Sanskar Gurukul Weekly Update

Class Name: Dhruva Week# 07: November 11, 2012

General Assembly

We started the GA with three Omkars followed by the Shanti Mantra. Aparna Aunty then talked about Diwali and why we celebrate it. Diwali is the day Lord returned to Ayodhya from exile. People clean their houses and decorate them. Then Aparna Aunty drew an analogy between our house and the human body. If we don't clean our house periodically, it will become uninhabitable, and not matter how much you decorate it from the outside, nobody would want to come in. Similarly, we need to clean our mind and body periodically. Just like we don't bring garbage from the outside into our house, we should not bring things like jealousy, greed, hatred into our hearts - they are like garbage for our hearts. if you consider the human body as the diya and the heart as the wick, then love for God is the oil that keeps the diya (the body) going. This is the perfect diya.

Then we all chanted the Shri Chalisa.

Class Kids made Diwali greeting cards for parents.

We continued the story of …Bheeshma crowned Vichitraveerya, the younger son of . Bheeshma ruled the kingdom in the name of his brother. Everyone was happy in Hastinapura under the rule of their uncrowned king, Bheeshma.

Bheeshma was a father to Vichitraveerya. Years passed and Vichitraveerya was of the age to marry. Bheeshma started looking for a suitable bride and thought king of Kasi’s daughters , Ambika, and Ambaalika would be great wives for Vichitraveerya. He came to know about king of Kasi holding a swayamvara for his daughters. Bheeshma went to the swayamvara and captured the daughters of Kasi, defeated everyone who fought with him.

Once Bheeshma arrived in Hastinapura with the princesses, Amba told him that she’d already given her heart to king Salva, she wanted to be able to go and marry Salva. They were all upset with the complication which had set in. The young prince doesn’t want to marry a woman who has given her heart to someone else. Bheeshma and Satyavati felt the same, Bheeshma provided proper escort to Amba to go and marry Salva. The marriage of Ambika and with Vichitravirya was duly solemnized.

King Salva refused to marry Amba because Bheeshma won her in the swayamvaram. Amba came back to Hastinapura with tears and wanted Bheeshma to marry her. Bheeshma refuses the request because of his oath taken to be brahmachari. Poor Amba leaves Hastinapura. Amba went to forest and met many ascetics; she told her story and wanted to perform penance. They did not know what they were to do. However she was able to meet her grandfather Hotravahana, who is a good friend of Bhargava (Parusurama). Bhargava is the

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Sanskar Gurukul Weekly Update

guru of Bheeshma. Amba and her grandfather asked Bhargava for advice on how to rectify her situation. He told them that he would ask Bheeshma to marry Amba, he was certain that Bheeshma would obey him. But guru Bhargava couldn’t convince Bheeshma due to his oath. Bhargava was furious, asked Bheeshma to fight with him or he will curse him. If Bhargava wins, Bheeshma has to marry Amba. A terrible battle was fought between those two. At last Bheeshma had decided to send Praswaapa astra, which can destruct the world. The gods led by Narada and Rudra convinced Bheeshma to withdraw the astra. Bhargava realized that Bheeshma cannot move away from the path of Truth and oath. The Guru Bhargava and Bheeshma stopped the battle. Bhargava pleased with Bheeshma’s valor and the terrible vow, but felt sorry for Amba.

Homework

Please read the update before coming to class.

Announcements

1. Bring a hand written note from your parent, if you are available in the evening of Sunday, December 9th to do the “ and Govardhan Mountain” skit in the SV temple.

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