Hari Om Parents,
We started our class with our Likhitha jaapa followed by daily prayers, Ganesha Panchratnam and continued to learn Nirvana Shatakam 5th and 6th Stanzas.
The homework from Feb 9th class follow up is as below
Learn to chant Gita Chapter 4 until 24th shlokas and send recordings to Geeta chanting team email: - geeta@chinmayavrindavan.org to get house points and also points for themselves too. Nirvana Shatakam practice all the stanzas.
We started Nirvana Shatakam. All the kids present in class received a printout of Nirvana Shatakam, we learnt all the Stanzas.
We continued with Mahabharata from where we left off at Slaying of Bakasura.
Draupadi Svayamvara:-
After the slaying of Bakasura, Kunti mentioned to yudhistira that they needed to move to another place as they had stayed longer in Ekachakranagari. At the same time they heard of swayamvar of Draupadi the princess of Panchala kingdom. Brahmans of Ekachakranagari decide to go to Panchala kingdom as whenever there is such an event usually a lot of gifts and charities are given to brahmins.
King Drupada held a swayamvara for his beautiful daughter Draupadi. On the day of swayamvara, the stage was set and all the princes, kings from all parts of the country came to participate. Including the Kaurava princes, Karna, Krishna and Balarama. The Pandavas were seated in the group among the Brahmanas.
In the center of the hall was a bow and a water bowl in which was a stand which was a turning wheel and on top of it was fish.
Drushtradryumna, son of Drupada rides on a horse and behind him on a seated elephant comes Draupadi who was looking stunningly beautiful and who was clad in new silk clothes.
Drushtraydumna announces to everyone who is assembled there that he would give his sister to anyone who looks into the water and looking into the water reflection shoots 5 arrows in the fish's eye.
Drustadrumna then goes on to tell about his sister's virtues and introduces all the suitors to his sister draupadi. It looked almost like an impossible task and one which was hosted to insult the kings and princes. All the kings and princes failed to string the bow itself. Finally karna came over, everyone thought that he could do it, but he missed by a breath's length.
Upon taking permission from his brother Yudhishthira Arjuna gets up from the crowd where all the brahmanas are sitting. Everyone is astonished and there is a commotion around the suitors.
Then Drustradruymna says that he will stick to his words and will give his sister's hand in marriage to whoever is able to accomplish this given task.
Arjuna then lifts the bow, ties the string and lifts the bow and in a blink he shoots all five arrows into the eye of the fish and the circular wheel comes crashing down. Everyone shouts in joy especially from Brahmana side. Draupadi walks down the aisle and places the garland on Arjuna and stands next to him.
Yudhistira ,Nakula Sahadeva go home to inform his mother. Bheema stays back as he suspects something might happen in the hall. Drushtadryumna then declares Arjuna as the winner since he won the challenge.
Arjuna and Draupadi then walk home as per the challenge he won draupadi. dhrishtadyumna quietly follows them from behind as he always wanted to give his sister to Arjuna the pandava.
Once he enters the house Bheema tells Kunti, mom see what Arjuna has brought.Kunti tells whatever it is please distribute it equally. At this everyone is bashed but finally they agree and everyone decides to take Draupadi's hand in marriage.
It was time for Swamiji's Gita chanting and so we concluded our class here as we had to go to Prayer hall for Grade 9's stage play. Until we meet next on February 16th 2024.
With Om and Pranams
Anuradha & Shivram
Important Information:
Parents who are not part of our what's app group are requested to join the same by using the link below :-
https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0cfUe3NUDYCBwYVKD7tyg
List of things that we need the kids to bring to the class
1. An empty notebook to write Likhitha jaapa 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 Panchratnam 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
