May 19, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We reviewed slokas 1-9.
• Lingashtakam - We reviewed the full Lingashtakam .

Story:

It is now Indrajit's turn to fight the vanara army.  He kills most of the vanaras and Rama and Lakshmana were soon caught in a net of poisonous darts.  The brothers were in a death-like coma.  Jambavan who was himself wounded looks for Hanuman and requests him to go the Himalayas immediately.  He asks Hanuman to look for a hill between the Kailasa and Rsabha peaks and bring four specific herbs which will help revive the divine brothers.  When Hanuman reached the Himalayas he finds the hill with a lot of herbs, unable to figure out which four were needed he brings the entire hill to the battlefield. The herbs not only help revive Rama and Lakshmana but also the vanara army.  The vanaras attack Lanka at night and set fire to every house and palace.  Ravana sends the sons of Kumbhakarna but they are killed. Ravana once again sends Indrajit.  The ferocious vanara army puts up a great fight.  Angered by this Indrajit uses his magical powers to create a maya Sita, places her in a Chariot and kills her with an arrow.  The vanaras believe this trick and carry the news to Rama and Lakshmana who throws their weapons down in dejection.  Vibhisana intervenes and mentions Indrajit's magical powers and asks Lakshmana to finish Indrajit immediately. Lakshmana goes with Hanuman to fight Indrajit and finally kills him.  Ravana hears this news and is heartbroken.  He gets angry and decides to kill Sita for real but one of his minister's remind him not to be a coward but go fight Rama himself. Ravana now prepares for battle with Rama.

Activity: 

The kids colored a picture .

Meditation/Japa:

 Likhita Japa

Games:

None

Conclusion:
We conluded the day with 

• Om Purnamadah

Comments:

 The kids are working on completing their portfolio.  

May 12, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We reviewed slokas 1-9.
• Lingashtakam - We reviewed the first 8stanzas of Lingashtakam .

Story:

Ram gives the signal to the vanara army and the battle begins. The vanaras and the raksasas fought fiercely.  The generals on both sides are well matched.  Angada fights with Indrajit and kills his charioteer.  Indrajit gets angry and starts shooting poisonous and serpent darts at Rama and Lakshmana.  The brothers are annoyed at first but are rendered helpless by the serpent darts.  The vanaras are confused and surround the brothers and they start weeping.  Meanwhile Indrajit tells Ravana that Rama and Lakshmana are dead.  Ravana is overjoyed and asks some raksasas to tell Sita about the death of the brothers.  He asks that Sita be flown over the battlefield so she can see the truth for herself.  Sita sees Rama and Lakshmana lying helplessly and cries bitterly. Then the rasksasi Trijata points out that Rama and Lakshmana's faces still has the divine glow and says that they are not dead but will be revived soon. Sita is cheered by these words.  Suddenly the ocean rises and Garuda, the king of birds alights in the midst of the vanaras.  He gently strokes the unconscious bothers and they sit up with renewed strength and energy. The vanaras shout with joy and Ravana comes to know that the princes are revived and ready to fight.

Ravana calls a fierce raksasa Dhumraksa to the lead the army to the western gate.  He fights with Hanuman and his vanaras and is killed by Hanuman. Ravana then asks Vajradamstra to fight against Angada but he too is killed by Angada. Ravana grows afraid as each of his brave warriors are slain. Prahasta his commander-in-chief reminds Ravana that all this could have been avoided if Ravana had returned Sita to Rama. Prahasta is also killed in the battle.  Ravana himself leads the army and fights with Hanuman and Lakshmana.  Lakshmana is wounded and becomes unconscious.  Ravana then comes face to face with Rama.  They fight fiercely and Rama knocks off Ravana;s crown, his chariot and destroys all his weapons. Ravana stands in front of Rama bedraggled and harassed.  Rama tells Ravana to go home, rest and come back the next day with fresh weapons. Ravana returns to his palace and decides to wake up his sleeping brother Kumbhakarna.  The raksasa wake him up with great difficulty.  Kumbhakarna hears from Ravana the grave situation he is in.  Kumbhakarna is not happy about Ravana's deeds but decides to stand by his brother.  He goes out and fights with the vanara army, eats up a lot of them, makes Angada, Sugriva and Nila unconscious. He parades the streets of Lanka with Sugriva on his shoulders, Sugriva regains conscience and his spring comes back to him, he lands int he midst of the vanaras. An annoyed Kumbhakarna wounds Hanuman and asks to fight with Rama.  In the battle that follow Kumbhakarna is killed by Rama.  Ravana is shaken when he hears this news. His sons decide to go out and fight with the vanaras and one by one they too are killed. Ravana is heart-broken but is determined to continue fighting.  He organizes his defenses again and the raksasa army is once again prepared to face the vanara attack.

Activity: 

The kids colored a picture .

Meditation/Japa:

 Likhita Japa

Games:

Hangman

Conclusion:
We conluded the day with 

• Om Purnamadah

Comments:

 The kids were very enthusiastic to play the Hangman game, they came up with the name, and the clues for their friends to guess! Great job everyone

May 5, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We reviewed slokas 1-9.
• Lingashtakam - We reviewed the first six stanzas of Lingashtakam and learnt stanza 7 & 8.

Story:

Vibhisana shares with Rama the preparations that are being made in Lanka for the war. But the immediate issue was to cross the sea.  Rama undertakes a fast for three days but no help seemed to be coming.  Rama is outraged and asks Lakshmana for his bow and arrow.  He shoots at the ocean with anger, the waves are in turmoil, the animals are dying, the Sea God shows himself to Rama and pleads with him to stop.  he tells Rama that it is against the nature of the ocean to be shallow and part to give way for the army to cross the sea, instead he recommends that Rama appoint Nala (son of Visvakarma) as the chief engineer to build the bridge and promised to hold it together for the vanara army to cross.  Rama does so and the the vanara army under the leadership of Nala worked without any rest and the bridge is completed in 5 days.  They use boulders, massive trees and hills to build the bridge and the Sea God holds it together for them.  They write 'SriRama' on every materials and their devotion is the cement that holds the bridge together. Rama, Lakshmana along with the vanara army cross the sea and reach the shores of Lanka.

On seeing the army Ravana's grandfather advised Ravana to do what is just and return Sita to Rama. He tells Ravana that his luster has gone down with Rama setting foot on Lanka.  Ravana gets angry and refuses to listen to reason.  He says that even if the whole world is against him he will fight with Rama.  Rama sends Angadha as a messenger to try to reason with Ravana one last time. But Ravana tries to attack Angadha, Angadha uses his might to rise int he air and flies aways but not without breaking the turrets of Ravana's castle.  Ravana considers this an ill-omen and tries to resort to tricks.  he thinks that if can convince Sita to be with him then Rama will return a dejected man.  he get a magician to make a head like Rama's and takes it to Sita saying that Rama has died in the battle.  sita cries bitterly but in the meantime Ravana's generals come for him as te vanara army has started attacking Lanka. As Ravana leaves sita the false head goes up in flames as for it to maintain its appearance Ravana's presence was needed.  A good raksasi named 'Sarama' explains Ravana's deceit to Sita; sita is overjoyed to hear that Rama is alive and well just as the trumpets blare and the drums of the vanara army sounds. Sita is glad but the hearts of the citizens of Lanka tremble with fear.

Activity: 

The kids colored a picture .

Meditation/Japa:

 Likhita Japa

Games:

Hangman

Conclusion:
We conluded the day with 

• Om Purnamadah

Comments:

 The kids were very enthusiastic to play the Hangman game, they came up with the name, and the clues for their friends to guess! Great job everyone

April 28, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We reviewed slokas 1-8.
• Lingashtakam - We reviewed the first six stanzas of Lingashtakam.

Story:

We conducted a quiz, the kids participated enthusiastically.  We talked about Hanuman's return to India from Lanka.  All the vanaras were excited to hear Hanuman's triumphant shout and started merry-making.  They then made their way back to Kishkindha to give the news to Sri Rama.  Hanuman, being humble, let Jambavan as the elder person to narrate everything to Sri Rama. But Jambavan requested Hanuman to relate everything and so Hanuman did. He also told Sri Rama of 2 little incidents that Sita had disclosed to him to confirm to Sri Rama that it is Sita indeed that Hanuman met with.  So, Sri Rama and the vanara army make their way to the shore and start wondering how they will cross the mighty ocean.  Meanwhile, in Lanka, Ravana is advised by his brother Vibheeshana and his wife Mandodari to give up Sita since it is adharma.  He does not listen to them and asks Vibheeshana to leave him. Vibheeshana decides to go join Rama.

Activity: 

The kids colored a picture 

Meditation/Japa:

 None

Games:

None

Conclusion:
We conluded the day with 

• Om Purnamadah

Comments:

 The kids did a fantastic job in the assembly, they read their lines very clearly and loudly and the rap song was a hit.  Great job!

Next class is on May 5, 2013

April 21, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

We spent the day practicing for the April 28th assembly performance

April 14, 2013

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya slokha.
• Budhir Balam

We spent the day practicing for our April 28th assembly performance.