Following is summary of Balavihar session on April 19th, 2019 - Grade 5 (Sunday PM)
Mahabharat - Arjuna's pursuit for divine weapons.
- Upon Sri Krishna's suggestion. Arjuna goes into forest and starts austere tapa son Indra Bhagavan for divine wepans. Indra gets pleased with Arjuna's taps and appears before Arjuna, however, Indra informs him that, to acquire divine weapons, first he needs to Tapas on Lord Shiva and get his blessings.
- Arjuna start to penance on Lord Shiva to acquire Pashupat Astra and other divine weapons.
- Lord Shiva was satisfied with his prayer, wanted to give the Pashupat to him, but wanted to play a bit too.
- Lord Shiva took the form of a Hunter with Shakti as Huntress.
- That time a demon by name Mukasura, who was in the form of wild pig came to kill Arjuna. To kill the wild pig Arjuna fired an arrow from the front, at the same time the Hunter, Who is none other than God Himself, attacked it from the back and killed the pig.
- Arjuna mocked at the Hunter for firing the arrow from the back. Having great pride of his valor, he was also angry at the Hunter because He aimed at his prey.
- The Hunter responded that attacking an animal from the back is not against rules of hunting. An argument broke out.
- They decided to fight deciding who was more valorous between them. The Hunter cut the string in Arjuna's bow with His arrow in the fight! Angered and excited, Arjuna started wrestling. He couldn't match the Lord, and the Lord enjoyed his fighting.
- At one point of time in wrestling Arjuna held the foot of the Hunter. As the Lord is pleased when somebody catches His holy feet, He stopped wrestling appeared with Parvati revealing Who He is.
- Shocked Arjuna pleaded for forgiveness, as he was trying to fight with the Supreme out of his ignorance.
- However the God, Who is pleased by devotion, blessed him and gave him the invincible Pashupat. (In some books it is told that arjuna couldn't fight with the Hunter, he started worshipping the Shiva Lingam).
- To his astonishment he found the flowers he offered to the Lingam on the head of the Hunter. Then he prostrated before the Hunter and the Lord revealed Himself).
India, the Sacred Land – Saints – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
- Birth - Ramakrishna paramahamsa was born on February 18th, 1836. Place called Kamarpukur in Bengal (Today place is called Calcutta), His birth name was "Gadadhar
- Parents - Khudiram Chattopadhyay and Chandramani Devi
- Childhood – From childhood, He was fond of God and would love to hear stories and songs about God and deities. He had wonderful qualities of purity and love. He attended regular village school for 12 years, however he was not very fond of traditional schooling.
- He became a priest of the Kali temple at Daksinesvar at the age of 19, his main duty was to decorate the devine mother, Kali
- Sri Ramakrishna was married to Sarada Devi.
- A reputed Monk in those days, named Totapuri initiated Sri Ramakrishna into Vedantic Meditation
- He was highly devoted to Kali Mata. One time, he was absorbed in the state of Samadhi for 3 days
- One day, he met with Narendranath, who was later known as Swami Vivekananda
- When he met Narandaranth for the first time he told him "At last you have come and I have been waiting for you"
- Swami Ramakrishna guided Vivekananda to spiritual Sadhana who later gave a clarion to awaken Indians
- Swami Ramakrihna taught the world through his direct spiritual experiences that God could be realized through all reliogions.
- He taught complex Vedantic philosophy through simple stories and parables. His teachings are called "The Gospels of Sri Ramakrishna".
- He left his body in 1886 (lived for 50 years)
Hari Om
Grade 5 - Sevak and Sevika
