Monday, December 12, 2011

December 11, 2011

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers
  • Om Saha Navavathu
  • Vakratunda Mahakaya
  • Saraswathi Namastubhyam
  • Ramaya Ramabhadraya
  • Buddhir Balam Yashodhairyam
Bhajans:
We reviewed the following three bhajans 
  • Vigneshwara Vinayaka
  • Rama Lakshmana Jaanaki Jai Bolo Hanuman ki
  • Om Shiva Om Shiva Paraatpara Shiva
Stotram:
  • GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We did slokas 1, 2, 3, 5 and 14
  • Lingashtakam:
    • We started teaching Lingashtakam this week.  This is part of the first grade curriculum. We did the first slokha.
Geeta Chanting:
  • We did the first verse of Chapter XII.
Story:

We recapped the story from the last class and conducted a quiz. 

The story continued with Kaikeyi telling Bharata how happy she was to secure the kingdom for him and how she banished Rama to the forest.  Bharata and Shatrugna on hearing this are really shocked and angry and yell and scream at Kaikeyi.  Shatrugna, who is usually quiet, also drags Manthara on the floor.  Bharata performs the last rites for his father and then tells the court that he will go and bring Rama back and make him the king.  Ayodhya is very happy and follow Bharata into the forest to bring back Sri Rama.  Guha and Sage Bharadwaja meet Bharata and give their blessing and help to bring back Rama.  When Lakshmana sees Bharata coming in the forest he misinterprets Bharatha's intentions - he thinks Bharatha is coming to kill Rama.  Rama convinces him that there's no way Bharata would do that.  Bharata is dressed in ascetic clothes just like Sri Rama and tells him how King Dasharatha is no more.  Sri Rama faints on hearing this and on recovering performs the last rites for his father.  Then Bharatha tries to convince Sri Rama to come back and take over the kingdom.  Rama refuses and tell him the greatest philosophy that joys and sorrows come in pairs.  Everyone's got to do what their duty is and whichever way destiny takes them.  Rama has vowed to his father to stay an asceitc life in the forest for 14 years and he will have to keep his word.  On hearing this, Bharatha is sad but agrees to run the kingdom as Rama's representative for 14 years till Rama comes back.  Bharatha then asks for Sri Rama's paduka (Slippers) and takes it home on his head. He tells Rama that his paduka will sit on the throne and rule the kingdome.  Meanwhile, Bharatha will live like Rama, in a hut as an asceitc outside Ayodhya and run the kingdom on his behalf.
After Bharata and his army leaves, Rama tells Lakshmana that they should move out of CHitrakuta since it is too close to Ayodhya and people might keep visiting them from Ayodhya.
Activity:
Games:

The Correct Answer Is: We played this game with a number of questions from the Ramayana story learnt so far.

Likhita Japa:
We wrote the name of Sri Rama 11 times in silence.
Conclusion:

We concluded by doing the Aarthi and Pledge in the classroom.

Comments:
The kids are still working on learning the Gurustotram.  Parents, please work with the kids on the Gurustotram. We will continue to learn Lingashatakam.

We started teaching verse 1 of Chapter 12 for Geetha Chanting.  There are extra Geeta Chanting classes on Fridays in Basking Ridge and possibly  in a new location soon.  Please try to bring your kids for these sessions so they learn to chant the Geeta.  Please encourage your children to participate in the Geeta Chanting competion.
Parents, please encourage your children to participate in WOW-Sanskrit word of the week. 

Reminders:

Please try to send the following items in your childs bag:
  1. Crayons
  2. Pencil
  3. Notebook
  4. Glue
  5. Snack/Drink
  6. A folder to keep their pictures/artwork.
  7. Scissors
  8. 1st grade Balavihar books - Bala Ramayan, Ramayana characters and a copy of 'My Prayers'; assembly handbook.

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