May 12, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: The Annual Day sign-up sheet was posted in the Parents WA group, please save the June 15th date and participate in both events.

Week 26 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - 'Sri Gurubhyo Namaha'/ 'Sri Chinmaya Sadguruve Namaha'. 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). 

Indian Sacred Land 

We engaged in a conversation about Raksha Bandhan and Yugadi, concluding with an overview of various festivals:

• Navratri / Dussehra: Saraswati Puja
• Diwali / Dipavali: Lakshmi Puja
• Makara Sankranti: Harvest Festival, Surya Puja
• Mahashivaratri: Shiva Puja
• Holi: Krishna Puja, Vrindavan Raas Leela
• Ugadi / Yugadi / Gudi Padwa: New Year
• Raksha Bandhan: Symbolizing the bond between a Brother and a Sister

Additionally, we explored the concept of a star birthday and encouraged further discussion with their parents regarding the lunar calendar their family follows. This marked the conclusion of an enriching journey covering all the necessary topics for the year.

Gurudev Jayanti Celebrations

There was a special Guru Paduka Puja in the Bala Vihar class.

To commemorate the 108th Gurudev Jayanti, the children performed the Shodashopachara pooja and used the lamp craft made last week with Pujya Gurudev on it.

Geeta Chanting

This year your child learned Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita from our Swamiji. You can submit your child's chanting video and get House points for verses memorized. 

Details are shared on the Parents WA group.

We had to wrap up class early to perform the Special guided pooja and concluded the session with the 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

May 5, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: There is the 108th Gurudev Jayanti celebration on May 8th, a sign-up sheet was posted in the Parents WA group.

The Annual Day sign-up sheet was posted in the Parents WA group, please save the June 15th date and participate in both events.

Week 25 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - 'Sri Gurubhyo Namaha'/ 'Sri Chinmaya Sadguruve Namaha'. 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). The children chanted the Guru Stotram (ref. Bala Vihar Handbook)

Activity: Gurudev Jayanti 

We discussed the importance of Guru Parampara in class today. We have the grace of great Gurus who passed on the knowledge of Sanatana Dharma and must always be thankful for them. 

For the 108th Gurudev Jayanti, the children made a special Pujya Gurudev lantern and decorated it. The children placed it on Gurudev's altar and took blessings.  

There will be a special Guru Paduka Puja in the next Bala Vihar class.

Geeta Chanting

This year your child learned Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita from our Swamiji. You can submit your child's chanting video and get House points for verses memorized. 

Details are shared on the Parents WA group.

We had to wrap up class early to watch the fifth-grade play and concluded the session with the 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

Apr 28, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 24 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama". 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).

Mahabharata

Shalya Parva - 

Day 18 summary: Duryodhana appoints Shalya as the 4th commander-in-chief of the Kaurava armed forces on the advice of Ashwathama.Lord Krishna tells Yudhishthira is the best to take on Shalya because of his balanced demeanor. Yudhisthira advances towards Shalya and pierces his chest with his javelin. After Shalya's demise, Sahadeva confronts his uncle Shakuni. Bhima kills everyone protecting Shakuni and Sahadeva kills him. The Kauravas except Duryodhana, the entirety of their eleven Akshauhini strong army are no more. Duryodhana, disappointed, rides away and reaches the Dwaipayana Lake. He decides to enter the lake to take some rest. When Sanjaya sees him, Duryodhana tells him to convey to his father that he entered the depths of the lake. A few hunters overhear that conversation and tell the Pandavas about it. Bhima, along with his brothers and Krishna, reaches the lake and challenges Duryodhana. With his pride hurt, Duryodhana agrees to fight Bheema. After a long and tiring fight, Bheema sees a leaping Duryodhana and seizes the opportunity to strike him on his thighs. With his thighs shattered, Duryodhan falls on his back.   The survivors from the Kaurava army are Ashwathama, Kripa, and Kritavarma. On the Pandavas' side, all five brothers, Krishna, 2000 chariots, 700 elephants, 5000 horses and 10,000 foot soldiers remain. At the end of this 18th day, the war is finally over, with Pandavas victorious. Jai Shri Krishna!

Sauptika Parva - The victorious Pandavas enter the Kaurava camp accompanied by the blowing of conches. Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna to step down from the chariot first. Then Lord steps down and Lord Hanuman leaves the top of the chariot. Immediately the chariot and horses catch fire and burn to ashes. Everyone is shocked and Arjuna is distraught since they were a gift from his father Indradeva. Lord Krishna explains that the chariot had been struck by several powerful arrows, and still stayed intact because of divine grace. Now that the Lord had stepped down nothing could protect it from destruction. As per the custom, the Pandavas and Lord Krishna stay the night in the Kaurava camp. Meanwhile, Ashwathama, Kripacharya, and Kritavarma go to Duryodhana. He is on his last day of life, suffering in pain and weak. Ashwathama is moved by this, he vows to take revenge on the Pandavas for both Duryodhana and his father's death. That night Ashwathama could not sleep. He watches as an owl stealthily comes to a brood of crows, attacks quickly, and leaves in the dark night. Ashwathama hatches a plan, awakens the others, and sets off to the Pandava camp. Leaving the others to guard the entrance, Ashwathama quickly killed Drishtadyumna and the five sons of Draupadi in their sleep. They set fire to the camp and quickly escaped. They tell Duryodhana the news and he dies satisfied that the Pandavas were destroyed and Ashwathama goes into hiding. Enraged by Ashwathama's actions, Pandavas set off in search of Ashwathama accompanied by Lord Krishna. They find Ashwathama hiding in Vyasa's ashrama. Ashwathama picks up a blade of grass, chants a mantra, and transforms it into the Brahmashirsastra. He deploys the astra asking it to make the world 'Pandava-less'. Arjuna immediately deploys another Brahmashirsastra to counter it. The sages step in quickly to stop the weapons from colliding. If the Astra collided then there would be a great famine across the land. Arjuna withdraws it, but Ashwathama refuses and says that the astra will destroy Abhimanyu's unborn child. Lord Krishna cursed him to live a life of disease and solitude. Ashwathama is made to give up his special jewel that protects him and he wanders away towards the Himalayas. We paused the story here and spoke about what is a Dharmayuddha and the meaning of Kurukshetra, the field of action. How could the children relate it to their lives in the present day? The children then compared the present-day war in Israel-Gaza to the Kurukshetra war.

India Sacred Land 

Topic: Festivals - Shodasha Upachara Puja

The class went through the 16 steps of the puja ritual. We discussed how the puja is just like how we treat guests who visit our home, Bhagwan is also treated the same way. 

# TIL Activity - The children watched 2 videos of Pujya Gurudev explaining the importance of puja and the right way to do it. Here are the links to the videos- Video 1 / Video 2

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, and is assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. 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.

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

Apr 21, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: Please sign up for the Grade 6 Annadanam Seva on April 27th, details are posted on the Parents WA group.

Week 22 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama". 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).

Mahabharata

Drona Parva - 

Day 11 summary: On the advice of Karna, Duryodhana appoints Drona as the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava forces. Duryodhana asks Dronacharya to capture Yudhistira and bring him as a slave. He planned to send the Pandavas into another 13 years of exile. With a sense of misplaced loyalty, Drona agrees to this plan. The Pandavas are shocked to hear this news from spies and decide to protect Yudhistira. The Pandavas form the "Krauncha vyuha" and Kauravas form the "Shakata vyuha". At the end of the day, Dronacharya is not able to capture Yudhistira. Duryodhana speaks harshly to him.

Day 12 summary: Duryodhana deploys the Narayani Sena. The Samsaptakas, the powerful warriors from the Trigarta kingdom led by Susharma, attack Arjuna. Arjuna uses the celestial weapons to counter them. Bhagadatta, who has a boon from lord Shiva that ensures his immortality while mounted on his elephant, attacks Arjuna. On the advice of Krishna, Arjuna dismounts Bhagadatta from the elephant by killing it and then kills him.

Day 13 summary: Drona deploys the Kaurava forces in the Chakravyuha formation. The Trigarta army diverts Arjuna away from the formation. Arjuna and Krishna were the only ones on the Pandavas' side who knew how to enter and destroy Chakravyuha. Abhimanyu learns how to break the vyuha while in his mother's (Subhadra) womb, as Arjuna described to her. However, he never learns how to destroy the formation, as Arjuna stops the narration upon noticing that Subhadra fell asleep. Abhimanyu enters Chakravyuha hoping that his uncles will follow him to destroy it. Jayadratha with his army blocks the Pandavas from entering the formation. Abhimanyu, left alone, fights valiantly, and kills scores of Kauravas. When he ends up defenseless, he is killed by Dushasana's son. Arjuna returns to learn about his dear son Abhimanyu's death and vows to kill Jayadratha by the next evening or kill himself if he fails.

Day 14 summary: The Kauravas form a protection around Jayadrata. The Kauravas make every effort to stop Arjuna from killing Jayadratha, with the hope that the failure will lead to Arjuna killing himself. By the evening Arjuna fights his way to Jayadratha. Krishna blocks the sun with his chakra. The Kauravas relax briefly thinking that the sun has set, and Arjuna kills Jayadratha. Breaking the rules, fighting continues after dark. Gatotkacha using maya powers destroys many. Karna is forced to use the Shakti astra and kill Gatotkacha. Bhima is very sad to hear about his son's death but is consoled that Arjuna is now safe from Karna.

Day 15 summary: Drona, stung by the Duryodhana's accusations from the previous day, fights ferociously. He defeats the Chedis, the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas, and the Matsyas. Bhima kills an elephant named Ashwathama and announces that he 'killed Ashwathama'. Drona goes to Yudhisthira for confirmation knowing fully well that Yudhisthira does not lie. Lord Krishna knows that Drona is vulnerable in grief, and advises Yudhisthira that a small lie that saves lives is better than the truth. Yudhishthira confirms that Ashwathama is dead, and adds in a whisper "The elephant". Drona puts down his weapons and sits down in grief. Dhristadyumna takes the opportunity and kills him. This concludes the Drona Parva.

 Karna Parva - 

Day 16 summary: Ashwathama proposed Karna's name for the next commander and Duryodhana immediately gave him the position.  The sixteenth day of war dawned, and Karna arranged the army in the Makara vyuha. The immense Kaurava army had dwindled and did not look as big in size anymore. Arjuna arranged the reduced number of the Pandava army into a crescent vyuha. Karna faced Nakula and defeated him easily. He spoke cruelly to Nakula and the humiliated Nakula fled the battlefield. At the end of the day,  Duryodhana was disappointed that the Pandavas were still alive. However he did not criticize Karna, instead he pacified his friend. Duryodhana asks king Salya to be Karna's charioteer and Salya agrees. 

Day 17 summary: The day began with the duel between Karna and Yudhistira, who quickly lost, but Karna spared his life. Bhimasena attacked Karna who fainted, but Salya stopped Bhimasena from killing Karna by reminding him of Arjuna's oath. Bhimasena fought Dussasana and made him fall down from his chariot. Holding him on the ground Bhimasena ripped open his chest and drank Dussasana's blood. With Dussana's death, Bhimasena had fulfilled his oath and avenged Draupadi. Duryodhana was mad with grief over the death of his beloved brother. Karna challenged Arjuna to a fight. Lord Krishna assured Arjuna that victory would be theirs and blessed him. Arjuna sent the Agneyastra and Karna used Varunastra. Arjuna's Aindra was destroyed by Karna's Bhargavastra. Lord Krishna spoke to Arjuna as Narayana to Nara and asked him to send the Brahmastra. Surprisingly Karna was able to come out of it. Karna sent Nagastra at Arjuna. Lord Krishna made the chariot sink and the astra hit Arjuna's crown saving his life. Soon Fate made the curses against Karna come true. He tried to invoke the Brahmastra against Arjuna but due to Parashurama's curse, he could not remember the incantation. Suddenly his chariot's wheel got caught in the mud and it began to sink. Karna remembered that when he had killed a Brahmin's cow, he had been cursed to die when he was least prepared for an attack. Karna asked Arjuna to stop fighting till he could be ready to fight back. Lord Krishna laughed and reminded Karna that he had killed Abhimanyu unfairly. He did not deserve to be treated fairly so Lord Krishna commanded Arjuna to kill him. Arjuna used his divine astra and finally killed Karna. It was still the afternoon, and Duryodhana was heartbroken by the death of his beloved friend. He went to see Bhishma to find solace. Bhishma consoled Duryodhana and revealed Karna's true story. Bhishma told him that Karna was a Kaunteya, the eldest son of Kunti. This news shocked Duryodhana, who was moved by Karna's story of sacrifice. 

On hearing the news of Karna's death, Yudhistira was overjoyed. The Pandava army celebrated the victory of Arjuna. This concludes the Karna Parva and we paused the story here.

India Sacred Land 

Activity - Forgive and Ask Forgiveness. Each child wrote the names of those they have hurt and those who have hurt them. In a plate with a lighted lamp, all the children deposited their folded papers after asking for forgiveness and themselves forgiving others. The lamp symbolically represents the Holi fire. This act of forgiveness, after their introspection, freed their minds. 

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

Apr 14, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

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

Apr 7, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 21 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama". 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). The children chanted the "Mahishasura Mardini Stotram". (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

Mahabharata

This part of the story is narrated by Sanjaya to the blind king Dhritarashtra

Bhishma Parva - In Kurukshetra (field of action), after listening to the divine advice (Bhagavad Gita) and witnessing the Vishwaroopa of Bhagwan, Arjuna is finally ready to fight the Dharma war. 

Lord Krishna blows his conch, Panchajanya. Arjuna blows his conch, Devadatta. Followed by Yudhistira's Anantavijaya, Bhima's Paundra, Nakula's Sugosha and Sahadeva's Manipushpaka.

Bhishma retaliates by blowing his conch to signal to the Kaurava army to begin the battle. 

Day 1 summary: The Kaurava army is arranged in a formation to protect Bhishma, since Duryodhana knows that he is the only person who can defeat the Pandavas. Bhishma wreaks havoc on his enemy.

Pandavas suffer a huge loss in numbers and two sons of Virata are killed. The battles stop at sundown and the Kaurava camp is celebrating, but the Pandava camp is disappointed.

Day 2 summary: Both the Kaurava and Pandava armies are in the "Krauncha Vyuha" (war formation). Bhishma once again reduces a large number of the Pandava army. Bhima faces him, but is defeated quickly.

Bhima then turns his attention to the Kalinga army and single-handedly kills everyone. Arjuna also manages to destroy a large part of the Kaurava army. After sundown, Duryodhana is disappointed while Yudhistira

congratulates Arjuna and Bhima.

Day 3 summary: The Pandava army is arranged in the " Chandrakala Vyuha" or Crescent. The Kaurava army in the "Garuda Vyuha" or Eagle. In a battle with Bhima, Duryodhana faints and is carried to safety.

He is very angry and accuses Bhishma and Dronacharya of favoritism towards the Pandavas. Bhishma attacks Arjuna and hurts him. Lord Krishna, angered by this, jumps down from the chariot and calls his Sudarshana.

Bhishma bows down to the Lord and asks Him to end his life. Arjuna quickly falls at Lord Krishna's feet and begs him not to use His Sudarshana chakra. Arjuna pleads with Bhagwan not to break His vow and Lord Krishna

sends his weapon away. Arjuna promises the Lord to fight with all his might and using "Aindra Astra" destroys a large part of the Kaurava army. At sundown, Duryodhana is feeling worried and frustrated that the Pandavas

are still alive. Yudhistira is also worried about Bhishma's power.

Day 4 summary: Abhimanyu attacks Bhishma and Arjuna joins his son. They are not able to defeat the Grandsire and have to battle the Trigarta army instead. Bhima kills eight Kaurava brothers. His son,Gatotkacha joins him 

and they destroy a large part of the elephant army. Bhishma calls for an early retreat of the Kaurava army, knowing that Gatotkacha's magic powers get stronger after dark. Back in the camp, Duryodhana is angry at Bhishma for

failing to kill the Pandavas. Bhishma reminds Duryodhana that with Lord Krishna on their side, the Pandavas cannot be defeated. He once again advised Duryodhana to make peace with his cousins, but Duryodhana refused to listen. 

Day 5 summary: The Pandava army makes the "Garuda Vyuha" and the Kauravas are in a "Makara Vyuha". Arjuna battles Ashwatthama who is forced to retreat. Every time Arjuna battles Bhishma he is unable to defeat the great

grandfather. Abhimanyu shows great skills as a young warrior and everyone is impressed by him. The battle ends early.

Day 6 summary: The Pandava army forms "Makara Vyuha" and the Kauravas "Krauncha Vyuha". Bhishma and Drona could not kill the Pandavas but destroyed the Pandava army instead. Drupada and Drona, who are old enemies, 

meet on the battlefield and Drupada is defeated. Bhima jumps off his chariot and mace in hand fights the Kaurava army on foot. Duryodhana faced Bhima, but could not withstand his attack and fainted. Kripacharya carried Duryodhana away. The sixth day of war was over and the Pandava camp was joyful. Duryodhana asks Bhishna to kill the Pandavas, but Bhishma refuses. He tells Duryodhana that he will do his best to defeat them.

We paused the story here.

Geeta Chanting

Reminder: Geeta Chanting Yagna registration closes on April 12. Details were shared on the Parents WA Group.

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.

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

Mar 24, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 20 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama". 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). 

Mahabharata

The children did well on the Mahabharata review quiz today. The next prasanga before the actual war begins is the Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. A few points to note:

- Kurukshetra (field of action), "Dharmayuddha" (right conduct), a war based on codes of military conduct

- The battlefield is the field of life (action); Right conduct will always be the victor!

- Srimad Bhagavad Gita is the gem of Mahabharata and means "the song of the divine"

- It is the most sacred text of the Hindus and has 18 chapters and 700 verses

- It is the dialogue of the Lord to a true devotee (true seeker) and reveals the mystery of life, true happiness, and freedom

- The Bhagavad Gita was revered and spread by our Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda, through Gyana Yagnas for 40+ years!

- The Lord tells Arjuna, "The only friend, the only enemy is our own Mind. Mind is confused by desires and senses". "Practice and detach from the senses".

- The Lord tells Arjuna, "Control the senses. Do your Dharma, act!". 

- "Do not grieve over the living or for the dead. The Self is utterly indestructible and eternal imperishable"

India Sacred Land 

Topic: The Journey through India

Scenic Exploration - India's diverse geography and some scenic places. From the Kashmir Valley to Kerala's Backwaters, from Jaisalmer desert to the Girwar forests, Mount Abu to Munnar.

We explored famous historical landmarks in India like the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Ajanta Caves, and Mysore Palace.

Activity: # TIL

The class watched a video about a few important historical and scenic places in India today. 

Encourage your child to start a travel diary and keep a list of all the places they visit in India. They can use iPhone/ Android travel apps to keep track of the places as well.

Geeta Chanting

Reminder: Geeta Chanting Yagna registration is now open for all Bala Vihar students. Details were shared on the Parents WA Group. Registration closes on 4/13/24.

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. Email your videos to: 

We concluded the session with Grade 6 leading the Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall. All the children did a great job! 

Wish you all a fun and safe Bala Vihar Spring Break! The next session is on April 7th.

- 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

Mar 17, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: Geeta Chanting Yagna registration is now open for all Bala Vihar students. Details were shared on the Parents WA Group.

Week 19 Class

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama". 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). 

Mahabharata

We did a detailed review of the Udyoga Parva first. Next, we started Bhishma Parva. The two armies assemble at Kurukshetra, the Pandavas camp facing east near the lake Samantapanchaka. 

The previous night, sage Vyaasa had visited king Dhritarashtra. The sage had granted divine sight to Sanjaya, the loyal charioteer. He could see the war and narrate it to the blind king. 

Sanjaya could also know the thoughts of all of the people in the war. Bhishma is the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army and Drishtadyumna for the Pandava army. 

The Pandava army had 7 Akshauhini and the Kauravas had 11 Akshauhini. We paused the story, the children looked at different war formations or vyuha and then observed their unique shapes. 

The beautiful chariot of Arjuna was driven by white horses, had Hanuman on the flag and Lord Krishna as the charioteer. They looked like Nara and Narayana had come down to Earth.

When the armies came face to face, Yudhistira put down his weapons and started to walk towards the enemy line. The rest of the Pandavas are very concerned and follow him. 

Yudhistira bows down to the elders and seeks their blessings to win the war. Bhishma, Salya, Drona and Kripacharya bless the Pandavas. Yudhistira then announces that if there is anyone 

who would still want to join his side, they are welcome. One of the brothers of Duryodhana, Yuyutsu, comes forward and is welcomed by the Pandavas. Yudhistira remarks that he is glad 

there is now at least one son who will remain to light king Dhritarashtra's funeral pyre. This makes the Kauravas very uncomfortable. Pandavas return to their chariots and prepare for battle. 

Arjuna requests Lord Krishna to take the chariot to the center of the battlefield to take a better look at the enemy. Lord Krishna drives the chariot there and Arjuna is 

suddenly filled with grief. He tells Lord Krishna that he cannot kill his clansmen and those who are dear to him. He puts down his weapon and tells Lord Krishna that he cannot fight.

Lord Krishna tries to get Arjuna to shake his feelings of despondency by reminding him of the critical situation. However, Arjuna refuses to fight and sits silently in his chariot. 

This brings us to an important part in the Mahabharata story, where Lord Krishna advises Arjuna as what we know is the "Bhagavad Gita". We will discuss it in detail in the next class.

India Sacred Land 

Topic: Pilgrimages - Thirth Yatra

India can be explored in several ways - historical landmarks, spiritual places and natural wonders. 

We spoke about the - char dham yatra, Kailash Yatra, Jyotirlinga, and Shakti Peetha temples.

The class then explored the important temples using Google Earth.

Activity: # TIL

Spiritual Exploration of India - Temples. Learning the significance of the temples you visit. The children were asked to find out the name of the family's "kula devata" 

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, and is assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 26 - 28 of the Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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.

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

Feb 11, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 16 Class  

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama". Encourage your child to do 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). The children chanted the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam next.

India Sacred Land 

Topic: Temples of India - Part 2

Today we spoke about the Dravidian style of temple architecture. Prominent in the south of India, it has a single shikhara which is shaped like a pyramid

The most prominent element is the Gopuram. The garbhagriha has no windows, no electricity and running water.

Activity: # TIL

The children learned about the Mamallapuram monuments and temples, including the Shore Temple complex. We watched a video showing this unique temple.

We discussed the Srirangam temple and the Brihadishwara temple as great examples of the Dravida style of temple architecture.

Temples in India have even been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Next, we took time to practice for our class performance coming up. Please save the date - Gr 6 performance is on March 3rd, 2024.

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, and is assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 24 and 25 of the Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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.

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

Jan 21, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 13 Class  

Children wrote this Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Shri Rama, Jaya Rama". Encourage your child to do japa daily and get the benefit.

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). Remind your child to memorize this shloka.

India Sacred Land 

Topic: Temples of India

Today we spoke about the Nagara vs Dravidan style of temple architecture. The children were introduced to the different parts of the temple. 

Activity: # TIL

Ayodhya Ram Mandir - On the occasion of Pran Pratishta, we watched a video on the Ram Janmabhoomi history. 

Next, we discussed the architecture of the new Ram Mandir and about the new Ram Lalla idol. Several children already knew about this topic and participated in the discussion. 

Next, we took time to prepare for the class performance coming up. Please save the Gr 6 performance date - March 3rd, 2024.

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 17 and 18 of the Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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.

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

Jan 7, 2024 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 12 Class  

Children could choose to do these Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama", or "Sri Gurubhyo Namaha".

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). 

The class learned "Vasudeva Sutam Devam" shloka today. (ref. Bala Vihar Handbook pg 15, verse 5)

India Sacred Land 

Topic: Dances of India - A few children did a demo of the special features of the dance form they are learning. 

Next, the class played "Guess the Dance", and knew quite a few dances!

Activity: # TIL

Lord Shiva as Nataraja - Lord of the cosmic dance. The Creator and creation are one. Representing the Cycle of Creation and Destruction.

Symbols of Lord Nataraja - we discussed the ring of fire, damaru, Agni, abhaya mudra, upraised left foot, and dwarf under his right foot.

Today we started our play prep by reading the script and the children picked chits to decide their roles for the play. 

The lines for the play will be shared with you on WhatsApp. Please help your child memorize them.

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 15 and 16 of the Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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.

The class also learned Verse 24 in class today, it is the star verse for Chapter 4 this year.

We concluded the session with our grade 6 leading Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall. They did a great job!

No Bala Vihar next week. We wish you all a blessed Pongal/ Makar Sankranti festival!

- 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

Dec 17, 2023 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Note: Bala Vihar will be on a Holiday break. The next class is on Jan 7th, 2024

Week 11 Class  

Children could choose to do these Likhita Japa at the start of class - "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama"/ " Sri Rama, Jaya Rama", "Om Namah Shivaya".

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). 

Children took turns to chant the entire Mahalakshmi Ashtakam (ref. My Prayers book pg 40). The class learned Verses 7 and 8 of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

Activity: I Love You by Swami Chinmayananda, a collection of letters to children from our Pujya Gurudev

Today we read the second letter in Swami Chinmayananda's book, "I Love You." Pujya Gurudev says "Love is the very heart of Hinduism". 

He explains how everyone wants to be loved, but does not know how to give love to others. 

Pujya Gurudev encourages the children to become a devoted, intelligent seeker and come to know the true nature of enduring love. 

The class was given this shloka for introspection, 

"To an idler where is education? 

To the uneducated where is wealth? 

To the impoverished where are friends? 

To one who has no friends where is happiness?"

We used the rest of class time to brainstorm ideas for our upcoming Grade 6 performance. Please save the date - March 3rd, 2024, we will perform during the Bala Vihar Assembly. 

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 12, 13, and 14 of the Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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.

We concluded the session with Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall. Wishing all the families a fun and safe holidays!

- 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

Dec 10, 2023 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: Please donate to the Chinmaya Vrindavan Coat Drive before December 16th. Collection boxes are at the front entrance of the Ashram.

Apologies, the class started late by ~15-20 mins as I was delayed due to some emergency. 

Week 10 Class  

Please encourage your child to do likhita japa every day. "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama"

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). 

Children took turns to chant the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam (ref. My Prayers book pg 40). The class learned Verses 5 and 6 of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

India Sacred Land

Today we continued to discuss virtues and vices, the class enjoyed learning about virtues and vices by playing MokshaPatha.

Moksha - Freedom and Patha means lessons- lessons to liberate from pains of life. 

Faith - 

We spoke about importance and example stories about faith with a story about loyal king Tahir and cat that showed him how to attain complete faith in lord. 

Generosity - 

We discussed a Winston Churchill quote - 

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give" and how it aligns with pledge. 

Asceticism: 

Three rules about how to be happy-

1. Commit something good to memory everyday 

2. Look for something daily and smile at God's creation. 

3. Do something good for somebody, daily. 

 

Vices - Rage - we discussed how we react and what is rage to all of us, how we show our frustration and what is the cascading effect of that.  

Vices - Vulgarity - Bad manners, bad habits, anger Jealousy etc, we spent a moment reflecting on those traits. 

We also read a few stories about lying, greed and pride. 

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 9 and 10 of the Bhagavad Geeta, Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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

Dec 3, 2023 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: Please donate to the Chinmaya Vrindavan Coat Drive before December 16th. Collection boxes are at the front entrance of the Ashram.

Week 9 Class  

Children did this Likhita Japa at the start of class -18 times "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama". Please encourage your child to do likhita japa every day.

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). 

Children took turns to chant the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam (ref. My Prayers book pg 40). The class learned Verses 3 and 4 of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

Mahabharata*

Today we discussed the quote - "Where there is Krishna, there is Dharma. Where there is Dharma, there is victory". The children gave their predictions on who would win the war.

We continued the Mahabharata story and concluded the Udyoga Parva section. Lord Krishna's peace mission has failed. In fact, the evil Duryodhana tries to imprison him. 

Bhagwan shows his amazing 'Viswaroopa darshan' to the assembly. Before leaving Hastinapura, Lord Krishna meets Radheya. He reveals the secret of Radheya's birth 

and tells him that he is actually the elder brother to the Pandavas. Surprised by this revelation Radheya has several questions and Lord Krishna answers all of them.

Lord Krishna advises Radheya to join the Pandavas and help his brothers win the war. Radheya reminds Lord Krishna of Duryodhana's friendship. Since Duryodhana had 

supported him when everyone else had mocked him for being a sutaputra, Radheya was indebted to him. Radheya also told Lord Krishna that he had given his word to help Duryodhana

win the war and kill Arjuna. He could not break his promise and dishonor their friendship. He asks Lord Krishna not to reveal this news to the Pandavas. 

Lord Krishna returns to Upaplavya to prepare for the upcoming war. We paused the story here, and the class took a break to do deep breathing exercises and stretch.

Activity: How can we connect to Mahabharata, workshop #1 - Habits and Mahabharata

The children answered a series of self-introspection prompts. First, they had to define 'habits', answer why it is important to have good habits and to become aware of bad habits.

The analogy was just like oil forms a layer on water, good habits prevent negativity from our surrounding environment from influencing us. 

We connected to Yudhistira's vice of gambling in the Mahabharata story and how that bad habit led to unimaginable consequences for him. 

Next, they had to identify need, greed or attachment from a list of 10 things they could take with them from home in an emergency. We did a comparison between Duryodhana's greed 

versus Yudhistira's gambling habit. The difference was that even though Yudhistira had a vice, he never coveted other's property or asked for more than his fair share from the Kauravas.

We concluded that just because we have bad habits, it does not make us a bad person. It is more important to notice our bad habits and work on bettering ourselves.

The last scenario presented was about speaking up or turning a blind eye. Speaking up or staying silent when they witness wrong behavior.

Here the children had to think about what it means to be a good friend- always agreeing or saying when something is wrong. 

We spoke about honesty in friendship and how good friends make us a better person. 

From the Mahabharata, we connected to Karna and Duryodhana's friendship. Karna turned a blind eye to Duryodhana's adharmic actions, sometimes even encouraging him.

Next, we spoke about king Dritarashtra's blind love for his son, Duryodhana. Another example of staying silent when witnessing wrong behavior, which led to Duryodhana's downfall. 

Make speaking up in the face of injustice a habit! We concluded that we must not let bad habits define us. Instead, let us be aware and not let them influence us.

The children wrote down 3 good habits they would develop in the future. And identify 3 bad habits they would work on overcoming in the next few days. Please ask your child about it!

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 7 and 8 of the Bhagavad Geeta, Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

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

Nov 19, 2023 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Week 8 Class  

Children did this Likhita Japa at the start of class -18 times "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama". Please encourage your child to do likhita japa every day.

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) 

and Mahalakshmi Ashtakam (ref. My Prayers book pg 40). The class learned Verse 2 of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

Mahabharata*

We continued the Mahabharata story today with Udyoga Parva. We touched up on Diplomatic Missions: Various diplomatic efforts are made to prevent the war. Several messengers are sent back and forth between the Kauravas and Pandavas to negotiate a peaceful settlement, but these efforts are largely unsuccessful. Krishna's Peace Mission: Lord Krishna plays a significant role in the Udyoga Parva. He goes to Hastinapura as a peace envoy, offering various solutions to avoid the war. However, his proposals were rejected by Duryodhana. We spoke about how Bhagawan chose to stay with Vidhura. Preparations for War and formation of alliance, despite the attempts at peace, both sides start preparing for war. Armies are mobilized, alliances are formed, and warriors choose their sides. The stage is set for the great battle at Kurukshetra. This has helped set the stage for the Kurukshetra War, and Bhagawat Gita. Introducing the students to key characters and laying out the political and military developments that led to the epic battle.

Next, the class took a break to do deep breathing exercise and to stretch out for a bit

India, the Sacred Land

Topics: The Sacred Land -   We explored The Great Sparrow Campaign and the consequences of upsetting the balance in nature. Additionally, we delved into a more contemporary occurrence involving wolves in Yellowstone.

And together reflected on Pujya Gurudev's words, "Cosmos is an ordered system and respect and gratitude is needed to maintain and live in Harmony !!"

We covered the GPS of life and how it serves as key to divine cooperation and the importance of living a life of gratitude. 

Moving on we spoke about Games of India, and Moksapatha, The Virtues and Vices. 

#TIL -  Contemporary Story of Wolves that keeps Yellowstone in balance.

Activity: As it is Thanksgiving weekend, we encouraged students to discuss their family perspectives on generosity and to share the ways in which expressions of gratitude are manifested within their households. 

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 6 and 7 of the Bhagavad Geeta, Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

We concluded the session with Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall. 

- Sangeetha Srikanth and Rashmi Kuroodi  

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

Nov 5, 2023 - Grade 6 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om! Parents,

Reminder: Please donate to the Treats for Troops and Sewa Diwali before November 15th. Collection boxes are at the front entrance of the Ashram.

Week 7 Class  

Children did this Likhita Japa at the start of class -18 times "Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama". Please encourage your child to do likhita japa every day.

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) 

and Mahalakshmi Ashtakam (ref. My Prayers book pg 40). The class learned Verse1 of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (ref. My Prayers book pg 47)

Mahabharata*

We continued the Mahabharata story today with Udyoga Parva. The wedding celebrations of Abhimanyu to princess Uttara concluded and a grand council was held in Upaplavya. 

Lord Krishna along with the Pandavas, Drupada, Virata, Balarama, Satyaki, Samba, sons of Pandavas and Krishna were all gathered. 

Lord Krishna spoke first to remind everyone about the unfair circumstances that led to the exile of the Pandavas. Lord Krishna recounted their hard times, their suffering and concluded by 

saying that the future course of action must be in accordance to Dharma, inspite of the injustice done to them by the Kauravas. Lord Krishna suggested they send an envoy to Hastinapura.

This person would ask Duryodhana half of the kingdom which is rightfully due to Yudhistira. Balarama spoke next, adding that the messenger should pacify Duryodhana and not antagonize him.

This led to Satyaki getting angry at Balarama's support for Duryodhana. He said that knowing Duryodhana a messenger would be a waste of time. He volunteered to go to Hastinapura, defeat 

and drag back Duryodhana to Yudhistira's feet. King Drupada spoke next, saying he agreed that soft words should not be used to talk to Duryodhana, he would think the Pandavas were afraid and weak.

They should quickly reach out to the righteous kings and gather support first before Duryodhana approached them. Next, he proposed to send his brahmin priest as an envoy to Hastinapura.

Lord Krishna approved the wise advice from King Drupada, adding that great calamity and destruction can be averted by following that advice. However, the Pandavas must prepare for war.

King Drupada instructed his priest to address the Kauravas assembly carefully. The king wanted the messenger to speak in a way to influence the minds of those who were righteous-minded, 

making them rethink giving their support and forcing Duryodhana to win back allegiances.

Many kings with their armies soon began to march towards Upaplavya in response to Yudhistira's request for support. Pandavas have 7 akshauhini in their army and Kauravas have 11 

akshauhini on their side. Arjuna went to Dwaraka himself to ask for Lord Krishna's support.

Duryodhana arrived there just before Arjuna. Lord Krishna was sleeping, so they both waited. Duryodhana sat at the head of the cot while Arjuna stood at the feet. When Lord Krishna woke up,

he saw Arjuna first and turned to see Duryodhana next. The Lord said there were two alternatives to choose from: one Akshauhini of Narayani sena or Lord Krishna who will not fight in the war.

Since the Lord saw Arjuna first, he got to choose first. Without hesitation, Arjuna picks Bhagavan, saying he does not want anything else in the world. Duryodhana was happy to get Narayani sena.

He approaches Balarama next, but Balarama has taken an oath not to participate in the war. Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to be his charioteer and thus Bhagavan got the name "Parthasarathi".

The powerful king of Madra, Salya, was uncle to Nakula and Sahadeva, and had one Akshauhini army. He was making his way to the Pandavas, when Duryodhana decided to make 

arrangements for his army to rest. The king believed it was someone that Yudhistira had sent. Pleased with the hospitality, king Salya asked to meet the person responsible and reward him. 

He was surprised to see Duryodhana, who asked for the king's support as a reward. Poor Salya had given his word and agreed. He went to meet the Pandavas and told Yudhistira about the incident. 

Yudhistira forgave his uncle, asking him to become the charioteer to Radheya. Yudhistira told Salya to protect Arjuna by dampening Radheya's confidence and influencing his mental condition. 

The king agreed and promised to support Arjuna on the battlefield.

In response to the message sent by Yudhistira, king Dhritarashtra sends Sanjaya to Upaplavya. The blind king asks Yudhistira to not renew old wounds, refrain from war, 

and not commit the sin of killing one's own family. Dhritarashtra asks Yudhistira to consider peace. Sanjaya tells the Pandavas that the king wants them to give up any desire

 for their share of the kingdom. Yudhistira is shocked and hurt to bear his uncle's accusations. The Pandavas realise that the king to satisfy his son knowingly abandoned all Dharma.

We paused the story here.

Next, the class took a break to do deep breathing exercise and to stretch out for a bit

India, the Sacred Land

Topics: The Sacred Land - Diwali/ Deepavali Festival and stories of why we celebrate this festival

The children listened to the stories of - Lord Krishna and Narakasura, Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya, Samudra Manthana- Goddess Lakshmi, Vamana avatar and King Bali.

#TIL -  Intro to the Gregorian calendar. The class watched a video about how the months in the Hindu calendar are calculated. We discussed Sauramana vs Chandramana calendars.

Activity: Which type of Hindu calendar does your family follow? Ask your grandparents/ parents.

Geeta Chanting

Grade 6 is group Partha, assigned verses 1-28 to memorize. Today our class learned verses 4 and 5 of the Bhagavad Geeta, Chapter 4 from our Swamiji.

We concluded the session with Aarti and Pledge recitation in the Prayer Hall. Wishing all Grade 6 families a blessed Diwali festival!

- 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