Hari OM All,
This week we started our class with Introductions. This was followed by prayers and Slokas - the pdf version was posted to the WhatsApp group. Please ask your children to practice this at home.
This was followed by a recap of Mahabharata - Adi Parva that was taught last year (in Grade 5):
- The story starts off with Shāntanu, the King of Hastināpura. His marriage to Ganga, the drowning of his 7 newborns and the subsequent birth of the boy that lived - Devavrata. The child was raised by Ganga and brought to Shāntanu as a young man. He was the crown prince of Hastināpura, which didn't last for long. He was informed of his father's love for a fisherwoman princess Satyavati, and also that the marriage was not possible because any child born of that union would not be at the throne. Devavrata immediately gave up his right to the throne along with a vow to never marry and create heirs, thereby earning him the name 'Bhīshma'. His father, in response to his huge sacrifice, gave him the blessing to choose his time of death.
- Satyavati and Shāntanu had 2 sons, Vichitraveerya and Chitrāngadha. Chitrāngadha was killed by a Gandharva of the same name, while Vichitraveerya was one who enjoyed the excesses of pleasure and gluttony. To remedy the situation, Satyavati requested for him to be married and Bhīshma brought the 3 princesses of Kashi - Ambā, Ambika and Ambālika. Ambā wanted to marry Sālva, but that was thwarted when Bhīshma abducted her along with her sisters to be married to Vichitraveerya. In her anger, she cursed that she will be the one to end. Bhīshma's life. Meanwhile, Ambika and Ambālika married Vichitraveerya, but he did not live long. Satyavati, in her attempt to produce heirs, asked Bhīshma to marry the princesses and procreate, but he refused strongly. Satyavati then approached her first son (with Sage Parāshara), Krishna Dwaipāyana, also known as Veda Vyāsa. He agreed to bless Ambika and Ambālika with children.
- Now, Veda Vyāsa was a slightly fierce looking person that instilled a sense of fear in the weak minded. Ambika, afraid to even look, shut her eyes at the time of blessing, giving birth to a blind child, Dhritarāshtra. Ambālika, on the other hand, went pale at the time of blessing, giving birth to a pale child, Pāndu. Unable to trust an entire kingdom on weakling newborns, she asked Ambika to have another child through Veda Vyāsa. This time she sent a maid in her place, who then gave birth to the wise Vidura.
- Pāndu grew to be a true warrior, conquering many kingdoms. He married Kunti and Mādri. Dhritarāshtra, raised in the shadow of his brother, married Gāndhāri. Pāndu decided to stop the battles and relax in the forest with his wives. Dhritarāshtra agreed to take the throne, with Vidura as his wise counsel.
- In the forest, Pāndu could not keep away from his weapons and went hunting. In the process he killed a deer, who turned out to be Sage Kindama who was playing with his wife. The Sage's wife cursed Pāndu that he would drop dead upon touching his wife. He was in a dilemma - how would he procreate with the curse like a 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over him. Kunti then revealed a childhood blessing she received from Sage Durvāsa, giving her the ability to produce a child blessed by any of the Gods. With that mantra, Kunti gave birth to Yudhisthira, Bheema and Arjuna (with blessings from Yamā, Vāyu and Indrā respectfully), while Mādri gave birth to Nakula and Sahādeva ( with blessings from the Ashwini Kumārās). Meanwhile, in Hastināpura Gāndhāri gave birth to Duryodhana on the same night Bheema was born. Then came the 98 other sons and the daughter Dusshāla.
- A few years passed and life went well, till it didn't. Pāndu, in an amorous mood, approached Mādri. Shocked that he had forgotten the curse, Mādri got away from him but it was too late. Pāndu dropped dead right in front of her. Unable to forgive herself, Mādri decided to join her husband in his journey to the heavens, giving Kunti the responsibility of raising the twins along with their brothers.
- The Pāndavās along with their mother, Kunti came to Hastināpura to start their princely education. This arrival of the Pāndavās irritated their cousins, the Kauravās. Duryodhana, having enjoyed special status, knew the special love the elders had for the 'fatherless Pāndavās'. He even gave Bheema poisoned food and threw him in a river inhabited with snakes. Unfortunately for him, the snakes' poison counteracted with the poison in his system. While there, he was also blessed with the strength of 8000 elephants by the King of the Snakes. All these instances made the Kauravās even angrier towards their cousins.
- Bhishma decided that it was time for the royal princes' to start their education in weaponry, among other areas. He selected Dronācharya to be the ideal teacher. Drona was immensely happy, not just to be the teacher of the Hastināpura princes' but also in the knowledge that he had his trained army to avenge the humiliation he experienced at the hands of Drupada. His own friend had insulted him, had asked him how a mighty king could be friends with a pauper. Drona swore to bring that mighty ego to his knees. The Family Tree of the Kuru dynasty was shared in the WhatsApp group. We will continue with Adi Parva in our next class.
We also watched a video on Sanskrit Chanting Primer - this is to familiarize kids with transliteration of characters in Sanskrit. The list of books/handbooks that will be used this year was also shared as pdf in the WhatsApp group.
Pranaams!
Krishna and Nivedita
