Hari Om! Parents,
Reminders
Please sign up if you can bring Prasad to Bala Vihar using the link posted in the Parents WhatsApp group.
Now accepting donations for Thanksgiving baskets. Please leave donations on the tables marked in the lobby.
Week 6 Class Update
Class began with writing the Likhita Japa, followed by opening prayers and attendance. The children learned verse 1 of the Mahishasura Mardini stotram.
Mahabharata
Today we discussed the quote - "Where there is Krishna, there is Dharma. Where there is Dharma, there is victory". Surrender to Bhagwan and following our dharma will lead us to success.
Another topic we spoke about was the Pandavas as the 5 sense organs, and Draupadi as the intellect. When these are all integrated then Bhagwan comes to us. We spoke about the Kurukshetra War being symbolic of the war we face in our lives. Our senses are constantly attacked by negative thoughts, wrong influences, and bad habits. Only with Bhagwan's Grace can we win over these and destroy them.
We continued the Mahabharata story with the Udyoga Parva. Lord Krishna held a grand council along with the Pandavas. King Drupada suggests they should quickly reach out to the righteous kings and gather support first before Duryodhana approaches them. Lord Krishna volunteers to go to Hastinapura with a proposal to stop the war and get the Pandavas their kingdom back.
The evil Duryodhana tries to imprison him. Bhagwan shows his amazing 'Viswaroopa darshan' to the assembly.
Before leaving Hastinapura, Lord Krishna meets Radheya. He reveals the secret of Radheya's birth and tells him that he is the elder brother of the Pandavas. Lord Krishna advises Radheya to join the Pandavas in the war. Radheya reminds Lord Krishna of Duryodhana's friendship. Since Duryodhana had supported him when everyone else had mocked him for being a sutaputra, Radheya was indebted to him. Lord Krishna's peace mission failed, and he returned to prepare for the upcoming war
The class then took a stretching break and did the "suryanamaskara". They also learned the names of Surya Deva.
India, the Sacred Land
Topic: Contributions of India—The children shared what they thought were some important contributions, such as Ayurveda and yoga.
They watched a video explaining the Hindu calendar and astrology.
Gita Chanting
This year, the children will learn Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita from our Swamiji. Grade 6 is group Partha, and is assigned verses 1-26 to memorise.
Today we learned verses 2 and 3 and practiced verse 1.
More details at: https://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/activities/geeta-chanting
Bala Vihar session ended with Aarti and pledge recitation in the prayer hall.
- Rashmi Kuroodi and Sangeetha Srikanth
Supplies needed for every class:- Bala Vihar Handbook, My Prayers book, the Junior Class Workbook Part 1 & 2, a notebook and pencils for likhita japa; everything in their Bala Vihar bag
*Reference books - Mahabharata by Rajagopalachari / Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam
