Hari Om,
Here is a brief summary of class activities for Week 23, April 19, 2020.
This was an online Balavihar session and the students were allowed into the ZOOM meeting with a password, and after their identities were confirmed by the teachers.
1. Started with OM chanting and opening Prayers.
2. Reminded the students of online classroom etiquettes.
3. We then had three students present about the lives and teachings of Saints of India. They researched on the Saints of their choice and had the Google slides to help the audience connect to the content that they were presenting. Lives of Saints that were presented during this week's session :
- Shree Kabir Das
- Sant Thyagaraja
- Meera bai
4. We had two Junior CHYKs (high schoolers) join us to teach our students. The students were very excited with their interaction with the new teachers. We continued with the Mahabharata story after Arjuna's reunion with the Pandavas.
- In the twelfth year of exile, the Pandavas were engaged in asceticism and lived in the Dwaitavana, far away from civilization. One day a certain brahmana came to meet them, and then visited the court of Dhritarashtra and told him about the plight of the Pandavas. Listening to this Dhritarashtra became sad, and started thinking about the insult after the deceitful game of dice, and how the Pandavas must be waiting for the opportunity to avenge the insult. Shakuni heard the outburst, and told Duryodhana about it.
- Duryodhana wanted to go and meet the Pandavas, look down upon them in adversity, humiliate them, and mock at their misfortunes. He knew Dhritarashtra would not allow him to go to Dwaitavana to meet the Pandavas. Duryodana started thinking of a plan to convince his father and Bheeshma. With the help of Shakuni, Karna and Duhshana he comes up with the pretext of counting cattles/annual census at Dwaitavana, and to go hunting. Dhritarashtra is persuaded to grant permission to Duryodhana to go to Dwaitavana after Shakuni assures him that they will avoid any close encounter with the Pandavas.
- They reach Dwaitavana and set-up their camp, and went hunting. One day Duryodhana's men strayed into the forest, and were stopped by the Gandharvas, as their King Chitrasena was camping there. Hearing this Duryodhana sent a band of soldiers to settle the matter. The Kaurava army was rushed back by the Gandharavas. Duryodhana was filled with rage. He along with Karna, Dushashana, other sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the big Kuru army marched to defeat the Gandharva warriors. The Kaurava soldiers were overpowered, and started deserting the field.
- Gandharva king, Chitrasena had magic powers and he leased them on the Kaurava soldiers. The Gandharvas overpowered the Kauravas, and took Karna, Duryodhana, and a host of other Kauravas as prisoners.
- Seeing Duryodhana being taken captive, some of his men approached the Pandavas and asked for help to release them from the Gandharvas. Bheema didn't want to help them; however, benevolent Yudhishthira agrees to offer help inspite of knowing Durodhana's evil intention, since the honor of the family was at stake. And he considered this it was the path of dharma, as his duty as a Kshatriya to protect, and help the needy in distress. He asks his other four brothers to try winning Gandharva king over through peaceful negotiations and rescue Duryodhana and his army.
- Bheema, Arjuna reluctantly gathered their weapons and made their way to rescue the Kauravas. First the Gandharva soldiers are not ready to release Duryodhana, and they engage in a battle. Arjuna slews them with his celestial weapons. As the battle continues, Chitrasena realizes the damage done to his forces, and rushes to Arjuna. He fought with illusory forces, and Arjuna with his celestial weapons, and after they were exhausted by the battle, Chitrasena appeared before the Pandavas, and agrees to set Duryodhana and his brothers free.
After the humiliating defeat at the hands of Gandharva, and taken hostage by them, Duryodhana is embarrassed and finds it very difficult to return to his capital. He is even more humiliated that he was released from captivity through the efforts of Yudhishthira. He preferred to have died in the battle, rather than have been saved as a result of a favor done by the Pandavas.
- Even after being consoled by Shakuni and Karna, he decides to forego food, and fast unto death. The daityas and the danavas come to know of Duryodhana's intentions, and commenced a yajna to summon Duryodhana to their presence. After the rites had ended, a female diety arose from the fire, and brings Duryodhana. He is told that there are many danavas to help Duryodana destroy his enemy - the sons of Pandu. And they ask Duryodhana to go back and run the earth. The diety then carried Duryodhana back to the spot on the banks of the river where he had been meditating.
- The following morning, he is approached by Karna, who promises to slay Arjuna in the battle and defeat the Pandavas. Hearing Karna's resolve, and remembering the words of the danavas, Duryodhana agrees to go back to Hastinapura. After this incident, Duryodhana decides to leave the Pandavas alone till the thirteenth year of their exile.
The story telling was followed by a question and answer session, and the students exchanged their thoughts on what they liked and learnt from this story.
5. Three more students took turn to talk and present on the Saints of their choice that they had signed up for. The Saints that were presented were:
Gautam Buddha
Mahavira
Sant Kabir
At the end of each presentation, the students asked questions, shared what they liked about the Saint's life, and teachings, and why they chose the saint to talk about.
6. We ended our class with the Aarthi, closing prayers and Pledge. Our students joined.
Our next class will also be online on April 26, 2020.
Reminders:
Please share the presentation "Saints of India" to our group email ID shared in our WhatsApp group
Please encourage children to participate and earn house points - story telling and likhita japa. Email for submitting this has been shared in our WhatsApp group
Continue to chant Geeta verses, record and send them to the email that was shared in our WhatsApp group
Please sign-up to present about the Saints of India, if not done already. The students/along with their parents are welcome to present on any Saint of their choice - they can dress up and speak or present with Google slides.
We may have a Kahoot game in our next class, so request parents to work out the logistics of this with their kids
The zoom link has been shared with the parents in the WhatsApp group and the meeting ID has been saved as the group's description.
Regards
Abhirami Shrinivas
Rekha Pai
Here is a brief summary of class activities for Week 23, April 19, 2020.
This was an online Balavihar session and the students were allowed into the ZOOM meeting with a password, and after their identities were confirmed by the teachers.
1. Started with OM chanting and opening Prayers.
2. Reminded the students of online classroom etiquettes.
3. We then had three students present about the lives and teachings of Saints of India. They researched on the Saints of their choice and had the Google slides to help the audience connect to the content that they were presenting. Lives of Saints that were presented during this week's session :
- Shree Kabir Das
- Sant Thyagaraja
- Meera bai
4. We had two Junior CHYKs (high schoolers) join us to teach our students. The students were very excited with their interaction with the new teachers. We continued with the Mahabharata story after Arjuna's reunion with the Pandavas.
- In the twelfth year of exile, the Pandavas were engaged in asceticism and lived in the Dwaitavana, far away from civilization. One day a certain brahmana came to meet them, and then visited the court of Dhritarashtra and told him about the plight of the Pandavas. Listening to this Dhritarashtra became sad, and started thinking about the insult after the deceitful game of dice, and how the Pandavas must be waiting for the opportunity to avenge the insult. Shakuni heard the outburst, and told Duryodhana about it.
- Duryodhana wanted to go and meet the Pandavas, look down upon them in adversity, humiliate them, and mock at their misfortunes. He knew Dhritarashtra would not allow him to go to Dwaitavana to meet the Pandavas. Duryodana started thinking of a plan to convince his father and Bheeshma. With the help of Shakuni, Karna and Duhshana he comes up with the pretext of counting cattles/annual census at Dwaitavana, and to go hunting. Dhritarashtra is persuaded to grant permission to Duryodhana to go to Dwaitavana after Shakuni assures him that they will avoid any close encounter with the Pandavas.
- They reach Dwaitavana and set-up their camp, and went hunting. One day Duryodhana's men strayed into the forest, and were stopped by the Gandharvas, as their King Chitrasena was camping there. Hearing this Duryodhana sent a band of soldiers to settle the matter. The Kaurava army was rushed back by the Gandharavas. Duryodhana was filled with rage. He along with Karna, Dushashana, other sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the big Kuru army marched to defeat the Gandharva warriors. The Kaurava soldiers were overpowered, and started deserting the field.
- Gandharva king, Chitrasena had magic powers and he leased them on the Kaurava soldiers. The Gandharvas overpowered the Kauravas, and took Karna, Duryodhana, and a host of other Kauravas as prisoners.
- Seeing Duryodhana being taken captive, some of his men approached the Pandavas and asked for help to release them from the Gandharvas. Bheema didn't want to help them; however, benevolent Yudhishthira agrees to offer help inspite of knowing Durodhana's evil intention, since the honor of the family was at stake. And he considered this it was the path of dharma, as his duty as a Kshatriya to protect, and help the needy in distress. He asks his other four brothers to try winning Gandharva king over through peaceful negotiations and rescue Duryodhana and his army.
- Bheema, Arjuna reluctantly gathered their weapons and made their way to rescue the Kauravas. First the Gandharva soldiers are not ready to release Duryodhana, and they engage in a battle. Arjuna slews them with his celestial weapons. As the battle continues, Chitrasena realizes the damage done to his forces, and rushes to Arjuna. He fought with illusory forces, and Arjuna with his celestial weapons, and after they were exhausted by the battle, Chitrasena appeared before the Pandavas, and agrees to set Duryodhana and his brothers free.
After the humiliating defeat at the hands of Gandharva, and taken hostage by them, Duryodhana is embarrassed and finds it very difficult to return to his capital. He is even more humiliated that he was released from captivity through the efforts of Yudhishthira. He preferred to have died in the battle, rather than have been saved as a result of a favor done by the Pandavas.
- Even after being consoled by Shakuni and Karna, he decides to forego food, and fast unto death. The daityas and the danavas come to know of Duryodhana's intentions, and commenced a yajna to summon Duryodhana to their presence. After the rites had ended, a female diety arose from the fire, and brings Duryodhana. He is told that there are many danavas to help Duryodana destroy his enemy - the sons of Pandu. And they ask Duryodhana to go back and run the earth. The diety then carried Duryodhana back to the spot on the banks of the river where he had been meditating.
- The following morning, he is approached by Karna, who promises to slay Arjuna in the battle and defeat the Pandavas. Hearing Karna's resolve, and remembering the words of the danavas, Duryodhana agrees to go back to Hastinapura. After this incident, Duryodhana decides to leave the Pandavas alone till the thirteenth year of their exile.
The story telling was followed by a question and answer session, and the students exchanged their thoughts on what they liked and learnt from this story.
5. Three more students took turn to talk and present on the Saints of their choice that they had signed up for. The Saints that were presented were:
Gautam Buddha
Mahavira
Sant Kabir
At the end of each presentation, the students asked questions, shared what they liked about the Saint's life, and teachings, and why they chose the saint to talk about.
6. We ended our class with the Aarthi, closing prayers and Pledge. Our students joined.
Our next class will also be online on April 26, 2020.
Reminders:
Please share the presentation "Saints of India" to our group email ID shared in our WhatsApp group
Please encourage children to participate and earn house points - story telling and likhita japa. Email for submitting this has been shared in our WhatsApp group
Continue to chant Geeta verses, record and send them to the email that was shared in our WhatsApp group
Please sign-up to present about the Saints of India, if not done already. The students/along with their parents are welcome to present on any Saint of their choice - they can dress up and speak or present with Google slides.
We may have a Kahoot game in our next class, so request parents to work out the logistics of this with their kids
The zoom link has been shared with the parents in the WhatsApp group and the meeting ID has been saved as the group's description.
Regards
Abhirami Shrinivas
Rekha Pai
