Hari Om! Parents,
Week 12 Balavihar began with the class doing Om chanting and "Sahana vavatu". We chanted all the verses of "Sri Ganesha Pancharatnam" (pg 30, My Prayers book). The children were assigned their roles for the monthly program coming up on February 26th, and we will begin rehearsals next week.
Geeta Chanting
Grade 5 is the Partha group and will be learning verse 1- 30 of Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Geeta (pg 18, Balavihar Handbook). This week we completed learning verses 17 and 18 with our Swamiji. Please use the link on the Parents WhatsApp group for your child to practice Geeta chanting at home.You can also send your child's Geeta chanting recordings to cnjbalaviharhouses@gmail.com to earn Houses points for Arjuna's Arrows.
Mahabharata
The Pandavas are back in Hastinapur. King Dhritarashtra agrees to give them half of the kingdom. With pomp and ceremony Yudhistira is crowned king of Khandavaprasta. This land that the Pandavas get is very desolate and barren. Lord Krishna requests Indira to send his architect, Viswakarma, to help restore Khandavaprasta. The transformation is so miraculous and awe inspiring that people from far and near gather to see the amazing kingdom. Khandavaprasta is renamed Indraprasta and the Pandavas begin their rule there. Five houses are built for each brother and Sage Narada suggests Draupadi live with each of them for one year at a time. It is agreed that if any brother enters the house of another when Draupadi is there, they will have to spend a year's exile in the forest. Arjuna breaks the rule to help a brahmin and has to leave Indraprasta for one year. He decides to go on a pilgrimage and visit holy rivers. During his pilgrimage he meets and marries Ulupi, daughter of the king of Nagaloka, and King Chitrasena's daughter Chitrangadaa . Arjuna travels to the Himalayas and all the way to South India . Next Arjuna travels up the west coast of India and reaches Dwaraka. Since Arjuna is disguised as a yati, no one recognises him, except Lord Krishna. Balarama invites the yati, who is Arjuna, to stay in the palace gardens and appoints his sister Subhadra to care for his needs. Arjuna falls in love with Subhadra and reveals his true identity to her. He tells Lord Krishna of his intent to marry Subhadra and with the Lord's help carries her away to Indraprasta. Balarama is furious but Lord Krishna pacifies him. The wedding of Arjuna and Subhadra is celebrated grandly in Indraprasta.
One summer, Arjuna and Krishna are at the banks of river Yamuna when a Brahmin approaches them. They ask the brahmin if they can help him in any way and he tells them he is hungry. The brahmin is actually Agni, the fire-god. He tells them that he needs to eat the Khandava forest, but Indra prevents him. The forest was home to Takshaka, Indira's friend. Arjuna and Lord Krishna agree to help Agni, but they lack the powerful weapons needed to defeat Indra. Agni requests his friend Varuna to grant Arjuna the weapons. Arjuna is given the mighty Gandiva bow, two quivers with unlimited arrows, a strong chariot and four swift white horses. Arjuna is very grateful and thanks them. Agni also brings Lord Krishna his Sudarshana chakra and Kaumodaki mace. Takshaka is sent a message and he leaves the forest. Agni begins burning up the Khandava forest and this news reaches Indra. Furious Indra attacks Arjuna with all his might, but Arjuna is able to counter the assault. After a terrible battle, a voice tells Indra to stop the fight and that Takshaka is safe. Indra realises that Arjuna and Lord Krishna are "Nara and Narayana", and that he cannot win against such a powerful pair. Indra blesses his son Arjuna, promising to give him all the divine weapons when the time is right. Soon the entire forest was burnt to ashes. Agni, satisfied with this, blesses them both and disappears. The Adi Parva of our Mahabharata story has concluded with these incidents.
Saints of India
Today was Mahathi's turn for the saint presentation. Her presentation on Mother Theresa was very informative and really creative! We would like to save and archive all the saint presentations made by the children. Please share your child's presentation via email with us as soon as possible. Thank you!
We had to wrap up our class early to watch the Grade 7 monthly performance.
Reminder for Balavihar Houses Contests, the registrations are now open.
Pranaam,
-Rashmi and Shanthi
Resources : If interested, your child can read Kamala Subramaniam's "Mahabharata", available on Amazon and Kindle. On the Youtube, "Epified- The Mahabharata" channel, has bite-sized videos of the stories we are covering in class. The individual episodes are available, in case your child misses class. This is the playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5AjK1x6A8j5KPRft76yRbu3A5T_uxY7s
Class materials needed: Journal/ notebook, pencil, Balavihar Handbook, My Prayers book.
