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Children are not vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit.
- Swami Chinmayananda
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Dec 4, 2022 - Grade 5 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om Parents,
December 4, 2022 -  Class Updates
  1. Kids wrote Likhita japa for the first five minutes.
  2. We started off the class with the chanting of the opening prayer (Dhyana shloka - Om Saha Navavatu)
  3. We practiced Mangala aarati (page 25 of handbook - https://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/images/Documents/2022CNJBVHandbook.pdf  ), Aarati (page 26), Chinmaya aarati (page 27), Shanti Mantras (page 28) and Pledge (page 29), as fifth graders will be leading the aarati and pledge next class, December 11th. Thanks to Rameshwari ji for helping us with the chanting.
  4. Mahabharata
    1. Continuation of Adi parva
      1. As Pandavas and Kauravas started to learn from Guru Dronacharya, we discussed the qualities of a true student (based on a Sanskrit Subhashita)
        1. Awareness
        2. Concentration
        3. Alertness
        4. Moderation in consumption of food
        5. To wear simple clothes
      2. Arjuna's concentration
        1. One day in Dronacharya's gurukulam, Drona kept a wooden bird on a tree branch and asked his students to take an aim with the bow and arrow
        2. Drona asked Duroyadhana to take an aim and asked him what he did see. Duroyadhana answered that he saw the bird, branches, the tree and the sky. Drona asked him not to release the arrow. 
        3. Drona asked Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva in succession to take an aim at the bird and all of them said that they saw the bird, branches and the tree. Drona asked them not to release the arrow.
        4. Next Drona asked Arjuna to take an aim and asked him what he saw. Arjuna said that he sees only the eye of the bird and nothing else. Drona was impressed and asked him to release the arrow. Arrow pierced through the eye of the wooden bird. 
        5. This incident shows the focus and concentration skills of Arjuna
        6. Impressed by Arjuna's skills, Drona promised Arjuna to make him the best archer in the world
      3. Story of Ekalavya
        1. One day, Pandavas and Kauravas saw a dog with arrows in its mouth, but the dog was not injured. They were amazed at the skill of the person who shot the arrows. They informed Drona.
        2.  All of them started to look for the person who shot the dog and they found a tribal boy practicing archery. 
        3. When Drona asked who he was. The boy told him that he was Ekalavya and that once he asked Drona to teach him archery, but since Drona was teaching only princes, he rejected him. 
        4. Ekalavya made a statue of Dronacharya and started to worship the statue as his Guru and started learning archery
        5. Drona understood that Ekalavya was a skilled archer
        6. Drona told him to pay him Guru Dakshina as he learned archery using his statue
        7. Ekalavya immediately agreed to provide whatever Drona desires
        8. Drona asks Ekalavya for his right thumb
        9. Ekalavya without any hesitation cut off his right thumb and provided to Dronacharya
        10. This incident shows the dedication and devotion of Ekalavya to his guru
      4. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up and completes their learning
      5. Karna became the king of Anga
        1. Drona conducted a tournament to showcase the skills of Pandavas and Kauravas
        2. Karna came to the tournament and challenged Arjuna 
        3. Drona mentioned that Karna being charioteer's son, cannot participate in the challenge as the tournament is only for royal princes
        4. Duroyadhana saw the opportunity and made Karna, the king of Anga
        5. Since it was sunset time, the tournament closed without any decisive winner for archery
  5. Story of a Saint - Auvaiyar
    1. Auvaiyar was born in Tamil Nadu
    2. When she was a young woman and not wanting to engage in householder life, she prayed to Lord Ganesha and got transformed to an old woman
    3. She was a peace maker and averted the war between King Thondiaman and King Adhiyaman
    4. Values to be learned from her - keep harmony
  6. Kids reviewed and practiced the verses 1 to 4 of Bhagavad Gita chapter 3.
  7. Kids practiced the Bhagavad Gita chanting using the video - Verses 9 and 10 of Chapter 3
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th65Y6VV6iU&list=PLwv-WSJSokEMjzRiL_CQC--igySyIgJqA&index=5
  8. Shloka chanting - we reviewed and practiced verses 1 and 2 of Ganesha Pancharatnam
    1. Kids did great in the class by following the chanting. Please ask them to practice
  9. Aarati and pledge in the Temple Hall 
    1. Fifth graders will be leading the aarati and pledge, next class, December 11th. Please make them practice by listening to the playlist.
      1. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiqbynLixCSgU3bD-gWscpN63oAn81EaI
Our next class is on December 11th. 

Please reach out to us if you have any questions. Thanks.

Regards,
Roopa, Ramee and Rameshwari

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