Hari Om Parents,
Please find the below update from our class on Friday Oct 14th, 2022.
Class began with Opening Prayers - 3 OMs, followed by the chanting of Sahana Vavatu. Then invoked the blessings of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and all our Gurus, by chanting..
Śri Ganeshaya Namah!
Śhri Saraswathyai Namah!
Śhri Sad-Gurubhyo Namah!
Kindly encourage the kids to memorize these and recite them at appropriate times throughout the day. Thus instilling in them, not just the learning part but to put all that they learn, into practice in their daily routine.
Shlokas: ( My Prayers Book)
The kids, then took turns to recite the Daily Prayers ( page#11) in the order of:
• Karagre Vasate
• Samudra Vasane
• Gange cha Yamune
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam
• Brahmaarpanam
• Shubham Karoti
• Kara-charana-krtam vak
As per our curriculum, we proceeded to learn the Devi Dhyana Shloka (page #39). Each of the kids volunteered to recite after the teacher and learn the shloka with proper pronunciation and appropriate diction.
Mahabharata Summary: We completed the topics review from last year.The slaying of Bakasura
The Pandavas traveled to the opposite shores of the river Ganges by boat and proceeded on foot, eager to get as far as possible from Varanavata, to avoid the roving eyes of the Kaurava spies. Bhima guided them all to safety, at times carrying them in his arms, hips and shoulders.They eventually reached the village of Ekachakra and disguised as Brahmins, sought refuge in the house of a kind family. They begged for food and grains every day that upon cooking would be divided into two equal portions, one for Bhima and the other for the rest of the family. One day the brothers were out begging for food and Bhima stayed with his mother, Kunti. Suddenly, a cry of anguish and despair erupted from the landlord's living quarters. Bhima rushed into the
house and witnessed the little children clinging to their parents, all in a state of despair. Upon inquiry, a terrible truth was revealed. A demon named Bakasura, had captured the village and engaged in looting and killing people for food. To stop him from ravaging the town, the villagers agreed to send a cart full of food with a driver every day. The demon consumed the food and the driver to satisfy his hunger. It is the turn of the Landlord to fulfill that duty and the family had engaged in a serious discussion as to the right person to do so. Kunti then volunteered Bhima to do the job and thus, Bhima went along with the cart. On reaching the mountain cave, he settled to eat the food calmly since it would become inauspicious and wasted if he were to slay the
demon. The demon tried to approach Bhima from all angles, but his advance was thwarted effortlessly by the mighty Pandava. Eventually, a terrible fight ensued, and Bhima killed Bakasura by stepping on his back and breaking it. The villagers rejoiced at this happy turn of events and thus peace returned to this tiny village, atlast.
Draupadi's swayamvara
Drupada, the King of Panchala, had a son named Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter named Draupadi. His other daughter, Shikandi's story was covered in the earlier class. The king chose an auspicious day to hold the swayamvara of Draupadi and announced it to the entire world. News reached the Pandavas and they, too, decided to travel to Panchala to take part in the festivities, still disguised as Brahmanas. The town was decked with beautiful decorations and garlands with various entertainments playing along the way. Many princes have gathered from far and near all in glamorous attires, including Duryodhana and Karna, hoping to win the hand of Draupadi. Dhrishtadyumna rode in on a beautiful horse, followed by Draupadi seated atop a majestic elephant. The coy princess ascended the stage, and all eyes were affixed on her full of awe and admiration. Dhrishtadyumna, announced to the audience the details of the contest that they needed to fulfill to attain his sister. They were supposed to shoot five arrows in succession, through the hole on the rotating apparatus at the golden fish that was fixed on top of a long pole. Many Princes eagerly participated but could not succeed. Karna managed to string the bow, but it snapped out of the loop and was even more enraged to hear Draupadi say that she wouldn't marry a Suta at any cost. Arjuna strung the bow and invoking the Gods mentally, shot all the five arrows through the disc in quick succession and hit the target. Draupadi placed her garland over the shoulders of Arjuna, much to the chagrin of the assembled Kings and Princes.
Dhrishtadyumna, wary of the fact that his sister married a Brahmana, followed them. He was elated to discover that the Brahmana was none other than Arjuna himself and was beside himself to find Kunti with all the Pandavas in their humble dwelling. He conveyed his find to Drupada and the joyous King facilitated the marriage in a solemn ceremony. Kunti had responded to the news of the Swayamvara by advising the Pandavas to share the spoils of the win equally among themselves. Drupada objected initially but then was pacified by Vyasa who revealed the prayers of Draupadi to Lord Shiva in her previous life asking for a good husband at least five times in a row. So, fate had warranted that she receives the same in this lifetime.
News of the Swayamvara was announced to Dhritarashtra by Vidura. The blind King mistakenly assumed that it was Duryodhana, who had won the hands of Draupadi and arranged for a grand reception. Much to his chagrin, he was compelled to extend the same invitation to the Pandavas and as per the court's advice, offer a half of the kingdom to them. He instructed the Pandavas to go to Khandavaprastha and establish a kingdom of their own, as did their illustrious ancestors such as Harishchandra.
Arjuna and Subhadra
Arjuna visited Krishna at Prabhasa and was captivated by the beauty of Subhadra, the latter's sister. Balarama opposed the union and so, upon Krishna's advice and as per the Kshatriya terms, Arjuna carried away Subhadra in his chariot. Balarama had no other choice than to solemnize their wedding and eventually, the couple bore a mighty warrior son named Abhimanyu.
Jarasandha
The Pandavas ruled their kingdom in all glory. Yudhishtra was urged to perform aRajasuya sacrifice and assume the title of the 'Emperor'. His interest was even more piqued on hearing from Narada, Harishchandra's inclusion in Lord Indira's court after performing such sacrifice. Krishna gave his blessings to the king but warned him that King Jarasandha would be the greatest obstacle since he was aspiring for the same status. Jarasandha had captured 86 kings and upon capturing 100 kings, was planning to sacrifice them, to crown himself as the emperor.
King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi and was unable to produce a progeny for a long time. The King sought the blessings of Sage Kaushika, who uttered auspicious mantras and offered the king a Mango. He instructed the King to offer it to the Queen and blessed him with a child. The King, to avoid any inkling of partiality among his wives, split the mango and gave each of the women a half of it. The queens eventually gave birth to one half body of a child. They threw the body parts wrapped in a cloth in a garbage refuse. A demoness by the name of Jara, picked up this bundle and with the intention of consuming it, joined the two halves. The body enjoined to become a whole and a child was created. Jara, then approached the King and offered up the child, who was named as Jarasandha. He ascended the throne later, whom everyone feared and was also the father-in-law of Kamsa. When Krishna killed Kamsa, Jarasandha vowed to destroy the Yadavas. He attacked Mathura several times, forcing Krishna to flee to Dwaraka, and the latter did so to reduce the suffering of his people.
The slaying of Jarasandha
Krishna, along with Arjuna and Bhima, approached the King easily, disguised as Brahamanas, offering to engage in an academic debate with him. Krishna, then bluntly challenged Jarasandha to a mortal combat, who then chose to fight with Bhima using bare hands.A terrible fight ensued but each time Bhima would tear him apart, the body would join and become a whole. Krishna picked up a twig, snapped them lengthwise into two equal parts and placed them opposite to each other. Taking the hint, Bhima tore Jarashandha's body apart and placed the halves opposite to keep them enjoining again. The imprisoned Kings were freed, who pledged their loyalty to Yudhishtra and thus proclaimed him as the emperor.
Shishupala
Krishna was honored as the primary guest and that enraged Shishupala, who staged a walk-out by riling up a host of other Kings. He insulted Krishna by calling him a cowherd and hence refused to acknowledge the honor extended to Him by the Pandavas. He continued to shower insults on whoever tried to reason with him. Eventually, Krishna vanquished him in a fight and thus, the cursed Shishupala who was Lord Vishnu's attendant was liberated by Lord
Krishna.
Game of diceDuryodhana's quest for revenge against the Pandavas was intense and his hatred grew ten-fold upon hearing the success of Yudhistra's Rajasuya sacrifice. He attempted to hatch another plot to destroy the Pandavas, seething with anger and fury. Knowing full well that the Pandavas cannot be destroyed in a war, Sakuni advised Duryodhana to extend an invitation to the Pandavas for a game of dice. Sakuni meant to fully exploit the weakness of Yudhisthira for gambling and thus snatch the kingdom from the Pandavas. Vidura was dispatched to deliver the invitation to Yudhishtra. Though puzzled greatly, Yuddhishtra agreed to the terms of the invitation to maintain amicable relations with his cousins.
Upon their arrival at the court in Hastinapura, Yuddhishtra was afflicted with doubts regarding the validity of gambling as a viable recommendation by the Shastras. But Sakuni advocated for this practice, saying "when two people fight, the better man wins. Victory is always the aim but if you are afraid, you can always withdraw". As a Kshatriya, Yuddhishtra could not withdraw when challenged thus proclaiming "Destiny is all powerful", prepared to play the game. The entire court watched in rapt attention, as the dice started rolling. Sakuni was designated to be Duryodhana's representative, who managed to win every game they played using manipulative methods to roll. Yudhishtra waged and lost his treasury, attendants and his kingdom. Soon, he lost his brothers one by one, himself even and upon Sakuni's treacherous words waged Draupadi and lost her as well. An ecstatic Duryodhana, instructed his charioteer, Prathikami to escort Draupadi to the court and expressed his intention to make her a servant.
Draupadi's grief
Draupadi was infuriated at this insolence and demanded to know if Yudhisthira lost himself before he wagered his queen. Draupadi refused to enter the court each time, Prathikami requested her to do so, waiting for a viable answer to her question. The elders in court tried to dissuade Duryodhana from performing such a despicable task but he was adamant in his decision. Eventually, he ordered Dussasana to bring Draupadi to the assembly by force, if
needed. Dussasana dragged the distraught woman to the court by her hair and hurled on its floors. Upon Duryaodhana's cruel instructions, proceeded to remove her clothing stating that those too, along with those of the Pandavas, belonged to the Kauravas and Shakuni. Draupadi desperately appealed to the court to revise this evict but found no supporters. She fervently prayed to Lord Krishna, surrendering herself to him completely. Lo and behold! The garment grew in leaps and bounds, kept increasing in sheer length that Dussasana collapsed on the ground out of sheer exhaustion. Bhima, overcome with wrath and anger towards Dussasana, vowed to tear his heart out and drink his blood. Many ominous signs sounded all around them. The blind King, aware of the calamity that could befall his race if this situation continued, returned the kingdom to the Pandavas and sent them away advocating peace and calm.
Duryodhana became more determined to bring about the ruin of the Pandavas and lobbied the court to play one more game of dice. This time around, the wager would be that the Pandavas would give up their Kingdom, if they lost and retire to the forest for thirteen years. On top of that, they need to live in hiding for another year without the Kauravas knowing their living situation. In case of discovery by the Kauravas, they would need to continue living in the forest for another set of thirteen years.Thus, the Pandavas were lured into another game of dice play, which they eventually lost and were banished to live in the forest for thirteen years.
Kamyaka forest
The Pandavas proceeded to the forest to begin their Vanavasa for thirteen years. All the citizens lamented this unfortunate turn of events and the sudden departure of the Kind sons of Pandu. They followed them to a long distance in-spite of Yudhishtra's request for their return back to Hastinapura. Yudhishtra was deeply troubled by his inability to provide food to the people and implored Daumya to help with this situation. Daumya instructed him to pray to the
Sun God and Yudhishtra compiled. The Sun God granted him a vessel called Akshaya Paatra that will provide plenty of food until Draupadi eats for the day. Thus, the vessel dissipated their hunger for the next twelve years during their stay in the Kamyaka forest.
Back in the capital city of Hastinapura, Vidura advised Duryodhana to bring the Pandavas and offer their kingdom back, to maintain amicable relations between the cousins. Dhritharashtra lost his patience eventually and ordered Vidura to leave the Kauravas and join the Pandavas in their
exile. Later, he regretted his decision, worrying that he had driven Vidura, one of the most knowledgeable and wise ministers into the arms of the Pandavas, thus strengthening the enemy camp. He dispatched Sanjaya to follow Vidura and persuade him to rejoin the Kauravas court. Sanjaya managed to complete his mission, largely due to Vidura's affection for his unhappy brother, Dhritarashtra.
Yavakrida
In their vast travels, the Pandavas reached the hermitage of Rishi Raibhya on the banks of the mighty river, The Ganges. Sage Lomasa recounted the sacred history of that location that had blessed many illustrious leaders in the past and implored Yudhishtra to gain freedom from all the misfortunes, anger and passion that has been inflicting him. Sage Lomasa proceeded to narrate the story of Yavakrida that better explains the sanctity of the place.
Two eminent scholars and ascetics, Bharadwaja and Raibhya lived in that hermitage long ago. Sage Raibhya's sons, Aravasu and Puravasu were well versed in the study of Vedas and gained fame as learned scholars. Bharadwaja devoted himself to the worship of the Lord and his son, Yavakrida, over-wrought with jealousy towards the scholars, performed great austerities to Lord Indra, requesting to achieve knowledge directly with little effort. Indra dismissed his plees by stating that Vedas needed to be studied diligently with the help of a preceptor and not acquired by performing austerities alone.
Yavakrida, defiantly undertook extreme austerities and summoned Indra, much to the dismay of the Gods. Indra admonished Yavakrida for his pursuit of vain fame through unethical means and instructed him to follow patient study of the Vedas. Yavakrida proclaimed that he would resort to drastic measures such as cutting his limbs off one at a time and offer to the fire to achieve his goal. Yavakrida pursued his austerities with much more vigor than before, and days passed. One day, while bathing in the river, he happened to see a Brahmana throwing a fistful of sand into the river and was stupefied. Upon inquiry, the old man disclosed his desire to build a dam across the gushing river to enable people to cross across with ease and lauded himself for this wonderful idea. Yavakrida mocked his ridiculous idea and advised him to perform the actual work instead.The old man retorted," Is my project more foolish than yours of mastering the Vedas, not by study but by austerities?". A humble Yavakrida then prayed to Lord Indra to grant him strength to learn the Vedas and achieve fame as a learned scholar.
Yavakrida, eventually achieved a high status as the most learned scholar, all the while growing vain with the thought that Indra's blessings was the sole reason for this achievement and not his personal toil. That thought provoked him to behave disrespectfully towards Raibhya. Bharadwaja warned his son to refrain from such insolent acts, that is sure to lead one to self-destruction and to cultivate self- restraint. On a particularly beautiful spring day, Yavakrida was overcome with affectionate thoughts towards Puravasu's wife and behaved inappropriately towards her. An infuriated Raibhya summoned a beautiful lady and a terrible ghost from the sacrificial fires and commanded them to kill Yavakrida. The lady enticed Yavakrida with her charms and stole away the water jug. The ghost rushed to kill him with an uplifted spear and Yavakrida scrambled around looking for water to cleanse himself to recite the mantra to protect himself. Not a drop of water was found anywhere and was forced to find refuge in his father's sacrificial hall. The half blind guard stopped him from entering the hall, unable to recognize him and thus was killed by the ghost. Pride and Vanity undid the man of all his good deeds and status, and the grief-stricken father, Bharadwaja ended his life as well.
Bhima and Hanuman
The Pandavas yearned for the return of their beloved Arjuna and Draupadi shared in their wretchedness from the separation from the great hero. Sahadeva suggested a remedy to alleviate the sorrow by traveling to distant places and indulging in adventurous jaunts. Yudhishtra welcomed the idea and planned a pilgrimage to many shrines and holy places. They eventually reached Kulinda, the kingdom of Subahu, in the Himalayan regions and enjoyed the hospitality offered by the king. They then proceeded to the dense forest of Narayanasrama and camped on the banks of a river. One day, a north-easterly breeze carried a beautiful and fragrant flower to the proximity of Draupada who gathered it in awe and wonder. Declaring her intent to gift the flower to Yudhishtra, Draupadi implored Bhima to find the plant to take to Kamyaka forest to grow a garden full of those heavenly fragrant flowers.
Anxious to please his beloved Draupadi, Bhima journeyed in the direction of the wind and presently came to a forest of plantain trees at the foot of a mountain. His path forward was blocked by a giant monkey that lay across the way, fast asleep. Bhima commanded the monkey to move but the old monkey sermoned on the proper etiquette of the strong behaving benevolently towards the weak, such as himself. Bhima asserted his status as the mighty
Hanuman's brother, and threatened to jump over the lazy monkey but stopped short since the scriptures do not advise it. The monkey pretended to be in awe of the mighty Hanuman and implored Bhima to push his tail side and carry on further. Bhima reluctantly flicked the tail aside but was astounded to see it not move an inch, He mustered all his strength and tried to lift the tail but to no avail. Bhima was shocked into a realization that this was no ordinary monkey and upon asking, was overjoyed to discover the identity of the monkey. Hanuman embraced him anddirected him to the location of the flowers, away from the path to the spirit world, where unspoken dangers lay. He blessed Bhima with a vision of his Vishwaroopam and promised to accompany him in the war with the Kauravas, by presiding on the flagpole of Arjuna's chariot, guiding them to victory.
Duryodhana disgraced
Back in Hastinapura, Dhritharashtra heard many Brahmins recount the living conditions and the plight of the Pandavas, who had visited and traversed with them. Though partially delighted, the blind king worried over the negative implications of this talk being cast over his sons. He fretted over the greed and covetous behavior of Duryodhana and his followers and regretted his inability to prevent the sinful acts that led to that day. Duryodhana and his posse
were delighted to share in the spoils of the game and applauded each other for their expert cunningness. Duryodhana seemed a bit dissatisfied and expressed his desire to see the Pandavas in their misery in person and provoke their resentment further, by exhibiting their wealth and acquisitions. Karna devised a master plan to get Dhrithrashtra's permission, by announcing an inspection of the Dwaitavana cattle ranch, which was situated four miles from the Pandava camp.
Dhritharashtra reluctantly agreed and the Kaurava entourage set out to the forest. The Kauravas erected their camp and enjoyed games and festivities after completing their inspection and stock-taking of the cattle. They indulged in vigorous hunting trips and on one such occasion, arrived at a beautiful pond with enchanting views. Duryodhana expressed his desire to camp out at that spot and preparations got under way. Chitrasena, the Gandharva King was also stationed at that spot and so the encampment work was halted due to refusal of the aforesaid King. An infuriated Duryodhana ordered the army to march on the intruders and a terrible battle ensued. Chitrasena took Duryodhana captive,bound his hand and foot and threw him on his chariot. The Gandharvas blew their conches to announce their victory, the sound of which reached Yudhishtra's ears. He reprimanded Bhima for his crave assessment of the Kaurava' situation and announced his intent to help their cousins.Bhima and Arjuna rallied the routed karava forces and offered battle to the Gandharvas. Chitrasena showed least interest in battling the mighty warriors, only expressing his desire to teach the arrogant Duryodhana, a lesson in good manners.
The dishonored Kauravas return to Hastinapura in humiliation and shame. A dejected Duryodhana expressed desire to give up his life by fasting to overcome the humiliation suffered at the hands of the Pandava brothers. Sakuni provoked his inner hatred and jealousy towards the Pandavas by stating that defeat should be accepted by inviting the pandavas and handing the kingdom back to them. Duryodhana immediately shirked off the idea of defeat and defiantly declared his desire to fight his cousins to death. Karna reassured Duryodhana by undertaking a terrible vow to forsake meat and wine and promising to fulfill the desire of anyone who approaches him.
Vaishnava Yagna
During the Pandavas' stay in the forest, Durayodhana celebrated the Vaishnava Yajna with great pomp and splendor. He initially proposed conducting the Rajasuya sacrifice but was advised against it since the honor belongs to Yudhishtra, that moment in time. Duryodhana was disappointed but grew hopeful, once Karna reiterated his promise to vanquish the Pandava brothers, especially Arjuna. Karna, with much bravado declared his abstinence from wine and
meat and his resolve to grant anyone their wish if they approach him with one. Though the event was successfully conducted, the attendees couldn't stop themselves from comparing this to the Rajasuya sacrifice performed by Yudhishtra deeming it inferior to the one performed by the older Pandava brother. Of course, the court sycophants cheered Duryodhana as a great King and shouted with joy as if the Pandavas had been slain already.
Krishna's hunger
One day, Sage Durvasa, during his travels across the land with his ten thousand disciples, happened to visit Hastinapura and was warmly welcomed by the state officials. Fully aware andwary of the Durvasa's terrible temper, Duryodhana took care of the guest' every single need and was so incredibly lavish in his hospitality, that he earned a boon from the renowned Sage. Though tempted immensely to ask for things to benefit his own personal gain, he advocated that the Sage visit his cousins in the forest and grant them audience. He particularly insisted on a mid-day visit, since he was sure the Pandavas along with Draupadi, would have consumed their meal and the Akshya Patra would have exhausted its merit for that day. The Sage bid his farewell and proceeded towards the Pandavas' humble dwelling in the jungle.
The Pandavas welcomed the Sage and his entire entourage and offered salutations to him. Sage Durvasa asked them to prepare food to appease their hunger and proceeded to the river to refresh themselves. Draupadi was greatly troubled and prayed earnestly to Lord Krishna to come to their rescue. Krishna appeared in front of her and expressed his intent to eat as well. Draupadi was annoyed thinking that her savior had also joined the enemy's camp instead of delivering her from the wrath of the Sage. Krishna insisted on inspecting the Akshyapatra himself and instructed Draupadi to bring it to him. A tiny piece of cooked vegetable and a grain of rice was sticking to the rim of the vessel and Krishna consumed it readily. He was replete with satisfaction and requested Bhima to escort the Sage back to the hut from the river for food. Though perplexed, Bhima did as he was told but was extremely surprised to see the guest' hunger satisfied that they decided to leave at once.
The explanation is that the whole universe is contained within Lord Krishna and his satisfaction with a single grain of rice satisfied the hunger of all beings in the entire universe at that moment in time, including the Sage.
The Enchanted pool
Once, the pandavas lost track of their surroundings while chasing a deer, they fell exhausted, thirsty and tired. Yudhisthira sent Nakula to find water. He went in search and discovered a lake, and immediately jumped to take a drink of water. A loud voice asked him not to drink the water unless he answered his questions. Nakula paid no heed to the voice, drank the water and fell down dead. Yuthisthira then sent Sahadeva, who also met with the same fate. Arjuna and Bhima also did not listen to the voice and died. Finally, Yudhisthira came to the spot, and was shocked to see his brothers lifeless. But he too was drawn to the glimmering water by his monstrous thirst. As soon as his hand touched the water, a voice bellowed out asking him not to do so, and
he instantly gathered it to be a Yaksha's doing. He agreed to the terms of the game and hence the voice started asking a series of questions, one after the other.
Sample of questions…
1. What makes the Sunshine every day? - the power of the Brahman
2. What rescues man in danger? - Courage
3. What is nobler than the Earth? - A Mother
4. What is higher than the sky? - A Father
5. What is fleeter than the wind? - Mind
6. What accompanies a man in death? - Dharma
7. What is the biggest vessel? - The Earth
8. What is that, abandoning which man becomes loved by all? - Pride
9. What is that the loss of which yields joy and not sorrow? - Anger
10. What is that, by giving up which, man becomes rich? - Desire
Thus, the Yaksha posed many questions and Yudhishtra answered them all. Pleased, the Yaksha offered to bring one of the Pandava brothers back to life. Yudhishthira pondered for a few minutes, and requested Nakula to be revived out of all, lying on the ground. The Yaksha was curious as to why not revive Bhima who is endowed with the strength of sixteen thousand elephants or Arjuna, the favorite archer of all times, to which the older Pandava answered that to let Madri have a son alive and save her from bereavement of losing both her sons. The Yaksha was pleased with Yudhishtra's impartiality and brought all the brothers back to life. The Yaksha revealed his true form, and it was none other than Lord Yama himself, in disguise as a deer and then as the Pool owner, who wanted to meet his son and test his resolve. Lord Yama warmly embraced Yudhishtra and blessed him with a boon that their life in the forest and incognito would go without a hitch.Bhagavad Gita: The first two verses of chapter 3 were taught and rehearsed this week, following our Swamiji, Swami Shantanandaji's chanting video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR_0-rSUa5U&list=PLwv-WSJSokEMjzRiL_CQC--igySyIgJqA&index=1&t=11s
Aarathi: We assembled at the main prayer hall for aarathi and concluding prayers.
Please have the children do their daily prayers regularly and also practice the ślokas and Gita chanting.
Thank you! See you back on Friday Oct 28, 2022.
Pranāms,
Viji Lakshmi Hari and Anupama Sivakumar
Friday Grade 6 sevikas
