Today was the last class of the calender year 2020.
We began the class with Gurustotram and completed the first 10 verses by the kids.
We started with a Kahoot game that covered questioned based on class content.
We moved forward with the story of the war on the 15th day
Drona was fighting very fiercely, breaking many rules of fair warfare stung by the harsh words of Duryodhana. The Pandavas were having a difficult time withstanding his prowess. That is when plans to trick him to give up his weapons are made. Bhima kills an elephant called Ashwattama and declares to Drona that his son is dead and he should lay down his weapons. Drona continues to fight for sometime and finally asks Yudhishtra for the truth. At that point in order to save many innocent soldiers from Drona's menace, Yudhishtra lies and says that Ashwattama is dead but he then softly says that Ashwattama is the elephant that Drona does not realise. Drona drops his weapons, sits in his chariot and begins to meditate with the purpose of giving up his life. Dhrishtadhyumna who is born to kill Drona seizes the moment. Sword in hand, he jumps into Drona's chariot and despite Arjuna's pleading, cuts off Drona's head. That night when Ashwattama realises the way his father was killed, he is in a rage and attacks the Panadava army at night, fighting fiercely and releasing the Narayanastra. Ghatotkacha fights back and wounds the Kaurava army and Karna is forced to use the Shakti Astra against him and kill him. Karna knows that he cannot defeat Arjuna as he no longer had the Shakti Astra with him.
With Drona dead, Karna becomes the commander in chief of the Kaurava army on day 16 of the war. He ravages the Pandava army and defeats each of his younger brothers except Arjuna in one on one duels but spares all their lives. On day 17, Bhima kills many more of Duryodhana's brothers inclusing Dussasana. He rips open his chest and drinks his blood thus fulfilling his oath. Both Karna and Arjuna fight each other in a fanatastic duel. All of the curses Karna recieved come true, he forgets the incantations for his divine Astras and his wheel gets stuck in the ground. He releases the Nagastra aimed for Arjuna's head but Krishna pulls the reins of the horses and sinks the chariot a few feet into the ground. The Astra misses Arjuna's head and hits his crown. Finally Karna is on the ground trying to release his wheel from the ground and asks Arjuna to wait and fight fairly. Krishna tells Arjuna that Karna had never fought fairly in killing Abhimanyu or humiliating Draupadi. Arjuna shoots and kills Karna.
We then completed the class with the kids sharing their happiest memories of 2020. We chanted Gita shlokas 13,14. Kids read the pledge.
