Hari Om! Parents,
Reminder: Please sign up for the Grade 6 Annadanam Seva, details are posted on the Parents WA group.
Week 22 Class
Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Rama, Jaya Rama" on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami. Encourage your child to do likhita japa daily.
Shlokas
We started with Om chanting and then chanted Sahana vavatu, Vakratunda mahakaya, Saraswati namastubhyam, Guru brahma, Sarva mangala mangalye (ref. My Prayers book pg 39).
Vasudeva sutam Devam (ref. Bala Vihar Handbook pg 15, verse 5).
Geeta Chanting
The Geeta Chanting Yagna is on April 20th. Grade 6 is group Partha, and is assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. We will review these verses in every class to help your child prepare for the Gita Chanting Yagna.
You can submit your child's chanting video and get House points for every 4 verses memorized. Details are shared on the Parents WA group.
Mahabharata
We continued the Bhishma Parva - Day 7 summary: The Pandava army is arranged in the "Vajra vyuha" and the Kaurava army in the "Mandala vyuha" formation. Dronacharya kills three sons of king Virata.
Bhishma duels with Yudhistira and hurts him. Arjuna is challenged by the Trigartas and uses the "aindra astra" to kill a large part of their army. There is no winner at the end of the day.
Day 8 summary: The Pandavas form the "Sringataka formation" and the Kauravas form the "Oormi Vyuha". Alambusa kills Arjuna's son, Iravan. Gatotkacha battles Duryodhana who is forced to retreat.
Along with Bhima, he destroys a huge part of Duryodhana's army. Bhima kills 16 of the Kaurava brothers. By the end of the day, the Pandavas were gaining. That night, a sorrowful Duryodhana is consoled by Karna.
Karna suggests that Duryodhana ask Bhishma to put down his weapons so Karna can fight and kill the Pandavas. When Duryodhana talks to Bhishma, he is very angry at Duryodhana.
Day 9 summary: The armies are in a "Sarvatobadra vyuha" and Bhishma's fury is unleashed on the Pandava army. Alambusa uses maya tactics, but Abhimanyu counterattacks and saves everyone.
Arjuna faces Dronacharya, his guru, and fails to defeat him. Duryodhana sends uncle Salya to battle the twins and Yudhistira. Out of respect, they do not kill their uncle.
Bhishma battles with Arjuna, he strikes and injures him. Lord Krishna jumps from the chariot, calls upon His Sudarshana, and is ready to kill Bhishma. Bhishma bows down and surrenders to Bhagwan.
Arjuna pleads with Lord Krishna to stop and vows to fight better. For the second time, Lord Krishna puts away his chakra and battle resumes. Arjuna gives his best but still cannot defeat the grandsire.
The sun sets and for the first time, the Pandavas are fearful. They visit Bhishma in the night and Yudhistira asks how they can kill him. Bhishma reveals that he will put down his weapons when facing Shikhandi.
Shikandi is actually princess Amba in her previous birth. He asks Arjuna to attack at that time. Thanking their grandfather, the Pandavas return with heavy hearts. Lord Krishna pacifies Arjuna and reminds him to do his kshatriya duty.
Day 10 summary: The Pandava army is in "Deva vyuha" and the Kauravas in the "Asura vyuha" formations. Bhishma knows it is his final fight and destroys a large number of the Pandava army.
Shikhandi, protected on all sides by the Pandava brothers, challenges Bhishma to a duel. Bhishma lowers his weapon and says he will not fight a woman. Arjuna shoots a deluge of arrows that bring down Bhishma.
Both sides stop fighting when the great Bhishma falls on his bed of arrows. They gather around him and are overcome with grief. Arjuna shoots arrows to support the grandsire's head. He shoots an arrow and mother Ganga
erupts to quench her son's thirst. Bhishma has a boon that he can call on death at his own will. He decides to wait for the auspicious Uttarayana. This brings us to the end of Bhishma Parva. We paused the story here.
India Sacred Land
Topic: Festivals
Holi - The children heard the story of Prahlada, who was the greatest devotee of Narayana. Even though he was the asura king, Hiranyakashipu's son, Prahlada was always contemplating on Lord Narayana.
The king was so angry that he ordered Prahlada to be killed. They tried to kill him in several ways, but Bhagwan saved him all the time. Finally, Lord Narayana took the Narasimha avatar and killed Hiranyakashipu.
Next, we also read the story of Holika Dahan and discussed how we celebrate the festival of Holi. We spoke about Sri Rama Navami and Chaitra Devi Navaratri festivals coming up this month.
We concluded the session with Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall.
- Rashmi Kuroodi and Sangeetha Srikanth
Supplies needed for every class:- Bala Vihar Handbook, My Prayers book, the Junior Class Workbook Part 1 & 2, a notebook and pencils for likhita japa; everything in their Bala Vihar bag
*Reference books - Mahabharata by Rajagopalachari / Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam
