Hari Om Parents,
We started our class with our Likhitha jaapa followed by daily prayers and then Ganesha Panchanatham.
The homework from Jan 12th class follow up is as below
Learn to chant Gita Chapter 4 until 16 shlokas and send recordings to Geeta chanting team email: - geeta@chinmayavrindavan.org to get house points and also points for themselves too.
We recapped the story thus far, Dhritarstra married Gandhari the Princess of Gandhara, and since her husband was blind she chose to be blindfolded throughout her life to be a pativrata. Pandu married Kunti the daughter of KuntiBhoja and also Maadri who was sister of Shalaya. Back story of Vidhur and Kunti. How Pandu went to live in the forest after being cursed by the sage. The birth of Yudhishthira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. We then continued with our Mahabharata story by reading the Story of Drona,Wax Palace and Escape of pandavas.
Story of Drona:-
Drona was the son of Sage Bhardwaja. After completing his study in Vedas and Vedanta he went to learn the art of archery and went on to master it. Drupada who was the son of King of Panchala was also a student in the same hermitage of Drona and they were very good friends. Drupada in his Boyish Enthusiasm always used to tell Drona that he would give the half of the kingdom to Drona once he became the king. After completing his studies Drona married Kripi the sister of Kripa and they had a son named ashwathama. Drona was much attached to his son and wife and he went to Sage parasurama to distribute his wealth in charity. But by the time Drona reached Parasurama already had given away everything and was about to retire to the forest. But anxious to do something for Drona, Parasurama taught the use of weapons to Drona and he became the supreme master and unrivalled master of the art of war fare.
Meanwhile Drupada became king of Panchala. Drona, remembering the previous intimacy of himself and Drupada, went to king Drupada to seek help. Drupada in the arrogance of power insulted Drona and told him to leave and denied to recognize Drona. Drona mentally swore to take revenge on this insult. In-search of livelihood, Drona went to Hastinapura to his brother-in-law KripaAcharya who was the royal Acharya in Kuru Palace. One day the princess was playing outside with a ball and the ball fell into a well nearby. All the princess surrounded the well and were thinking how to get the ball out from the well. A Brahmana stranger was watching the princess from the corner and asked the princess "oh princess why cannot anyone who has mastery in archery remove the Ball?" Yudhishthira then said oh Sage if you can do that for us we will make sure you get rewarded well. Drona who was the stranger Brahmana took the straw blades nearby and chanted mantra and put it in well and it went straight and struck to the ball. He did it in a similar way and kept adding straws until it came till top of the well and then he pulled out the ball with help of the straws. Yudhishthira was surprised at this and he asked the Brahmana who he was, Drona tells them to go to Bheeshma and tell him what happened. Bheeshma when learnt about the incident from Yudhishthira understood who it was and immediately went and asked drona to teach the art of war fare to Kuru princess. Drona gladly agrees. Once the princess of kuru finished there learning from Drona, they asked him what can they give as Guru Dakshina? Drona tells them to bring the King of Panchala as his slave and defeat him. Arjuna steps forward and goes and fights a war with Drupada and ties and brings him to his Guru's feet. Drona then smiling tells Drupada not to fear and this was only to teach him a lesson, as Drona won the war and the kingdom of Panchala was his now, he tells Drupada that he would give Drupada half of the kingdom and they were equals now. Drupada felt abashed and insulted and vengeance to take revenge on Drona and Arjuna. He does a yagna and out of it comes a Son who is born to kill Drona and a daughter so that she can wed Arjuna.
The Wax Palace and Escape of Pandavas:-
Dhuryodhana's hatred grows day by day looking at the strength of Bhīma and the increase in popularity of the Yudhishthira. Sakuni hatches a plan on how to get rid of Pandavas.
Sakuni tells Duryodhana's that there is a yearly festival at city of Varanavata and they should send Pandavas and mother kunti there and make a plot to kill them there. Dhuryodhana's then asks how Bheeshma or Vidur will agree for this. Sakuni tells Duryodhana's to keep faith in his plan.
Next morning Sakuni, Dhuryodhana and Dhusyanasana go to the court when Dhritarashtra and Vidur are present and tell them that since the yearly festival is coming up in city of Varanavarta Yudhishthira and his brothers must go to represent the king as Yudhishthira is the future king of hastinapura. Dhritarashtra is very happy to hear this coming from Duryodhana's. But Vidur objects and says that the king of hastinapura should be going and not the crown prince. Dhuryodhana's and Sakuni then try to convince Vidur by saying that they were trying to help Yudhishthira to learn the duties and get familiar with kingly duties.
Dhritarastra then summons Pandavas and tells them to go to the City of Varanavata the next day and attend the annual festival and represent the king of Hastinapura.
Yudhishthira agrees to the orders of the king Dhritarashtra, but all his brothers are very suspicious.When they are heading out Vidur warns Yudhishthira in a dialect "The rat always try to escape the fire, in similar manner we should also be prepared for the escape".
Sakuni and Dhuryodhana summon Purochana and instruct him to construct a beautiful palace but it must be made out of flammable materials and he must always make sure to follow Pandavas in Varanavarta and when the time is right set the Wax palace to fire so that Pandavas along with mother kunti die there and it must look like an accident. Purochana being the obedient servant of Duryodhana agrees to do so.
After a few days Pandavas along with their mother Kunti take leave of King Dhitarastra, Bheeshma and Vidur leave for the city of Varanavata. In the city of Varanavata they are welcomed by Purochana who shows them the newly built palace for them. The palace is very beautiful and huge. All the Pandavas except yudhistira suspect the palace. After Purochana leaves Yudhishthira tells his brothers that since it was the king's orders they had to come to the city of Varanavata. It would be disrespectful not to obey the king's order who is also their uncle. Bhima and other Pandavas go and inspect the palace and come back and tell yudhistira that they suspect that the palace is built of wax.
The next day a miner comes to meet Yudhistira and tells him in the same dialect as what vidur had spoken to Yudhistira. He also tells him that he has been sent by Vidhur and he would be helping to dig a tunnel to escape from the palace. During the day, Pandavas and mother kunti would go around the city of Varanavata and also explore the nearby forests. Purochana always used to accompany and follow Pandavas wherever they went. This gave the miner a chance to dig a tunnel under the palace.
After a few days the annual festival was held in grandeur and the miner informs Yudhistira that the work he came for is completed and takes his leave.
The next day Yudhistira tells his mother to cook a nice meal for all the servants and also informs to add sleeping substances so that whoever eats the food will fall asleep. He orders his brothers that time has come for them to change into incognito dress and leave once everyone is asleep. He also orders Bheema to light the palace to fire once mother Kunti and all the Pandavas leave from the tunnel. That night everyone is invited for the feast including Purochana. After eating a sumptuous meal everyone falls asleep except mother kunti and Pandavas who do not eat the meal.
They change into incognito dress and use the tunnel and leave the palace. Bhima sets the palace to fire and escapes as well.
Next day news reaches hastinapura that the palace in varanavata caught fire and everyone present there died and could not be rescued. Mother Kunti along with her five sons are declared dead.
Vidhur gets the news from the miner that Pandavas and mother kunti have escaped which relieves him but he secretly feels happy inside. Dhuryodana Sakuni and king Dhritarastra hear the news and pretend to be sad.
It was time for our swamiji's Gita chanting and Aarthi so we concluded our class here. Until we meet next on January 19th 2024
With Om and Pranams
Anuradha & Shivram
Important Information:
List of things that we need the kids to bring to the class
1. An empty notebook to write likhita japa and notes
2. Two sharpened pencils
3. Daily Prayers book
4. Curriculum for 5th graders
1. Mahabharata by Raja Gopalachari
2. India the sacred land (handouts will be provided by teachers)
3. Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 4. Shlokas 1-28
4. Shlokas- Ganesha panchartnam and Nirvana Shatakam.
4.1 Ganesha Panchratnam
4.1.1 Link to rendition with lyrics in English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lZCKxeJFE or
4.1.2 Link: https://youtu.be/Oyo0FWP9fB8?si=ZaYVDepNkX0YWShI (play at lower speeds for kids to follow lyrics and hear clearly
4.2. NirvanaShatakam
Link to chant
https://youtu.be/rKx7K13OvQ4?si=lM6g_ZtX0kdF5Sfo - Uninterrupted Line Guided Chant - YouTube
