Hari Om! Parents,
The class began with deep breathing, Om chanting and Sahana Vavatu. After chanting Lord Rama shlokas, the children individually chanted all seven daily prayers (ref. My Prayers Book pg.11). Then they all chanted the Guru Stotram (ref. Balavihar Handbook pg.24). Class reviewed Verses 1-16 of the Bhagavad Geeta (ref. Balavihar Handbook pg.15). Good luck to all the Geeta Chanting Yagna participants! Then the children did yoga and even some jumping jacks.
After a quick recap, Ramayana's Yuddha kanda continued with Ravana returning back to his palace from the battlefield. Ashamed of his defeat in the hands of Lord Rama, he decided it was time to wake up his brother Kumbakarna. Kumbakarna was the bravest warrior, but was cursed to sleep six months in a year. Several rakshasas were sent to wake up the sleeping giant. They played drums and trumpets in his ear, but he still slept on. They proded him with sticks and even elephants trod on him. Finally, Kumbakarana woke up and began eating enormous amounts of food. The rakshasas told him about the war and that King Ravana had summoned him. Like a huge mountain, Kumbakarna walked towards Ravana's court, where he was greeted with respect and awe. Ravana told his brother all that had happened and asked for Kumbakarna's help to defeat Lord Rama. Immediately Kumbakarna scolded Ravana and told him he had made a mistake. He said Ravana could have fought like a brave warrior to win Sita, instead of using trickery. Since Ravana was his brother, Kumbakarana reluctantly agreed to fight the war against Lord Rama. Dressed in his finest, the giant warrior Kumbakarana walked onto the battlefield. The earth shook and several vaanaras were also crushed under his feet. The terrified vaanara army began to run away, but Kumbakarana caught and killed many. Sugriva, Neela, Angada and Hanuman were all wounded and knocked unconscious. Picking up Sugriva, the king of vaanaras, Kumbakarna walked back to parade in the streets of Lanka and the rakshasas cheered for him. Sugreeva woke up, tore at Kumbakarana's ears and nose managing to escape back to safety. Hurt and angry, Kumbakarana went back to the battlefield. Lakshmana went to fight him, but Kumbakarana said he wanted to fight only Lord Rama. The two brave warriors faced each other in battle, and soon Lord Rama killed Kumbakarana with his powerful arrow. Kumbakarana fell and crushed several vaanaras under him. News of the death reached Ravana, who fell down in a faint. Weeping bitterly, Ravana felt he should have listened to Vibhishana's good counsel. Ravana's sons consoled their father and promised to defeat the vaanara army. Trishiras, Narantaka, Devantaka, Mahodara and Atikaya, all skilled warrior sons of Ravana, were killed one after another by Lord Rama's powerful arrows. Heart broken by this news, the worried Ravana realizes that Lord Rama is not an ordinary human. We discussed how as the avatar of Bhagawan Vishnu, Lord Rama's strength and power was hidden behind his ordinary human form. Ravana, being an evil warrior, gathered his rakshasa army again. He increased the security around Ashoka Vatika. Inspite of the loss of his near and dear ones, he would never surrender to Lord Rama. Pausing the story here, the class chanted Shaanti mantras and the closing prayer. We said the Balavihar pledge and ended class.
Please remind your child to continue with the likhita japa of the Rama Nama in their coloring book or in a lined composition book. Thank you, parents, for attending the meeting.
More details about plans for our virtual class presentation will be shared on the WhatsApp group.
Jai Shri Ram!
- Rashmi and Uma
