Hari om parents
we began our class with Likhitha jaapa followed by Daily prayers and Ganesh Panchratnam
Extremely happy that our kids were able to memorize and recite Ganesh pancharatnam without any aid from the book. We are very proud of them and kudos to all of them and to you all. Please pass on our appreciation to them and continue to encourage them. There is a story telling competition, please register the kids and have them practice a story from Mahabharatha or any other story per the competition guidelines
We continued with the Mahabharata story.
Story of Bhima
After the death of king Pandu, Kunti returned to Hastinapur along with her 5 sons. Bhima being the strong and powerful used to trouble kauravas a lot using his strength. Bhima was very naughty as a child and used to lift the kaurava princes and throw them with his might to show his strength. Duryodhana the eldest among pandavas who never liked pandavas wanted to kill these pandavas so that he can claim the throne. He was very jealous of pandavas as they were heir to the throne. one day he plotted against Bhima and decided to poison him.
He told his brothers that he would poison and throw Bhima into Ganges and then they could easily fight Arjuna and Yudhishthira capture them and put them in prison. Accordingly he suggested to Bhima that they should have a race in swimming in Ganges. Bhima was ready to show off and they swam in the Ganges for a long time. Bhima was very tired and exhausted after the long swim and he was invited to eat varieties of food by kauravas as he won the race. The food consumed by Bhima was sedated and as soon he ate the food he felt sleepy. Duryodhana and kauravas tied up Bhima and threw him in Ganges where it was full of poisonous snakes.
After lunch all the kuru princes went back to the palace. When Kunti enquired about Bhima to Yudhishthira and Duryodhana they said they did not know. Kunti was very worried and took the help of Vidura. Vidhura and Kunti knew that Duryodhana was up to something with Bhima. They went in search of Bhima. in meantime in Ganges river, the snakes bit Bhima and this venom in turn made Bhima stronger than ever before. When Bhima woke up he felt he grew more stronger than before and he got up and started walking towards the palace and on the way found Kunti and vidura searching for him. Kunti and vidhura came to know from Bhima what was done to him and suggested Bhima and Yudhishthira to keep it low and not to talk about it.
Bhima learnt the art of using mace from his guru Dronacharya. Bhima and Duryodhana both were good at the art of using mace but since Duryodhana was always envious of pandavas he never could be the best. This made Duryodhana sadder. Hatred and Enviousness is the cause of Duryodhana not being successful.
Story of Karna
Kunti one morning when she saw the rising sun she was mesmerized by the beauty and wanted to test the mantra given by Durvasa Sage and prayed to Sun god. The sun god Surya appeared before her and granted her a baby boy as result of the power of the mantra. This baby was born with body armor and earrings. Kunti being very young, did not know what to do with the baby. She wrapped the child in a cloth and put the baby in a box, floated the box on Ganges and prayed that the baby would survive.
A Charioteer who was childless happened to pass by and heard a baby crying, when he came to banks of the river saw a box and inside it was a baby with this armor and earrings. Since he was childless he took the child to his wife and he and his wife happily raised the child and gave him the name of Karna. He was fondly called Radhe after his mom Radha who raised her. Karna as he was growing up wanted to learn archery. He went to Sage Parasurama to learn this art. Sage Parasurama said he would teach this only to brahmins and not kshatriyas. Karna lied to Sage Parasurama saying he was a brahmin. One day Sage Parasurama was resting in the lap of Karna, Karna noticed that a scorpion was coming near his guru and so as not to disturb his guru's rest, he stopped the scorpion with his hand and the scorpion stung him. When Sage Parasurama woke up after some time he noticed that Karna was stung by a scorpion and was bearing the pain all the while. He asked Karna who he was, he said only kshatriyas had this level of pain tolerance. He cursed Karna and said that the knowledge that he learnt will not come to his rescue during the time he needs the most.
After Kuru princes learnt the art of war fare from Guru Dronacharya, Bhishma and other kuru elders decided to hold a sports event to show the talent of these pandavas and kauravas. At this event Bhima/Duryodhana/Arjuna and others showed their skills. Arjuna was declared as the best archer and Dronacharya announced Arjuna as his favorite, best disciple and best archer. When this announcement came there was a young chap in the crowd who raised a voice and said he can defeat Arjuna. When this boy stood up he had shining bright armor and earrings, Kunti immediately recognized him as the son born with the boon from Surya.Bhishma objected that only royal family could participate and since he was not from the royal family he could not. Duryodhana always was looking for opportunities to insult and take revenge on pandavas, immediately declaring that Karna will be king of anga.
As Anga had no king to rule at that time and he crowned Karna the King of Anga. But Bhishma declared that Karna was not of royal lineage and could not participate in the event even though he was crowned as king of Anga. Since Duryodhana crowned Karna and gave him a place in the royal kingdom, Karna vowed to be by Duryodhana through his lifetime. Karna was well known for his charity, anyone who came to Karna seeking for charity Karna would not say no and give them what they needed or asked for.
His charity was the cause of his undoing. Later in his life during the Mahabharata war. Lord Surya the son god came to Karna and warned him that Indra would come to him and warned Karna to be vigilant in what he promises to give, as Indra would come in disguise and ask him something that would be a cause of his death. Lord Surya and Indra both knew that nobody could harm Karna as long as he had the body armor and ear rings that Jarna had since an infant and was born with. What it teaches us that too much of a good thing, can sometimes be the cause of our downfall. Mahabharatha is full of such events and examples. Characters take great decisions with a lot of good intentions not knowing fully the eventual consequences, only to repent later.
One morning when Karna was doing his morning prayers an old man approached him and asked him that he needed something in charity, but wil tell what it is only on the promise that Karna would not renge on his promise. After Karna promises, Indra disguised as a Brahmin, seeks body armor and earnings. Karna instantly recalls his fathers advice and recognizes that the old man was none other than Lord Indra and happily gives away his armor and earrings. Indra later explains to Karna that he resorted to such deceit, at the behest of Lord Krishna, for Karna was fighting on the side of adharma - Kavuravas and he needed to be vanquished, which cannot happen until Karna had the body armor and ear rings. Indra blessed Karna and said no one can match him in his charity and departs
During the Mahabharata war Karna while fighting Arjuna his chariot wheel broke and he was trying to fix the wheel. Arjuna then rained arrows at Karna and Karna could not recollect how to use any of his skills and astras/ weapons that he acquired due to the curse of sage Parsurama. Infact it is said that Arjuna was only the material caus eof Karna's death, according to some folklore tradition - there were many other people who were responsible for Karna's death - Kunti - who seeks a vow form Karna, prior to the war that Karna would not kill any of the Pandavas, except for Arjuna, the curse from Parsurama, from mother earth - who curses him that his cahriots will be stuck in her at a very critical time and he would not be able to extricate it in time, from king Salya - who became a charioteer for Karna by deceit. King Salya was a great warrior himself and was the uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva. He was won over to fight for Kauravas by deceit, having learnt that he had to fight his own nephews, Salya refuses to take up arms against Pandavas, but agrees to be a charioteer for Karna, as Salya was also known as great charioteer throughout his kingdom. Being a charioteer is a highly skilled job - like a caddy for a golfer - he is all in one - able to navigate in the battlefield, be a mentor and advisor to the fighter riding in the charioteer etc. Salya, knowing that the battle was not just between Pandavas or Kauravas, in fact it was a war between dharma and adharma and that adhrma would and can never win, did his best to demoralise, disenage Karna during the war intentionally.
Thus ended our classes with stories of Bheema and Karna, later we did a quick pop quiz before rushing to prayer hall for aarati and pledge. Prior to that the kids practiced Bhagavad gita chapter 3 verses 1-6 and learnt new verses 7-8.
with pranams,
Shivram and Anuradha
Resource:
https://youtu.be/Oyo0FWP9fB8 (play at speed of 0.75)
https://youtu.be/UrZUQh6SpcQ (Sri Sri) - slow, lyrics clear pronunciation
https://youtu.be/PeKIzYPDlYs
https://youtu.be/7MooNhXCbHA - a peppy version, suitable once the lyrics are mastered.
