Hari Om Parents,
We started our class by writing Likhitha jaapa (writing the name of any ishta devata god's name). This would help children to settle down in class before we begin the class then followed by daily prayers (Page 11 of My Prayers book).
We would like every kid to lead the prayers every class. Divit led the class this week. We request parents to help children to learn the Daily Prayers.
We recapped what we did in the last few classes. Kids who can write in Devanagari or any language Jaya Shri Ram/Shri Ram/ Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Ram 1008 times and submit by 13th December would earn 300 extra points for themselves and their house as well. Kids were given papers for the same. Please make sure that they write their name, grade, balavihar session, house name on top of the page. We started with the Mahabharata recited and who penned it. Veda Vyasa recited and was penned by Ganesha.
Kuru Dynasty- the lineage of the Shantanu/Pandavas/Kauravas. Shanatnu was king of hastinapura, Hastinapura was on the banks of river Ganga.
Shantanu was a very noble king who ruled the entire kingdom well, he was a very good king but was not married yet. One day while going on strolls on the banks of river Ganga he saw a beautiful lady and was charmed by her beauty. He asked her what her name was and also her hand in marriage with him. She instantly agreed and said " oh king I'm Ganga and I definitely would be happy to be your wife, but I have a condition for this marriage". Shantanu asked this Lady " oh nobel lady, please let me know what your condition is, whatever the condition is I shall accept it". Ganga then said " oh king you shall never question my actions ever, if you question or stop me, then that very next moment I shall leave you and go away".
Shantanu never paid attention to the condition of Ganga and agreed instantly and they both were married. After sometime a son was born to them.no sooner that the boy was born ganga took the child and drowned him in river ganga. Shantanu was very surprised at this act and was about to question Ganga but he was reminded of his promise and the condition to their marriage. Shantanu was very upset with this act of Ganga. This went on for sometime. Ganga and Shantanu had 7 children and no sooner than the child was born, Ganga drowned the child in river ganga. When the 8th child was born shantanu could not bear this sight anymore and at the moment ganga was about to drown the child. He stopped her and said " oh cruel lady, how can you, being a mother, drown the child who is just born?" Ganga reminded Shantanu of his promise and since he broke it by stopping her,she would have to leave him for good now. She said she would raise this 8th child of theirs into a good prince worthy of hastinapura and bring him back when the time was right.
Shantanu now was all the more dejected and 16 yrs passed by. One day while he was on the banks of river ganga looking at the beautiful river he finds that the river suddenly stops flowing, when he back tracks he finds that a young boy shot a bunch of arrows and stopped the river ganga from flowing. He gets furious and questions the young lad on who he is etc? Just then Ganga appears before them both and tells shantanu that this young boy is their son whom she named as Devavrata. She has taught him all Vedas, all the skills of being a good ruler, he was taught art of war fare from Sage Parasurama etc and now King Shanatanu can take Devavrata with him and she parts goodbye to both Shantanu and Devavarta. Shantanu is very happy to have his son back and by his side and declares him crown prince.
Time passes by and Devavarta finds that his father is very dull and sad every evening after he returns from his evening strolls. One day he follows him to see the reason for his father's unhappiness. He finds out that Shantanu was in love with a fisher clan chief's daughter Satyavathi who is also called as Matsyagandi/Yojangandi.
Devavaratha finds out from the fisher clan chief on what the matter was. The Chief replies " Oh prince, I'm happy to give my daughter to your father in marriage. I have few conditions for this marriage" Devavarta says" oh chief please give me your conditions I shall accept it right away, my father's happiness is important to me".
The fisher clan chief says " oh prince, this daughter of mine is not my own child, I found this girl and I was told she has a great future and is born with a reason. I wish that my daughter's children become the heir to the throne". Devavratha says " Oh Chief this is such a simple ask, I gladly renounce the throne and shall promise that I would not be the heir and only the children of Satyavathi will be heir to the throne".
The chief continues to say " oh prince you might not want the throne but what about your children and what would happen in future" ? Devavaratha says " I shall take a vow that so long as I live I would remain a brahmachari(Celebate) and would not be the heir to the throne of Hastinapura". All the gods and goddess shower flowers on Devavaratha and declare him as Bheeshma since he has taken such a vow and sacrifice.The fisher clan chief appreciates Devavratha and gives his daughter's hand in marriage to the King Shantanu.
King Shantanu is very proud of Devavratha and his sacrifice and grants him a boon of icha maranam. Devavratha promises his father that he would protect the kingdom of hastinapura and until it is under safe hands he would be by it and protecting it.
It was time for our Gita Chanting since our class TV was not working, our student Divit was able to lead the Gita chanting and we learnt 1,2 shlokas from chapter 5. It was time for our Aarthi and pledge and hence we stopped our class.
Few important notes and points.
We request everyone to be present in the class a few mins before 7pm. NO CLASS ON NOVEMBER 1ST DUE TO DEEPAVALI!
The curriculum for this year is
1. Mahabharata by Sri Raja Gopala Chari (please check in the ashram bookstore or it can be purchased in Amazon as well).
2. India the sacred land (no textbook).
3. Ganesha Panchratnam (Page 30 in My Prayers).
3.1. Link to rendition with lyrics in English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lZCKxeJFE or
3.2 Link: https://youtu.be/Oyo0FWP9fB8?si=ZaYVDepNkX0YWShI (play at lower speeds for kids to follow lyrics and hear clearly
4. Nirvana Shatakam( we will handover Printout in a few days.)
4.1 https://youtu.be/rKx7K13OvQ4?si=lM6g_ZtX0kdF5Sfo - Uninterrupted Line Guided Chant - YouTube
5. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 (1-29 shlokas) is available in the 2024-25 year handbook. The handbook was given to all kids. If not please collect from the book store.
Please make sure to send the below to every Balavihar class.
1. An empty notebook to write Likhitha jaapa and notes.
2. Two sharpened pencils.
3. Daily Prayers book.
4. Balavihar Handbook
Please join the class WhatsApp group by using the link below
https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0cfUe3NUDYCBwYVKD7tyg
The WhatsApp group will be our primary medium of communication. Please feel free to reach us on our phones/ via WhatsApp or you can reply to this email as well
With Regards,
Shivram & Anuradha
