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Children are not vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit.
- Swami Chinmayananda
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Mar 12, 2023 - Grade 5 (Sunday PM)

Hari Om Parents,
March 12, 2023 -  Class Updates
  1. Kids wrote Likhita japa for the first five minutes.
  2. We started off the class with the opening prayer (Dhyana shloka - Om Saha Navavatu)
  3. Shloka chanting 
    1. We reviewed and practiced all the verses of Ganesha Pancharatnam
    2. We reviewed the first verse of Ajam Nirvikalpam and practiced the second verse
    3. Kids did a great job in the class by following the chanting. Please ask them to practice
  4. Mahabharata
    1. Continuation of Vana parva
      1. Yaksha Prashna
        1. Pandavas were about to complete the 12 years of exile.
        2. One day, a brahmin requested the Pandavas to help retrieve the Arani sticks that were carried away by a deer.
        3. Pandavas chased the deer, got exhausted and were thirsty.
        4. There was a lake nearby and Yuddhishthira sent Sahadeva to fetch water for them
        5. When Sahadeva approached the water of the lake, a voice told him to answer his questions first before drinking the water.
        6. Sahadeva did not listen to the voice and went ahead and drank the water and fell dead.
        7. Since Sahadeva did not return, Yuddhishthira sent Nakula, same fate happened to Nakula.
        8. Similarly, the same fate came to Arjuna and Bhima.
        9. When Yuddhishthira approached the lake, a Yaksha (to which the voice belongs to) appeared before him and stated that Yuddhishthira has to answer his questions first before drinking the water.
        10. Yuddhishthira having seen his dead brothers, agreed to answer the Yaksha's questions 
          1. Yaksha means a divine being
          2. Prashna means questions or queries
        11. Yaksha asked 126 questions and Yuddhishthira answered all of them to Yaksha's contentment.
          1. Some questions were discussed in the class.
            1. What made the Sun set and rise? Answer - Dharma
            2. What makes a person to be a learned one? Answer - Knowing the Vedas
            3. How can a person become intelligent? Answer - By serving the elders
            4. What is faster than wind? Answer - Mind
        12. Yaksha, satisfied with Yuddhishthira's answer told him that Yaksha can revive one of Yuddhishthira's brothers and asked him which brother he will choose.
        13. Yuddhishthira answered that it will be Nakula. Then, Yaksha asked why he decided it would be Nakula. Yuddhishthira shared that he being Kunti's son is alive and he wants one of Madri's sons to be alive so that it will be fair for both the mothers.
        14. Yaksha was happy to hear that and blessed all the brothers to revive.
        15. Yaksha revealed himself and he was none other than Yama Dharmaraja (father of Yuddhishthira).
        16. Yama Dharmaraja gave the boon to the Pandavas that they will not be recognized during their incognito year.
        17. With this, Vana parva ends.
  5. Swamini Radhikananda ji visited our class and taught two wonderful bhajans.
    1. Ring song -  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HLvMV1iXw84 (till 4:45) 

      • "Happiness runs in a circular motion
      • Thought is like a little boat upon the sea
      • Everybody is a part of everything anyway
      • You can have everything if you let yourself be"
  6. Kids practiced the Bhagavad Gita chanting using the video - Verses 23, 24 and 25 of Chapter 3
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZ9svnpiy4&list=PLwv-WSJSokEMjzRiL_CQC--igySyIgJqA&index=12
  7. Story of a Saint - Gautama Buddha
    1. Gautama Buddha's childhood name was Siddhartha.
    2. His father was the King Suddhodhana, king of Nepal
    3. His mother was Queen Mayavati.
    4. He was born in 563 BC.
    5. Once Siddhartha was born, all the saints across the Himalayas came to bless the child. The king asked for the reason and the saints said that the child will either become a great king or a great saint in the future.
    6. The king got worried that Siddhartha will become a saint and got advised to bring up Siddhartha inside the palace and not to be let outside to learn about changes happening in life.
    7. Siddaratha got all the comforts and he never knew about pain and sorrow.
    8. Siddharatha got married to Yasodhara.
    9. One day Siddhartha asked his charioteer to take him outside the palace. There he saw an old man, a sick man and a saint.
    10. Siddhartha wanted to know the truth (who he was) and left the palace.
    11. He tried different techniques and finally he sat for meditation under a Bodhi tree
    12. He got enlightened on forty-ninth day and got transformed to Buddha (meaning enlightened one)
    13. He started to travel and spread the message.
    14. He died in 483 BC.
    15. Story about his quote - "One who harms no one, cannot be harmed by any one!"
    16. Values to be learned from him - be kind, be good and be compassionate.
  8. Kids were discussing ideas for their performance on June 10th (Annual day). Please ask the kids to think about what they would like to present as part of their performance. We will discuss that with the kids in our next class.
  9. Aarati and pledge in the Temple Hall.
Our next class is on March 19th. Please note that the Balavihar handbook calendar does not have March 19th as "balavihar in session", but we had a change and there is a balavihar class on March 19th.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions. Thanks.

Regards,
Roopa and Ramee
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