Hari Om Parents,
The class was started with Likhitha Jaapa, Daily Prayers and Nirvana Shatakam. We recorded 15 shlokas of chapter 4 to send it to our Gita chanting team.
We discussed our annual class play topics.
We divided into two groups India the Sacred land or Mahabaratha. Most kids opted for Mahabharata. We have our class play on May 3rd 2024. Have asked the children to think about which story from mahabharata to play or talk about India, the sacred land.
JARASANDHA, SLAYING OF JARASANDHA :-
Pandavas ruled Indraprastha with glory. Everyone urged Yudhistira to perform Rajasuya yagna.
Performing Rajasuya yagna would declare the person as the emperor. Yudhistira went to Krishna and told that as per people's request he would like to perform this Yagna. Krishna also agreed with him and said that the only one who could come in their way was mighty Jarasandha who was king of Magadha. Jarasandha was the son-in-inlaw of Kamsa. Krishna and his people fought for three years and could not defeat Jarasandha and moved to western part of the country and were living in Dwaraka peacefully now. The valiant Sisupala himself is not ready to fight or stand against Jarasandha. Krishna also makes a statement that even if Karna and Dhuryodhana don't object to the Rajasuya Yagna performed by Yudhisthira but Jarasandha might be an obstruction.
Hearing these words of Krishna yudhisthira decides to drop the idea of this Rajasuya yagna.
When yudhistira goes back on doing rajasuya yagna .Bheema then says that is it not right for a Kshatriya to go back from what he aspires to do. Arjuna seconds this thought of Bheema. Arjuna and Bheema then ask Krishna to help them in the Slaying of Jarasandha. Krishna readily agrees to do so. Jarasandha was a very mighty and powerful person. No one could defeat him.
Brihadratha was king of Magadha who married twin sisters who were princesses of Kasi. He promised to take care of them equally. They were childless and after giving away their kingdom to ministers to take care they went to Vanaprasta Ashrama. On the way they meet Sage Kaushika.
The king tells the sage the reason for him to leave his kingdom and go to the forest. Sage kaushika pities the king and gives him a fruit and tells him that it would bear him a son as per his wishes.
The king cuts the fruit into half and gives one half to each of his wives as he promised to treat them equally. Both the queens get pregnant and in due course deliver a baby who is born only with an equal half body. Instead of bringing happiness this brought more grief to the king and the family. Looking at the gruesome baby the queens asked the attendants to tie the babies and throw them away. The attendants do as suggested. These two pieces were picked up by Rakshasi who accidentally brings it together and the babies join to form one boy. Rakshasi takes this baby to the king in disguising herself as a beautiful lady. King is very happy and gives the baby to his wives and hence he is named Jarasandha.
This was the birth secret of Jarasandha, even though he was mighty but he was actually two halves.
When the conquest of the slaying of Jarasandha came up Krishna suggested to Bheema and Arjuna that they must not take armies and fight him in single combat.
Bheema, Arjuna, Krishna disguise themselves and go to Magadha kingdom. Jarasandha performs fasts and penance as he finds signs of ill omen. Jarasandha welcomes all three of them and asks them of their origin and Krishna speaks on behalf of them.
Jarasandha used to speak with his guests in leisure and hence summons the three at midnight to his palace and asks them about their origin and says that he thinks that they are Kshatriyas.
Then they demand a single combat with Jarasandha and declare to him that they are his foes.
Jarasandha then says to Krishna you are a cowherd, I don't want to fight you, Arjuna you are meek and tiny so I wish to fight the mighty Bheema whose valour I have heard a lot.
Jarasandha and Bheema get into single combat and fight for 13 days. On the 14th day Jarasandha shows signs of weakness and Krishna signals Bheema that this was the right time to slay Jarasandha. Bheem rips Jarasandha apart and throws him apart. Instantly he joins back together Bheema is shocked to see this. Jarasandha again fights Bheema with all his might. Krishna then takes a straw and signals to Bheema, he rips the straws and throws them in the opposite direction. Bheema again rips Jarasandha and this time throws his body in the opposite direction so that they can never come back together again.
Thus Jarasandha is killed by Bheema. People of Magadha and all kingdoms are relieved of this cruelty of Jarasandha.
Yudhishthira then performs Rajasuya Yagna with grand scale inviting all kings from various kingdoms. The yagna was performed well and the Guest of honor was decided to be given to Krishna who was always by the side of Pandavas and helped them in all situations.
Everyone was pleased and happy about it. Krishna was seated as the guest of honor, Yudhisthira and Draupadi washed his feet and did all the royal ceremonies required to be done for the Guest of honor. Sisupala then criticizes Yudhistira and says why would he choose Krishna when there were more worthy people around like Bheesma, Drona,Drupada, Dhritarashtra.
Some people who also didn't like Krishna to be guest of Honor , Encouraged Sisupala to talk against Krishna being chosen as guest of honor.
Sisupala was the cousin of Krishna, he was born with a disfigured face. There was a prophecy that whoever carries this child and his disfigured face disappears the child would be killed by him. When Krishna visits his aunt to greet her on the birth of Sisupala and carries the baby his disfigured face turns normal. Krishna's aunt comes and pleads Krishna not to kill Sisupala. Krishna then says he would excuse him for 100 mistakes of Sisupala only.
During the Rajasuya yagna of yudhisthira Sisupla gets up and starts blaming and pointing out the mistakes of Krishna. Krishna silently smiles,keeps listening and counting the mistakes of Sisupala, and as soon as the 100th mistake is done he takes his sudarshana chakra and kills Sisupala. When the sudarshana chakra is released from Krishna's hand he gets a small cut and it starts to bleed. Draupadi immediately rips her saree and ties it to Krishna's finger.
Krishna thanks Draupadi and tells her that he will repay every string/thread in the saree back to her.
Everyone leaves back to their respective cities and we had to stop as well, since it was time for grade 2 play so we ended the class and had to leave for Prayer hall.
Until we meet next i.e March 23rd 2024.
With Om and Pranams
Anuradha
Important Information:
Parents who are not part of 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
