Hari Om Parents,
Please find the below update from our class on Friday Sep 29th, 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!
We practiced reciting the Mangala Aarati, Aarati, Chinmaya Aarati and the Shaanti mantras, in the class.
Mahabharata Summary: We continued with the topics review from last year.
During their stay in the forest, Sage Vyasa visited the Pandavas. He advised Arjuna to go to the Himalayas, practice austerities for the purpose of getting new weapons from the devas. He foresaw war and wanted the Pandavas to be well equipped.
Arjuna took leave of his brothers and Draupadi. He passed through a dense forest and reached the mountain of Indrakila where he met an old brahmana. The ascetic spoke affectionately to Arjuna and asked the intent of his visit. That was Indra, the king of gods who came to have the pleasure of meeting his son. Arjuna bowed to his father and said that he sought arms and sought Indra's blessings. Indra advised Arjuna to do penance on Lord Siva. Arjuna then went to the Himalayas and did penance to obtain His grace.
Lord Siva disguised as a hunter accompanied by goddess Umadevi entered the forest in pursuit of a game. A wild boar started charging Arjuna who shot an arrow into it with his Gandiva at the same moment that the hunter Siva transfixed it with a shaft from Pink, his bow. This angered Arjuna, but Lord Siva added that it was his shaft that killed the boar and not Arjuna's arrow and if Arjuna thought differently he was welcome to fight with him.
Arjuna immediately consented to fight with the hunter and showered a snake like arrows at Lord Siva. To his amazement, they seemed to have no effect on the hunter. When he had no more arrows, he started to strike Siva with his bow but Lord Siva wrenched the bow with ease from Arjuna's hands. Arjuna was struck with amazement. He then drew his sword and continued the combat. The sword was shivered to pieces. The hunter caught him in an iron clasp so close that Arjuna was helpless.
Arjuna now humbly sought divine aid and meditated on Lord Siva and as he did so, a light broke on his troubled mind and he at once recognized who the hunter was. He fell at the feet of the Lord and prayed for forgiveness. Lord Siva forgave him and gave back his Gandiva as well as other weapons. He also bestowed on Arjuna the marvelous Pasupata weapon.
Arjuna's battered body was made whole by the divine touch of the Lord and he became a hundredfold stronger and more brilliant than before. He then beckoned Arjuna to visit his father Indra in the heavens. Arjuna reached the heavens and spent time with his father and learnt music and dance. While he was there, Urvasi tried to persuade Arjuna to marry her. But Arjuna rejected her amorous overtures saying that she was like a mother to him. This angered Urvasi and she cursed Arjuna with a loss of manhood. But through Indra's grace the curse would hold good for only a year and the time would be for Arjuna to choose. So Arjuna decided to utilize that opportunity during this thirteenth year to disguise as a eunuch and to teach the women singing and dancing.
Bhagavad Gita: There was no Bhagavad Gita video telecast this week due to the House Inaugural activity.
- Class participation: The children are very attentive in class and eager to participate in discussion. We played a game of quiz from Mahabharata and the children did really well.
Balavihar House Inaugural activity
The children assembled in the lobby at 7:50 pm. Captains from Grade 8 - 12 came down to bring the children from the classroom to the lobby and handed them flags. Children assembled in the temple hall waving their house flags. They all recited their house (Durga's daredevils) cheer and bhajans.
- There was a small activity. The children were given instruction on how to wrap cutlery (spoon and fork) in a napkin, wrap a napkin band around it, seal with the other end of the napkin band over the adhesive area and finally place a sticker on the napkin band.
- For each neatly wrapped cutlery, the team was given 10 points. For any cutlery that was torn or did not meet the standards, there was negative 5 points. The children worked really well with a team spirit and participated with great focus and enthusiasm and earned lots of points for their class. Contests for the rest of the year was also announced.
Pledge: We concluded the House Inaugural with the Pledge.
Please have the children do their daily prayers regularly and also practice the ślokas and Gita chanting.
Thank you! See you back on Friday Oct 6th 2023.
Pranāms,
Viji Lakshmi Hari and Anupama Sivakumar
Friday Grade 6 sevikas
