's incarnation and his Lila in episodes form, is narrated in class alternately.) Towards the end of Lord Krishn's mission on earth, his friend and devotee Uddhava requested Bhagwan Sri Krishna to enlighten him with the knowledge of how one should live in this world. Bhagwan narrated the dialogue between King Yadu and Saint Dattatreya which talks about how nature is one of our greatest teachers. Dattatreya was a wandering saint who lived in the kingdom of Yadu. The king noticing his blissful appearance wanted to know the secrets of his happiness and approached the saint. Dattatreya 's narration of what he learned from nature is this book 24 Teachers. They are Earth, Air, Space, Water, Fire, Moon, Sun, Pigeon, Python, Ocean, Moth, Honey-bee, Elephant, Honey-gatherer, Deer, Fish, Pingala dancer, Osprey, Child, Young lady with a single bangle, Arrow-maker, Snake, Spider and Wasp. )
Once an Osprey was carrying a fish in its beak. It was attacked by stronger birds. So the osprey dropped the fish and let go of its meal to stop the big birds from attacking it. The moment it dropped the fish the misery ended. So saint Dattatreya says, watching this bird's behavior he learned that a man holding on to his possessions will experience misery or unhappiness but devoid of them, he is free and happy.
Students recalled the story on Pigeon since they felt some similarities to Osprey and concluded that was on attachment that caused unhappiness because of loss of dear ones or favorite things. To drive home the point another story was told.
Man In Luck - (in brief) There lived a man who was a sincere worker and was never absent from work. One day he asked his master to give him his wages so that he could visit his mother. The kind master who was impressed with his dedication to work, gave him a big piece of gold. The happy man carried the gold in a sack on his shoulder and started his journey. It was a hot day and the path was hilly. Soon the gold felt heavy. Just then he saw a horseman on a horse who didnt have to carry any load. He traded his gold and took the horse. But the horse threw him down and he was rescued by a farmer who had a cow. The man traded his horse for the cow thinking he can have milk whenever he was thirsty. That didnt last long. The cow kicked him when he tried milking it. Disappointed, he traded the cow for a fat pig which only slowed him. So when he spotted a goose with a woman, he traded his pig for the goose so he could have fresh eggs. As he was nearing his village he saw a knife sharpner who commented on his goose. The man narrated his entire story and hearing it the knife sharpner called him a fine businessman and gave him a cobblestone in exchange for goose so he could become a knife sharpner. The man was happy. The happiness didnt last long. Soon the cobblestone felt heavier and he was thirsty too. He came across a pond and as he drank water the stone rolled and fell into the pond and sank. Hearing it the man laughed and screamed, "I am finally free and nothing to carry." He ran towards his village and reached home and was happy to see his mother. She gave him a big meal and he felt immense joy. He realized that to be happy you need warmth and affection and not possessions.
Discussion followed as to how the man traded his possessions foolishly!
Activity: Children filled in the My 24 Teachers booklet with pictures of the teachers and a brief message.
Within few minutes Swamiji appeared on TV for Geeta Chanting. After chanting along with Swamiji, students practised chanting from the begiining till verse 20. Of course not all could. We learned verse 18, 19, and 20 by repeating few times.
We discussed about the class skit for grade performance. Selected students for the role.
Our skit is on 24 Teachers. Parents, whoever was present this Sunday has been given a part to play a teacher. They have been told to write a brief explanation and come prepared. For example, if it is Moon, say the nature of the moon and its message.
End of class.
Yamuna and Rukmani
PS Parents, with respect to the story on Krishna, we are on chapter 16 which ends with the tale on Samkhacuda. - Once Krishna and Balarama were in the forest with the gopis, playing the flutes . As the gopis were listening to the divine music, a Yaksha by name Samkhachuda who is a wicked attendant of Kubera, seized the gopis and left. The gopis screamed for help. The brothers uprooted a Sala tree and chased the yaksha. Samkhacuda fled but was killed by a blow from Krsnas fist. Yaksha's crest jewel rolled down and Krsna picked it up and presented to Balarama. The gopis continued to sing the glory of their blue boy from Vrindavana.
