Mar 8, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with chanting of all Shlokas.

• We discussed the concluding part of Mahabharatha where the Pandavas go to heaven. We also discussed the great character of Yudhisthira who was willing to sacrifice heaven for the sake of a faithful dog.

• Next we started on new topic in this class - "India, the Sacred Land". There are four aspects of Indian culture that was discussed:

1. Saints / Sages
2. Festivals
3. Temples
4. Food and Costume

• Each child in the class was asked to tell the name of a Sage/Saint from India and most of them were able to tell it. We then watched a short movie on Sri Adi Shankaracharya's life and accomplishments.

• Next we started chanting "Mahishasura Mardini Stotram". We hope to continue this in the next few classes. A printed copy was provided to all the kids in the class (pdf is attached to this email).

• We then watched a short movie on "Why we Celebrate Holi" in the class followed by a brief discussion on how it's celebrated in different parts of India.

• The class concluded with Aarati and Pledge in the classroom.

Announcements:

1. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

2. No Class on 3/15 due to COVID-19 health advisory.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Feb 9, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by chanting of all Shlokas.

1. We discussed the cast for the Play: Characters from Mahabharata who could have been Legends. Here's the updated list:
1. Ekalavya (Nikhil)
2. Karna (Atreyi)
3. Shikhandi (Sahaana)
4. Shakuni (Riya)
5. Duryodhana (Jashwanth)
6. Ganga (Reya)
7. Satyavati (Siri)
8. Ashwathama (Archyut)
9. Dushasana (Sridhar)
10. Kunti (Krishna)
11. Uttar Kumar (Saransh)
12. Dhritarashtra (Pranay)
13. Gandhari (tbd)
14. Pandava Putras (tbd)
15. Narrator (tbd)

• We will finalize the above list in the next few classes. We expect most of the rehearsal for the play to take place during the regular Balavihar class time.
1. We discussed the remaining Battle Formations during the Mahabharata War. Here's summary of all the formations that were discussed in this class and a previous class:

1. Krauncha vyuha (Heron formation)
2. Makara vyuha (Crocodile formation)
3. Kurma vyuha (Tortoise or Turtle formation)
4. Trishula vyuha (Trident formation)
5. (Divine formation)
6. Padma vyuha (Lotus formation)
7. Garuda vyuha (Eagle formation)
8. Oormi vyuha (Ocean formation)
9. Mandala vyuha (Galaxy formaton)
10. Vajra vyuha (Diamond/Thunderbolt formation)
11. Shakata vyuha (Box/Cart formation)
12. Asura vyuha (Demon formation)
13. Chakra vyuha (Wheel formation)
14. Suchimukha vyuha (Needle formation)
15. Sringataka vyuha (Horned formation)
16. Ardha Chandra vyuha (Crescent formation)
17. Mala vyuha (Garland formation)

• Detailed description of formations: http://mahabharata-research.com/military%20academy/vyuhas%20-%20the%20strategic%20formations.html

Announcements:

1. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

2. Video Recording: We will be doing a video recording of all Students chanting Bhagavad Gita in a future class after students are more fluent in chanting.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Feb 02, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by chanting of all Shlokas.

1. We discussed the topics for the Play to be enacted by our class during the Annual Day (Jun 13, 2020). We discussed 4 possible options: 1. Top 10 Heroes of Mahabharata; 2. Top 10 Curses of Mahabharata; 3. Modern Mahabharata; 4. Characters from Mahabharata who could have been Heroes (under better circumstances). Based on the class votes, most of the kids picked the 4th topic - Characters from Mahabharata who could have been Heroes. Next, the entire class identified a draft list of characters who could be included in the play. Some of the students also picked the characters that they would like to play. Here's the draft list:
1. Ekalavya (Nikhil)
2. Karna (Atreyi)
3. Shikhandi (Sahaana)
4. Shakuni (Riya)
5. Duryodhana (Jashwanth)
6. Ganga (Reya)
7. Satyavati (Siri)
8. Ashwathama (Archyut)
9. Abhimanyu (Sridhar)
10. Kunti (Krishna)
11. Uttar Kumar (tbd)
12. Gandhari (tbd)
13. Dushasana (tbd)
14. Dhritarashtra (tbd)
15. Ghatotkacha (tbd)
16. Pandava Putras (tbd)
17. Narrator (tbd)

• We will finalize the above list in the next few classes. We expect most of the rehearsal for the play to take place during the regular Balavihar class time.
1. We had a meeting with the class parents after Arathi. Most parents have agreed to encourage their children to participate in the play and also enroll in the Shlokathon to be held on April 4, 2020. We hope a lot of our class can also participate in the Bhagavad Gita chanting competition.

Announcements:

1. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

2. Video Recording: We will be doing a video recording of all Students chanting Bhagavad Gita in the next class. Please ask your children to come in Indian attire.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Jan 26, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas.

1. We practiced the Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam in class a few times. This was followed by a video recording of all children chanting this shloka. The class video recording will be sent to the parents via WhatsApp. 
2. We continued our discussion on Mahabharata by discussing the different Army formations during the Kurukshetra war. The following formations were discussed in detail:

1. Krauncha vyuha (Heron formation)
2. Makara vyuha (Crocodile formation)
3. Kurma vyuha (Tortoise or Turtle formation)
4. Trishula vyuha (Trident formation)
5. Garuda vyuha (Eagle formation)
6. Mandala vyuha (Galaxy formaton)
7. Oormi vyuha (Ocean formation)
8. Vajra vyuha (Thunderbolt formation)

• Additional formations will be reviewed in the next class: https://www.quora.com/How-many-types-of-vyuhas-were-used-in-the-war-of-Mahabharata-I-need-to-know-the-description.

Announcements:

1. PLAY: NEXT CLASS (Feb 02, 2020) ALL PARENTS ARE REQUESTED TO MEET THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASS AT 2.30PM AFTER ARATHI. WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE PLAY THAT WILL BE PERFORMED BY OUR CLASS DURING THE ANNUAL DAY.

2. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

3. Video Recording: We will be doing a video recording of all Students chanting Bhagavad Gita in the next class. Please ask your children to come in Indian attire.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Jan 12, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas. We completed the Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam in this class - all children should be memorizing this and chanting it in the next class.

1. We continued our discussion on Mahabharata by playing a quiz game. The class was divided into 4 teams and each team had to name as many characters from the Mahabharata as possible starting with alphabet A, B, C, D followed by G, H, K, N. Most of the teams did very well and they were allowed to use the workbook to look up the names. Some examples are

• A: Abhimanyu, Adhiratha, Amba, Ambika, Ambalika, Arjuna, Ashwatthama, Ashwins;
• B: Bhima, Bakasura, Balarama, Bhishma, Brihannala ;
• C: Chitrangada;
• D: Dhritadyumna, Drona, Drupada, Dushasana, Durvasa, Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, Draupadi;
• G: Gandhari, Ghatotkacha, Ganga;
• H: Hidimba, Hidimbi, Hanuman, Hrishikesha, Hotravahana;
• K: Krishna, Keshava, Karna, Kripa, Kaurava, Kunti, Kichaka;
• N: Nakula, Nanda.
• Additional names can be reviewed at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Characters_in_the_Mahabharata

2. The class chanted Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-21. All kids should be memorizing these verses in preparation for the Gita Chanting competition.

Announcements:

1. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

2. Makara Sankranti/Pongal Celebration at the Ashram on Sat. 25-Jan-2020 from 2PM to 5.30PM.

3. Next class on Jan 26 (no class next week)

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Jan 05, 2020 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas. We started the Phala Shruti of the Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam in this class. We continued with Mahabharata - completed all the 18 days of the Kurukshetra War. The following topics were covered:

1. Abhimanyu's Valor: After Bhishma's fall, Drona accepted the command of the Kaurava army. Also Karna decided to enter the battlefield with permission from Bhishma who was on a bed of arrows. Duryodhana wanted to capture Yudhishtira alive but news got out to Arjuna about this plan and he kept close to his brother. That day Drona was not able to capture Yudhishtira. Next day he arranged his army in the Chakra Vyuha shape and attacked Yudhishtira fiercely. Bhima fought back but no one could break the Chakra vyuha. The only person who knew how to enter the vyuha was Abhimanyu (Arjuna's son). Yudhishtira asked him to enter the Vyuha - however he only knew how to enter but did not know how to come out of it. Yudhishtira promised to follow him and protect him.  Abhimanyu entered the Vyuha and attacked Duryodhana, Karna, Kripa and Dushasana. Bhima and Yudhishtira were right behind Abhimanyu till the entrance of the vyuha, but just at that point Jayadratha stopped them and they could not enter the vyuha. So Abhimanyu was trapped in the vyuha but he fought fearlessly. Drona, Karna and others setup an unfair scheme to kill Abhimanyu. They broke all the laws of war to kill this sixteen-year-old boy. They attacked him from different directions simultaneously. Drona cut off Abhimanyu's sword, Karna's arrows pierced his shield. Finally Dushasana's son hit Abhimanyu in the head and he was killed. This was the cruelest act performed by the Kauravas.
2. Arjuna kills Jayadratha: Arjuna heard about the horrible details about the death of his son and took a terrible oath to kill Jayadratha the next day before sunset or he would immolate himself. Next day Arjuna fought fiercely and Krishna encouraged Arjuna to look for Jayadratha. The sun was about to set. Arjuna's chariot was led to center of Chakra Vyuha and Jayadratha was protected from all sides. Arjuna was fighting his way closer to Jayadratha but there were too many warriors for him to fight. Krishna decided to use his mysterious powers to distract everyone. He covered the disc of the sun with his Sudarshana Chakra. Suddently there was darkness everywhere and Kauravs started rejoicing and Jayadratha was unarmed. At that moment Krishna told Arjuna shoot his astra at Jayadratha and removed the Sudarshana chakra from the sun and night turned into day again. Arjuna's astra curt the head of Jayadratha and placed it on his father's lap. Jayadratha's father was shocked and dropped it on the ground and as a result of a curse given by himself, his own head split into thousand pieces.
3. Death of Ghatotkacha: Bhima's son Ghototkacha entered the battle after sunset and being an asura he gained more strength at night. Duryodhana wanted to get him killed immediately . So Karna was asked to use his special weapon Shakti given to him by Indra to kill Ghatotkacha. Karna had kept this weapon to kill Arjuna, but to save his army he had to use against Ghatotkacha. The death of Ghototkacha saved Arjuna's life even though it was a great loss for the Pandavas.
4. Drona's End: On the fifteenth day of the war, Drona caused unimaginable destruction in the Pandava army. Drona sent Brahmastra towards Arjuna and Arjuna sent another Brhamastra towards Drona and both wepons destroyed each other. Krishna suggested if Yudhishtira told Drona that his son Ashwattama was dead, he would not fight anymore. To achieve this plan, Bhima went and killed an elephant by the name of Ashwattama and went near Drona and shouted that Ashwattama was dead. Drona suspected this may be a trick so he asked Yudhishtira, who would not lie, to verify this.On Krishna's suggestion, Yudhishtira hardened his heart and decided to lie He shouted "Dead is Ashwattama", adding in a whisper "the elephant". However the last two words were drowned in a dim voice which were not heard by Drona. As soon as Drona heard this, he put down his weapon and sat down in his chariot in meditation pose. Dhrishtadyumna, who was born to kill Drona, went to Drona's chariot and cut his head with his sword. Thus came the end of the great Dronacharya.
5. Last Days of the War: After Drona, Karna was appointed as the commander of the Kaurava army on the sixteenth day. Karna wanted to kill Arjuna and win the war for Kauravas. On the seventeenth day, a great battle took place between the two greatest archers. Karna shot a powerful arrow at Arjuna's head, but Lord Krishna pressed down the chariot in the nick of time. The arrow knocked off Arjuna's crown and missed his head. Due to a previous curse, Karna's chariot was stuck in the mud and he got down to free his wheel. Karna told Arjuna to wait until he freed his wheel. But Krishna reminded Arjuna of the atrocities committed by Karna to Draupadi and the Pandavas and told him to kill Karna before he got back on his chariot. Arjuna aimed the arrow and killed Karna. Thus the great son of the Sun God fell. Karna was a great hero with noble qualities but he was the victim of circumstances. Duryodhana was very sad at Karna's death. On the Eighteenth (last) day of the war, Duryodhana was still courageous and he fought with Bhima . A terrible fight took place between the two. In the end Bhima took his mace and broke Duryodhana's thigh as he had vowed to do when Draupadi was insulted by Duryodhana. Soon after this, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, and Kritavarma met Duryodhana at his deathbed and promised to avenge the actions of Bhima. They attacked the Pandavas' camp later that night and killed all the Pandavas' remaining army including their children. Amongst the dead were Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi and children of Draupadi. Other than the Pandavas and Krishna, only Satyaki and Yuyutsu survived. Duryodhana was the cause of the whole destruction. Pandavas were dharmic and wanted peace but they had no choice but to fight to establish dharma. They had great faith in Lord Krishna who was their protector.

During the class, we had an extensive quiz session and all the kids participated enthusiastically. We concluded the class by chanting Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-18. 

Announcements:

1. Art Contests registration is now open. Deadline for submission is Jan 12, 2020. Theme this year is 'Daanam' or 'Giving'. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7zOOlnIHpdRx7GFZ2irQkeSjMqJBV3n5OcsBBMrPoJUo_LA/viewform

2. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

3. Makara Sankranti/Pongal Celebration at the Ashram on Sat. 25-Jan-2020 from 2PM to 5.30PM.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Dec 22, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas. We completed all the 8 verses of the Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam in this class. We continued with Mahabharata - covered the first 10 days of the Kurukshetra War. The following topics were covered:

1. The Kurukshetra Field: The night before the war, Sage Vyasa offers to give sight to Dhitarashtra to see the war, but he refuses because he's afraid of seeing his sons die. So Vyasa gave the divine sight to Sanjaya to see the war as it happened. Sanjaya was able to know the thoughts of each person in the war as well.  Both the Kauravas and Pandavas agreed the follow rules of the war: Fight should be between equals for example between two chariots or two archers; No fighting after sunset; Krishna will not use weapons in the war.
2. Description of the Army: Kauravs had 11 Akshauhinis and Pandavas had only 7. An Akshauhini contains 21,870 chariots, as many elephants, three times number of horses and five times as many foot soldiers. Duryodhana's chariot had the famous banner of a serpent embroidered on a cloth of gold. Arjuna's chariot has the banner with Hanumanji embroidered. Krishna was Arjuna's charioteer. Many different arrangements of the army were used on different days of the war including Vajra, Chkravyuha etc.
3. Noble act of Yudhishtira: Before the beginning of the war, Yudhishtira removed the armor and went to Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Shalya (all elders of the family) to ask their permission to fight with them. Bhishma with a smile blessed him and told him "My child, you know that victory is yours. Krishna is on your side" After receiving permission and blessings from all elders Yudhishtira returned to his position.
4. Bhagavad Gita: Sri Krishna understood the mental weakness of Arjuna and wanted to give him mental strength based on spirituality. This is how Bhagavad Gita started - it's a discourse from Krishna to Arjuna. Bhagavad Gita is one of the three basic scriptures of Hinduism (Prasthana Traya). The important teachings of Bhagavad Gita are: "Arjuna a wise man never weeps for the dead nor for the living. You think that you are the one killing and the victim thinks he's getting killed. In reality it's the body that's getting killed.  There are two things in a person - body and soul. The soul can never be destroyed. Weapons cannot hurt the soul. Every human has a duty in life - this is called Dharma. You are a warrior therefore it's your duty to fight. ". Further Krishna says " There are two paths for realization of God. One is Knowledge through meditation and the other is work without expectation of reward. Arjuna you and I have passed through many births. I am not an ordinary soul - I am God myself I take birth on this earth in a human form to destroy the wicked, to protect the good and to establish Dharma. People worship me in different forms - all paths lead to me and I accept them all". After this Krishna revealed his Divine form (Vishwaroopa Darshanam) to Arjuna.  Upon hearing all these words from Krishna, Arjuna was ready to fight again.
5. The Battle Begins: The terrible war began. The first move came from Kauravas - Duryodhana ordered an attack on the enemy. Arjuna took up his bow Gandiva and attacked Bhishma. Arrows were flying everywhere. The fight was very fierce and Uttara died on the first day. At sunset all went to their tents to rest. Next day Arjuna was on the attack again and the Kauravas had a lot of casualties. Krishna was getting impatient with Arjuna - he was not attacking Bhishma directly. So Krishna took up a chariot wheel as a weapon to attack Bhishma but Arjuna reminded him of the promise of not using any weapons in the war. On the fourth day Bhima killed eight of Duryodhana's brothers. On the ninth day the Pandavas along with Krishna  went to Bhishma's tent and he told them that the he would not fight a woman. Next day (10th day) the Pandavas used Shikhandi (who was a eunuch) to fight Bhishma and Bhishma refused to fight with Shikhandi. As a result Bhishma fell that day. After the fall of Bhishma, Drona became the commander of the Kaurava forces.

We concluded the class by chanting Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-16. 

Announcements:

1. Art Contests registration is now open. Deadline for submission is Jan 12, 2020. Theme this year is 'Daanam' or 'Giving'. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7zOOlnIHpdRx7GFZ2irQkeSjMqJBV3n5OcsBBMrPoJUo_LA/viewform

2. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

3. Next Class on Jan, 5, 2020. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All!

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Dec 15, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas. We chanted Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam - most kids have memorized the first 6 verses! We continued with Mahabharata - the focus of this class was the preparations for the Kurukshetra War. The following topics were covered:

1. Duryodhana is adamant on War: After Abhimany-Uttaraa's wedding, Sri Krishna along with Balarama discussed with the Pandavas on how to ask Duryodhana for their fair share of kingdom because the period of exile was over. They decided to send a message to Duryodhana seeking half the kingdom. After Sri Krishna returned to Dwaraka both Arjuna and Duryodhana went to seek his help. Arjuna chose Sri Krishna and Duryodhana chose the Narayana Sena (Sri Krishna's army). Meanwhile Sanjaya approached Yudhisthira to find a peaceful solution to the conflict however Duryodhana was adamant on a war. Yudhisthira was willing to take just 5 villages from the Kauravas but even that was not acceptable to Duryodhana. 
2. War or Peace: Sri Krishna decided to visit Hastinapura to find a peaceful solution. Dhritarashtra welcomed him  and in the assembly there was discussion between Bhishma and Vidura but Duryodhana was angry at this discussion and he decided to kidnap Sri Krishna.  Krishna accepted Vidura's invitation to be his guest because of his love and devotion. Next morning in the assembly Krishna requested Dhritarashtra to avoid the unnecessary war that would cost many lives. But the blind king replied that he was not able to convince Duryodhana. Sri Krishna then offered advice to Duryodhana to follow the path of Dharma but none of the words convinced him.
3. The Grand Form of Krishna: Then Krishna revealed his true form for all to see. He shone like a thousand lit lights. - all the Gods were present on his brilliant form - Brahma, Shiva, Adityas, Vasus etc. Everyone in the assembly hall was stunned as they saw the beautiful Vishwaroopa of Lord Vishnu. Bhishma, Drona, Vidura and Dhritarashtra were able to see the form clearly. The blind king who was filled with love and devotion told Sri Krishna that he did not want his sight back because he wanted to treasure the form forever in his eyes. Duryodhana's plans had failed but his desire to defeat the Pandavas was still there. Then Sri Krishna left Hastinapura.
4. Kunti meets Karna: Mother Kunti knew the war was inevitable. So she wanted to protect her sons from Karna's Brahmastra. She approached Karna one morning and divulged to him the truth about his birth - that she was his mother and he was the eldest brother of the Pandavas. She encouraged Karna to not participate in the war. However Karna continued to support Duryodhana because he allowed Karna to become a Kshatriya.instead of a Sutaputra. He promised his mother that he would spare all her sons except Arjuna. He declared that either he or Arjuna would survive the war and that Mother Kunti would still be left with five sons. Kunti blessed Karna and walked away with a broken heart.
5. War Preparations: Dhristadyumna was made the Commander in Chief of the Pandavas army and and Bhishma for the Kaurava army. They set camp on the banks of the Hiranvati river. Bhishma declared that even though he would lead the Kaurava army he would not harm the Pandavas and told Duryodhana to keep Karna off the battlefield. Karna was annoyed at uncle Bhishma and pledged to enter the battlefield only after Bhishma was slain. In the Pandava army, Arjuna was made the chief fighter with Sri Krishna as his unarmed charioteer. Balarama who refused to take sides in the war, offered his vast Vrishni army to the Pandavas.

We also covered the exercises in the handbook for chapters 15-18 after our discussion.

We concluded the class by chanting Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-13. 

Announcements:

1. Art Contests registration is now open. Deadline for submission is Jan 12, 2020. Theme this year is 'Daanam' or 'Giving'. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7zOOlnIHpdRx7GFZ2irQkeSjMqJBV3n5OcsBBMrPoJUo_LA/viewform

2. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Dec 08, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas and Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam. We completed the VIRATA PARVA of Mahabharata in this class. The following topics were covered:

1. Pandavas enter King Virata's kingdom:The Pandavas entered King Virata's kingdom in Matsya to spend the last year of their exile incognito. Yudhisthira disguised as a Brahmin (Kanaka), Bhima as a cook (Vallala), Arjuna as a dance/music teacher (Brihannala), Draupadi as maid (Sairandhri), Nakula as stable hand (Damagranthi) and Sahadeva as a cowherd (Tantripal).
2. Death of Keechaka: Keechaka who was the commander of the Virata army and a brother-in-law of the king was a mean person. Once he saw Draupadi in the Queen's chamber and wanted to marry her. Draupadi refused his offer and he abused her. She then warned him of her five gandharva husbands to whom she had been very loyal. Next day with help from Bhima, she asked Keechaka to come to her alone in the dance hall and there Bhima killed him.
3. Cows stolen: With tthe death of Keechaka, the neighboring kingdom of Trigartas attacked King Virata. Duryodhana decided to help the Trigartas. The Pandavas decided to help King Virata. Yudhisthira defeated King Susharma of Trigartas. This was the last day of exile for the Pandavas.
4. Uttara - the boaster: Next day the Kauravas attacked the Matsya kingdom. Prince Uttara (son of King Virata) was sent to defend against the Kauravas. Brihannala (Arjuna) was asked to be his charioteer. Arjuna asked Uttara to bring the divine weapons hidden in the Sami tree before the battle. He then revealed his true identity and of the other Pandavas to Uttara. Arjuna then used the divine weapons and drove away the Kauravas from the battlefield.
5. Pandavas reveal their identity: When Uttara returned from the battlefield, he informed his father King Virata of the Pandavas identity. King Virata was sorry for some of his rude behavior to the Pandavas and asked their forgiveness and offered his entire kingdom to them. He also offered his daughter Uttaraa in marriage to Arjuna. However Arjuna declined and instead wanted her to marry his son Abhimanyu. Many kings including Krishna and Balarama attended Abhimanyu - Uttaraa's wedding. Thus ended the Virata Parva.

We also had a quiz in the class after our discussion.

We concluded the class by chanting Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-10. 

Announcements:

1. Chinmaya Kalaarangam: Chinmaya Vrindavan is pleased to announce the sixth in the Chinmaya Kalaarangam series on Saturday, Dec 14th, 2019 (1-6pm) at Chinmaya Vridavan. All music/dance learning Balavihar kids are invited to perform. Chinmaya Kalaarangam is a platform to showcase Bala Vihar children's talents in the field of Indian classical arts. So many of our children have been learning these arts, and show incredible interest. This is an opportunity for them to perform on stage and grow their skills. As Chinmaya community, we should encourage these children, and hope that this performance opportunity will inspire them to continue to learn and perform. 

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Vt1qK7iBClLH4AbqpYO7b6qN8_N1Q1mx86eO0GPpyIg/viewform?edit_requested=true

2. Art Contests registration is now open. Deadline for submission is Jan 12, 2020. Theme this year is 'Daanam' or 'Giving'. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7zOOlnIHpdRx7GFZ2irQkeSjMqJBV3n5OcsBBMrPoJUo_LA/viewform

3. Shlokathon registration is now open. Shlokathon will be on April 4, 2020 from 1-4pm. Shlokas have to be memorized. Participation points and prizes for everyone.

Please register at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ceAyR0VinKl6iX_DOCCZjNIAkUt_1iJTxL5KBw_C9qw/edit

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Nov 24, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa followed by Shlokas.We continued review and discussion of Mahabharata in class. The following topics were covered:

1. Bhima kills Jarasandha:The Pandavas along with Lord Krishna go in disguise as Brahmins to Magadha and challenge King Jarasandha to a fight. Jarasandha picked Bhima as he was known for his skill and the fight lasted 13 days. Towards the end when Bhima tore Jarasandha's body, they miraculously came together. He then remembered Krishna's instruction. Bhima threw the two halves in opposite direction to keep them from getting back together. Thus after a hard battle, Bhima killed Jarasandha. The kings imprisoned by Jarasandha were freed.
2. Jayadratha punished: One day when Pandavas were away, Jayadratha, king of Sindhu saw Draupadi and wanted to marry her. He tried to convince her to accept him but when she refused, he forcefully took her in his chariot. As soon as Pandavas returned and heard this, they rushed to capture Jayadratha. Bhima and Arjuna grabbed him and saved Draupadi. They punished Jayadratha by shaving his head with just a tuft of hair remaining. When they took him to Yudhishthira, he spared Jayadratha's life. Jayadratha was humiliated and prayed to Lord Shiva for a boon to defeat Pandavas. But Lord Shiva refused to grant him the boon.
3. Karna's Kavacha and Kundala: Since twelve years of Pandavas exile was over, Indra wanted to take away Karna's armor to help Pandavas win in battle later. Indra came as a Brahmin and after Karna had prayed to Sun God, asked for his Kavacha and Kundala. Karna was a Daana Veer and gladly gave it to Indra. But he indicated that he knew who Indra was and asked him to grant a boon in return. Indra granted him the weapon Shakti with the condition that it could be used only when there was no other choice.
4. Yaksha Prashna: Just when the Pandavas were getting ready to spend their thirteenth year of exile incognito, a Brahmin asked them to find the deer that had taken his fire-sticks. When the Pandavas chased the deer, they got lost in the forest and were very thirsty. On climbing a tree, they found water in a nearly lake. Yudhisthira asked Nakula to get some water. When he reached the lake, a voice warned him that unless he answered some questions, he would die if he drank the water. Nakula ignored and drank the water and fell down dead. Similarly one by one the other brothers followed and they all fell dead near the lake. Finally Yudhisthira came there and gave profound answers to the dharmic questions asked by the voice. The voice was very pleased and revealed himself as Dharma God. He also restored the lives all the dead Pandavas and gave them a boon that they could take any form during the thirteenth year of exile. 

We also had a discussion and quiz in the class and all the kids participated enthusiastically!

We concluded the class by chanting Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 7-8. 

Announcements:

1. No class next Sunday (12/1). Our next class will be on 12/8.

2. In the next class, we will be video recording all the kids chanting Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, verses 1-4 from memory. Please work with your children to help them memorize these verses.

Wish you all Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Nov 17, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa. This was followed by prayers and Shlokas.We continued review and discussion of Mahabharata in class. The following topics were covered:

1. Yuddhisthira gambles again: Although Yuddhisthira lost everything  in the first game of dice, Dhritharashtra forgives them and returns all the riches to them. However on Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni's asking Dhritharashtra sends one more invitation to Pandavas to gamble. This time also Pandavas lose and are banished to the forest for 12 years with the 13th year to be spent incognito.
2. Pandavas go to the forest: Pandavas departed for the forest with the promise to meet the Kauravas on their return from exile. The Pandavas setup a hut in the forest and started living a simple life. But they had great difficulty finding food especially for Bhima. On Yuddhishthira's prayers, the Sun God appeared before him and gave him the Akshayapatra. This vessel would be full of food every morning to feed as many people as required until Draupadi ate for the day.
3. Vidura visits the forest: Since Vidura was a well wisher of the Pandavas, he visited them in the forest. However his visit was cut short when he was asked to return to Hastinapur by Dhritarashtra.
4. Arjuna prayed to Lord Shiva: Yuddhishthira sent Arjuna to Indra to get divine weapons. Indra told him that Lord Shiva's blessing was required to master the knowledge of using the weapons. Arjuna performed a penance and soon met Lord Shiva in the form of a hunter. There was a fight between the hunter and Arjuna on who shot the boar first. When Arjuna prayed to Lord Shiva to help him out he realized that the hunter was Lord Shiva himself. At that time Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati blessed him with the Pasupata weapon.
5. Sage Durvasa visits Hastinapur and Pandavas in forest: Meanwhile Sage Durvasa came to visit Hastinapur and Duryodhana took good care of him. On Duryodhana's suggestion, Sage Durvasa along with his retinue of several disciples decided to visit the Pandavas in the forest.They informed Yuddhisthira that they would come for meals after a bath in the river. But by then Draupadi had finished her meal and the Akshayapatra could not make any more food for the day. So Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna for help. He appeared before her and asked Draupadi to bring the Akshayapatra. Krishna found a small leaf sticking to the vessel. He ate that leaf. Immediately Sage Durvasa and his followers felt that their stomachs were full and to avoid embarrassment they left the forest immediately without going to the hut of the Pandavas.

We also chanted Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-6.  We read the Bhagavad Gita verses from the Chinmaya Vrindavan Balavihar Handbook (2019 - 2020).

Announcements:

1. Likhita Japa notebooks are now available in the bookstore - one book per child. Please sign up at the bookstore and pick up the book. Write neatly and legibly to earn points - every 50 times will earn you 5 points. When submitting it back please make sure to staple the pages and write your name, grade and House and put it in the box. Points will be awarded in beginning of January, March and May. Participation prizes will be given

2. Registration for Shlokathon is now open. Shlokathon will be held on April 4, 2020 between 1pm-4pm. 25 points for participation. Please memorize the selected Shlokas. List of Shlokas is given in the handbook. Participation prizes will be given.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Nov 03, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa. This was followed by prayers and Slokas. Please ask your children to practice the slokas at home also.

We continued watching the animated movie that covers the first part of Mahabharata - we covered chapters 6-8 that included Draupadi swayamvar , Subhadra's marriage to Arjuna, Rajsuya sacrifice, Game of dice, Grace of Sri Krishna etc. We reviewed the questions from the Mahabharata Handbook - Part 1 for all the three chapters. Next class we plan to review chapters 9-11 (Pandavas go to forest, Vidura's visit, Krishna's pledge, Arjuna's visit to heaven / Indra's palace, Bhima's meeting with Hanuman and Nahusha, Duryodhana's plot and his capture).

Parents are encouraged to purchase the Mahabharata For Children - Junior Class Handbook (Part 1 and 2) from the bookstore. There are over 50 copies in stock.

We also took Class Picture during the class. Thanks to all parents who sent their kids in Indian attire. We will share the class photo via WhatsApp when it becomes available.

Announcements:

1. No class next Sunday. Our next class will be on 11/17/2019.

2. Please join the Chinmaya Surabhi 2019 - on 11/15/2019 (Fri) at 6.30pm at Royal Albert Palace, Fords, NJ.  You can purchase your tickets from Chinmaya Sevaks or the Book store.

http://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/surabhi/

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Oct 27, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa. This was followed by prayers and Slokas. We practiced the first 3 verses of Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam. One new sloka was taught in the class - the ten names of Devi. Please ask your children to practice this at home.

We continued review of first half of Mahabharata - we watched the animated movie in class that covered Drona and Karna. Additionally we used the BV handbook - part 1 to discuss Eklavya, The Lac Palace and Bakasura. With this we have covered Chapters 1-5 in the handbook. Next class we plan to review chapters 6-8 (Draupadi, Subhadra, Rajsuya sacrifice, Jarasandha, , Game of dice, Grace of Sri Krishna). Parents are encouraged to purchase the Mahabharata For Children - Junior Class Handbook (Part 1 and 2) from the bookstore. There are over 50 copies in stock and you should be able to buy them now.

We also chanted Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 1 - verses 1-2. All students should bring their Chinmaya Vrindavan Balavihar Handbook (2019 - 2020) to class. We read the Bhagavad Gita verses from there.

Announcements:

1. We will have Class Picture day on Nov 3, 2019 (next class). The class pictures will be published in the Surabhi 2019 Souvenir. Parents - please ask your children to come to class in traditional Indian attire.

2. Chinmaya Surabhi 2019 - At Chinmaya Mission Tri-State Center, we conduct an annual fundraising program called Chinmaya Surabhi. For 2019, Chinmaya Surabhi will be conducted on November 15th at Royal Albert Palace, Fords, NJ. Please join us without fail. You can get your seat tickets from Chinmaya Sevaks or the Book store.

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Oct 20, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

This week we started our class with Likhita Japa. This was followed by prayers and Slokas. Since the class met after a gap of 3 weeks, we practiced the first 2 verses of Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam. Please ask your children to practice this at home. We will be participating in a SLOKATHON competition later in the academic year.

We continued review of first half of Mahabharata - we watched an animated movie in class that covered the birth of Pandavas and Kauravas. We had a short and fun-filled quiz in the class on the topics covered in the movie.

The second half of the class was spent in the temple for the House Inaugural Assembly. Our Grade is part of DURGA's DAREDEVILS and our house color is RED. Our house values are BRAVERY, RIGHTEOUSNESS and our house Bhajan is JAYA JAYA DEVI. Since this year's theme is DAANAM, all the assembled children made cutlery napkin rolls. This will be donated to the local food pantry. We are expecting all students in our class to participate in other House Contests (like Shlokathon, Art, Storytelling, Likhita Jap and Baking) during the rest of the academic year!

Announcements:

1. Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 1 Vrindavan YouTube playlist is now available. First video is an intro to chanting. New videos will be added to this list when available. Please share this with your students also:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVaQ1AsTFVEK4MvW4zOX3dd7ct-7nFwWC

2. All Parents / Teachers of Balavihar Grade 6 - Sunday PM class are requested to join the WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IvydytvpdWeJIEHORguQml

3. Please note that this class summary and all previous class summaries are posted as a blog in the Parents portal which can be accessed at: https://cmnjparentportal19-20.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Sep 22, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

We began our class with our opening prayers and slokams. A printed copy of the slokams were also handed to students who did not get it last week. A pdf version of that document is also attached. Please ask your children to practice this at home. We will be participating in a SLOKATHON competition later in the academic year and we would like all the children from our class to participate in this!

We then reviewed Mahabharata - Part 1. We discussed how Mahabharata is divided into 18 sections called "Parvas" and reviewed the general outline of each Parva. Also discussed the three versions of Mahabharata - Jaya, Bharata and Mahabharata. The students were asked to research the Timeline of when Mahabharata took place in India - please guide your students with this exercise. 

We then reviewed the tree-structure of the Kuru dynasty and how the different characters are related to each other. This included Shantanu, Ganga, Satyavati, Veda Vyasa, Devavrata/Bhishma, Chitrangada, Vichitraveerya, Amba, Ambika, Ambalika, Dhratarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. Many of the students already knew these characters and were eagerly volunteering to narrate the stories associated with each of them! In the next class we will continue our review of other important heroes of Mahabharata.

We concluded the class by practicing the first two verses of Chapter 1 (Arjuna Vishada Yoga) a few times in class. Students are requested to look at page 15 of  Balavihar Handbook 2019-20 to practice this at home.

Announcements:

1. Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 1 Vrindavan YouTube playlist is now available. First video is an intro to chanting. New videos will be added to this list when available. Please share this with your students also:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVaQ1AsTFVEK4MvW4zOX3dd7ct-7nFwWC

2. All Parents / Teachers of Balavihar Grade 6 - Sunday PM class are requested to join the WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IvydytvpdWeJIEHORguQml

3. Please note that this class summary and all previous class summaries are posted as a blog in the Parents portal which can be accessed at: https://cmnjparentportal19-20.blogspot.com/

4. Next class we will have Saraswati Pujai.

Thank you!

Krishna, Shankar and Shasi

Sep 15, 2019 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om All,

We began our class with our regular opening prayers and slokams. We then did class introductions. Every student was handed a card in which they wrote their names and their favorite part in the Mahabharata. Most of the students have some knowledge of the main heroes of Mahabharata and were able to identify important events they liked most. We also played a memory game where everyone including teachers had to remember everyone's name. This was a good ice-breaker and everyone had fun.

We reviewed the class rules and reviewed the syllabus for this year. We will be be covering Mahabharata - Part II from now until Jan after which we will cover portions from India - The Sacred Land. Students are encouraged to purchase a copy of Mahabharata For Children - Junior Class Handbook - Part II from the ashram book store. Optionally you may also purchase a copy of Mahabharata by C.Rajagopalachari.

In the next 4 classes we will be reviewing Mahabharata - Part I that was taught last year (Adi Parva, Sabha Parva, Vana Parva and Virata Parva) so that everyone is on par with knowledge of Mahabharata.

We also handed printed copies of Mahalakshma Ashtakam and Slokas to the students. If you did not get it, please collect it in the next class. We will start chanting Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 from the next class.

Announcements:

A new whatsapp group has been created for all Parents / Teachers of Balavihar Grade 6 - Sunday PM class. Please use this link to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IvydytvpdWeJIEHORguQml

Please remember to ask your kids to be on time and bring a notebook and pencil to the class! 

Thank you!

Krishna and Shasi

Welcome to Gr 6 - Sunday PM Session

Please look out for regular updates from the teachers soon after the session starts on Sept 15th