Hari Om Parents,
Please find the below update from our class on Friday Sep 22nd, 2023.
Class began with Opening Prayers - 3 OMs, followed by the chanting of Sahana Vavatu. Then invoked the blessings of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and all our Gurus, by chanting..
Śri Ganeshaya Namah!
Śhri Saraswathyai Namah!
Śhri Sad-Gurubhyo Namah!
Kindly encourage the kids to memorize these and recite them at appropriate times throughout the day. Thus instilling in them, not just the learning part but to put all that they learn, into practice in their daily routine.
Shlokas: ( My Prayers Book)
The kids, then took turns to recite the Daily Prayers ( page#11) in the order of:
• Karagre Vasate
• Samudra Vasane
• Gange cha Yamune
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam
• Brahmaarpanam
Mahabharata Summary: We continued with the topics review from last year.
Karna
As Karna and Arjuna geared up for the match of a lifetime, in stepped Guru Kripacharya, and inquired the parentage of Karna, citing a reason that a prince of a high-ranking family as Arjuna is, could not engage in a combat with any mere warrior. Karna hung his head in shame, unable to provide a proper answer to this question, posed by the reverent Guru. An indignant Duryodhana, posed a counter solution to this predicament, by announcing Karna as the newly crowned King of Anga and thus becoming eligible to fight Arjuna. He performed all the necessary rituals and rites for the coronation of Karna and awarded him with the royal insignia, jeweled crown and other relevant items. Karna pledged his everlasting loyalty to this generous King and promised to remain his closest ally and friend until his breath passes. Karna's father, the old charioteer, was overcome with deep emotions on witnessing his foster son attain such glory and honor. He beckoned his son closer, and both embraced in sheer joy. The sight of Karna with his father of lowly status, prompted more sneers and jeers from the crowd. The ridicule continued to build up and Karna was particularly enraged to hear that a whip is a more appropriate accessory for him than the bow he was carrying. As the sun had set for the day at that opportune moment, the crowd disbanded and Duryodhana whisked Karna away in his chariot.Many instances have led to this moment of a face-off between Karna and Arjuna. When Karna was sixteen years old, he approached Dronacharya wishing to hone his archery skills. Drona refused to teach him, citing his low-born status as a charioteer's son as the reason. Karna, thus rejected, implored Parasurama to tutor him in the art of warfare and archery. Parasurama, assuming the young boy to be a poor Brahmin, accepted him and taught him all that he knew, including the most potent weapon, Brahmastra. Years passed and on one fine day after intense training, exhausted, Prasurama rested on Karna's lap. As he slept peacefully, a wasp dug into Karna's thigh and blood gushed out in torrents. Karna, determined to not disturb his master's siesta, gritted himself and bore the pain caused by the sting of the wasp. Parsurama was awakened by the warm blood touching his body and eyed the boy suspiciously. He flew into an uncontrollable rage and cursed Karna that having learnt the art of archery under false pretenses, he would forget his skills at an opportune moment in his life when he needed it the most. Even the Brahmastra will fail to come to his aid, as his memory will diminish at that time. The wasp was none other than Lord Indira himself, who, on witnessing the near death, face-off between Karna and Arjuna decided to provide an advantage to his dear son by rendering the most potent weapon of Brahmastra ineffective in case of any future combat between the two.
Wax PalaceAs the years passed, the Pandavas won the vote of confidence from the citizens of the country and the talk of Yudhishtra becoming the next King became more and more prevalent. They applauded their generosity, kindness and valor and deemed him the right person to lead the Kingdom. Duryodhana awash with negative emotions and reeling in heavy hatred, admonished his father to put an end to such talk. He painted a scenario of Kauravas living as desolate beggars under the rule of the Pandavas and pleaded with Dhritarashtra to hear his plan to avoid such a situation. The blind King tried to placate his son but to no avail. He proposed that the Pandavas be sent to Varanavata to participate in the festivities for Lord Shiva, and appease the people. The Pandavas departed with other elders to Varanavata. An elated Duryodhana, plotted with Sakuni and Karna to entrap the Pandavas in the wax palace designed by Purochana and murder them. Purochana, built a palace with combustible materials like Jute, lac etc, and plastered the walls too, with inflammable materials.
Vidhura warned the Pandavas to look out for any danger, though not explicitly, by indicating that only those who guess the plot of the enemy only can escape danger and the fire that destroys the mighty forest cannot harm the rat that burrows into the earth. He prepared a tunnel underneath the wax palace to enable the Pandavas to get to safety in case of any mishap. The Pandavas carried on with their duties with great enthusiasm during the day but kept keen vigil at night to fend off any danger. A year passed, and at an opportune moment, Bhima set fire to the palace and the Pandavas managed to escape through the underground tunnel. News spread of the demise of the Pandavas across the kingdom and the citizens plunged into deep despair and horror. The Kauravas, though thrilled, kept up with their charade of a mourning party and grieved for their cousins externally.
The slaying of Bakasura
The Pandavas traveled to the opposite shores of the river Ganges by boat and proceeded on foot, eager to get as far as possible from Varanavata, to avoid the roving eyes of the Kaurava spies. Bhima guided them all to safety, at times carrying them in his arms, hips and shoulders.They eventually reached the village of Ekachakra and disguised as Brahmins, sought refuge in the house of a kind family. They begged for food and grains every day that upon cooking would be divided into two equal portions, one for Bhima and the other for the rest of the family. One day the brothers were out begging for food and Bhima stayed with his mother, Kunti. Suddenly, a cry of anguish and despair erupted from the landlord's living quarters.Bhima rushed into the house and witnessed the little children clinging to their parents, all in a state of despair. Upon inquiry, a terrible truth was revealed. A demon named Bakasura, had captured the village and engaged in looting and killing people for food. To stop him from ravaging the town, the villagers agreed to send a cart full of food with a driver every day. The demon consumed the food and the driver to satisfy his hunger. It is the turn of the Landlord to fulfill that duty and the family had engaged in a serious discussion as to the right person to do so. Kunti then volunteered Bhima to do the job and thus, Bhima went along with the cart. On reaching the mountain cave, he settled to eat the food calmly since it would become inauspicious and wasted if he were to slay the demon. The demon tried to approach Bhima from all angles, but his advance was thwarted effortlessly by the mighty Pandava. Eventually, a terrible fight ensued, and Bhima killed Bakasura by stepping on his back and breaking it. The villagers rejoiced at this happy turn of events and thus peace returned to this tiny village, atlast.Draupadi's swayamvara
Drupada, the King of Panchala, had a son named Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter named Draupadi. His other daughter, Shikandi's story was covered in the earlier class. The king chose an auspicious day to hold the swayamvara of Draupadi and announced it to the entire world. News reached the Pandavas and they, too, decided to travel to Panchala to take part in the festivities, still disguised as Brahmanas. The town was decked with beautiful decorations and garlands with various entertainments playing along the way. Many princes have gathered from far and near all in glamorous attires, including Duryodhana and Karna, hoping to win the hand of Draupadi. Dhrishtadyumna rode in on a beautiful horse, followed by Draupadi seated atop a majestic elephant. The coy princess ascended the stage, and all eyes were affixed on her full of awe and admiration. Dhrishtadyumna, announced to the audience the details of the contest that they needed to fulfill to attain his sister. They were supposed to shoot five arrows in succession, through the hole on the rotating apparatus at the golden fish that was fixed on top of a long pole. Many Princes eagerly participated but could not succeed. Karna managed to string the bow, but it snapped out of the loop and was even more enraged to hear Draupadi say that she wouldn't marry a Suta at any cost. Arjuna strung the bow and invoking the Gods mentally, shot all the five arrows through the disc in quick succession and hit the target. Draupadi placed her garland over the shoulders of Arjuna, much to the chagrin of the assembled Kings and Princes.Dhrishtadyumna, wary of the fact that his sister married a Brahmana, followed them. He was elated to discover that the Brahmana was none other than Arjuna himself and was beside himself to find Kunti with all the Pandavas in their humble dwelling. He conveyed his find to Drupada and the joyous King facilitated the marriage in a solemn ceremony. Kunti had responded to the news of the Swayamvara by advising the Pandavas to share the spoils of the win equally among themselves. Drupada objected initially but then was pacified by Vyasa who revealed the prayers of Draupadi to Lord Shiva in her previous life asking for a good husband at least five times in a row. So, fate had warranted that she receives the same in this lifetime.News of the Swayamvara was announced to Dhritarashtra by Vidura. The blind King mistakenly assumed that it was Duryodhana, who had won the hands of Draupadi and arranged for a grand reception. Much to his chagrin, he was compelled to extend the same invitation to the Pandavas and as per the court's advice, offer a half of the kingdom to them. He instructed the Pandavas to go to Khandavaprastha and establish a kingdom of their own, as did their illustrious ancestors such as Harishchandra.Arjuna and Subhadra
Arjuna visited Krishna at Prabhasa and he was captivated by the beauty of Subhadra, the latter's sister. Balarama opposed the union and so, upon Krishna's advice and as per the Kshatriya terms, Arjuna carried away Subhadra in his chariot. Balarama had no other choice than to solemnize their wedding and eventually, the couple bore a mighty warrior son named Abhimanyu.Jarasandha
The Pandavas ruled their kingdom in all glory. Yudhishtra was urged to perform a Rajasuya sacrifice and assume the title of the 'Emperor'. His interest was even more piqued on hearing from Narada, Harishchandra's inclusion in Lord Indira's court after performing such sacrifice. Krishna gave his blessings to the king but warned him that King Jarasandha would be the greatest obstacle since he was aspiring for the same status. Jarasandha had captured 86 kings and upon capturing 100 kings, was planning to sacrifice them, to crown himself as the emperor.King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi and was unable to produce a progeny for a long time. The King sought the blessings of Sage Kaushika, who uttered auspicious mantras and offered the king a Mango. He instructed the King to offer it to the Queen and blessed him with a child. The King, to avoid any inkling of partiality among his wives, split the mango and gave each of the women a half of it. The queens eventually gave birth to one half body of a child. They threw the body parts wrapped in a cloth in a garbage refuse. A demoness by the name of Jara, picked up this bundle and with the intention of consuming it, joined the two halves. The body enjoined to become a whole and a child was created. Jara, then approached the King and offered up the child, who was named as Jarasandha. He ascended the throne later, whom everyone feared and was also the father-in-law of Kamsa. When Krishna killed Kamsa, Jarasandha vowed to destroy the Yadavas. He attacked Mathura several times, forcing Krishna to flee to Dwaraka, and the latter did so to reduce the suffering of his people.The slaying of Jarasandha
Krishna, along with Arjuna and Bhima, approached the King easily, disguised as Brahamanas, offering to engage in an academic debate with him. Krishna, then bluntly challenged Jarasandha to a mortal combat, who then chose to fight with Bhima using bare hands.A terrible fight ensued but each time Bhima would tear him apart, the body would join and become a whole. Krishna picked up a twig, snapped them lengthwise into two equal parts and placed them opposite to each other. Taking the hint, Bhima tore Jarashandha's body apart and placed the halves opposite to keep them enjoining again. The imprisoned Kings were freed, who pledged their loyalty to Yudhishtra and thus proclaimed him as the emperor.Shishupala
Krishna was honored as the primary guest and that enraged Shishupala, who staged a walk-out by riling up a host of other Kings. He insulted Krishna by calling him a cowherd and hence refused to acknowledge the honor extended to Him by the Pandavas. He continued to shower insults on whoever tried to reason with him. Eventually, Krishna vanquished him in a fight and thus, the cursed Shishupala who was Lord Vishnu's attendant was liberated by Lord
Krishna.Game of diceDuryodhana's quest for revenge against the Pandavas was intense and his hatred grew ten-fold upon hearing the success of Yudhistra's Rajasuya sacrifice. He attempted to hatch another plot to destroy the Pandavas, seething with anger and fury. Knowing full well that the Pandavas cannot be destroyed in a war, Sakuni advised Duryodhana to extend an invitation to the Pandavas for a game of dice. Sakuni meant to fully exploit the weakness of Yudhisthira for gambling and thus snatch the kingdom from the Pandavas. Vidura was dispatched to deliver the invitation to Yudhishtra. Though puzzled greatly, Yuddhishtra agreed to the terms of the invitation to maintain amicable relations with his cousins.Upon their arrival at the court in Hastinapura, Yuddhishtra was afflicted with doubts regarding the validity of gambling as a viable recommendation by the Shastras. But Sakuni advocated for this practice, saying "when two people fight, the better man wins. Victory is always the aim but if you are afraid, you can always withdraw". As a Kshatriya, Yuddhishtra could not withdraw when challenged thus proclaiming "Destiny is all powerful", prepared to play the game. The entire court watched in rapt attention, as the dice started rolling. Sakuni was designated to be Duryodhana's representative, who managed to win every game they played using manipulative methods to roll. Yudhishtra waged and lost his treasury, attendants and his kingdom. Soon, he lost his brothers one by one, himself even and upon Sakuni's treacherous words waged Draupadi and lost her as well. An ecstatic Duryodhana, instructed his charioteer, Prathikami to escort Draupadi to the court and expressed his intention to make her a servant.Draupadi's grief
Draupadi was infuriated at this insolence and demanded to know if Yudhisthira lost himself before he wagered his queen. Draupadi refused to enter the court each time, Prathikami requested her to do so, waiting for a viable answer to her question. The elders in court tried to dissuade Duryodhana from performing such a despicable task but he was adamant in his decision. Eventually, he ordered Dussasana to bring Draupadi to the assembly by force, if
needed. Dussasana dragged the distraught woman to the court by her hair and hurled on its floors. Upon Duryaodhana's cruel instructions, proceeded to remove her clothing stating that those too, along with those of the Pandavas, belonged to the Kauravas and Shakuni. Draupadi desperately appealed to the court to revise this evict but found no supporters. She fervently prayed to Lord Krishna, surrendering herself to him completely. Lo and behold! The garment grew in leaps and bounds, kept increasing in sheer length that Dussasana collapsed on the ground out of sheer exhaustion. Bhima, overcome with wrath and anger towards Dussasana, vowed to tear his heart out and drink his blood. Many ominous signs sounded all around them. The blind King, aware of the calamity that could befall his race if this situation continued, returned the kingdom to the Pandavas and sent them away advocating peace and calm.Duryodhana became more determined to bring about the ruin of the Pandavas and lobbied the court to play one more game of dice. This time around, the wager would be that the Pandavas would give up their Kingdom, if they lost and retire to the forest for thirteen years. On top of that, they need to live in hiding for another year without the Kauravas knowing their living situation. In case of discovery by the Kauravas, they would need to continue living in the forest for another set of thirteen years.Thus, the Pandavas were lured into another game of dice play, which they eventually lost and were banished to live in the forest for thirteen years.Kamyaka forest
The Pandavas proceeded to the forest to begin their Vanavasa for thirteen years. All the citizens lamented this unfortunate turn of events and the sudden departure of the Kind sons of Pandu. They followed them to a long distance in-spite of Yudhishtra's request for their return back to Hastinapura. Yudhishtra was deeply troubled by his inability to provide food to the people and implored Daumya to help with this situation. Daumya instructed him to pray to the
Sun God and Yudhishtra compiled. The Sun God granted him a vessel called Akshaya Paatra that will provide plenty of food until Draupadi eats for the day. Thus, the vessel dissipated their hunger for the next twelve years during their stay in the Kamyaka forest.Back in the capital city of Hastinapura, Vidura advised Duryodhana to bring the Pandavas and offer their kingdom back, to maintain amicable relations between the cousins. Dhritharashtra lost his patience eventually and ordered Vidura to leave the Kauravas and join the Pandavas in their exile. Later, he regretted his decision, worrying that he had driven Vidura, one of the most knowledgeable and wise ministers into the arms of the Pandavas, thus strengthening the enemy camp. He dispatched Sanjaya to follow Vidura and persuade him to rejoin the Kauravas court. Sanjaya managed to complete his mission, largely due to Vidura's affection for his unhappy brother, Dhritarashtra.
Class participation: The children have been intently listening to the stories and participating well in the class. They have been asking pertinent and relevant questions to understand the laws of dharma, sequence of events and why certain incidents happened the way it has been narrated in those times. Some children took turns to narrate the stories that they remembered from last year.
Bhagavad Gita: The first verse of chapter 4 was taught and rehearsed this week, following our Swamiji, Swami Shantanandaji's chanting video.Aarathi: We assembled at the main prayer hall for aarathi and concluding prayers.
Please have the children do their daily prayers regularly and also practice the ślokas and Gita chanting.
Thank you! See you back on Friday Sep 29th, 2023.
Pranāms,
Viji Lakshmi Hari and Anupama SivakumarFriday Grade 6 sevikas
