Sanskar Gurukul Weekly Update

Class Name: Parashara Week# 27: April 13th, 2014

General Assembly We started the GA with three Omkars followed by the Shanti Mantra.

Aparna Aunty taught the children how to do Ujjayi Pranayama. It is a breathing technique used for relaxing your mind. You breathe in and out through the back of the throat thereby making a hissing sound.

Apr 15th is Jayanti. As we all know Shri Hanuman was the biggest devotee of Shri . When he went to see in Lanka, he made himself very small. What this teaches us is that in front of our parents and elders we have to be "small", i.e. set our ego aside - no matter how successful we might be. Sita Mata saw his humility and granted him "Ashta Siddhi Nava Nidhi". The 8 Siddhis are 8 qualities / abilities - for example, the ability to increase or decrease in size, increase or decrease one's weight etc.. The 9 Nidhis are 9 types of wealth - example, food, jewelry, children etc. But Hanumanji did not want any of that. All he wanted was to serve Shri Rama. This shows his greatness.

We then chanted the Hanuman Chalisa.

Class

In we continued the story where Bharata returned to Ayodhya with Shri Rama’s “padukas” (slippers) and announced that Rama’s padukas would rule the kingdom and as a servant of the King he will take care of the Kingdom till Shri Rama comes back from exile.

Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Sitaji, left Chitrakoota and continue their journey into the forest. They visited the ashram of Sage . Anasuya, sage Atri’s wife presented Sitaji clothes with divine qualities. After, they entered fearsome part of Dandaka forest, where Shri Rama has to fight with Viraadha, who was granted a boon against death. He had a boon against death but not against pain and was badly injured in severve agony from Shri Rama and Lakshmana’s weapons. When Shri Rama touched him with his feet, the cursed to live the life of rakshasa was over. Shri Rama and Lakshmana buried rakshasa Viraadha so that he will become Gandharva again. Then, they went to Sharabhanga’s ashram to receive his blessing. Rishi Sharabhanga gave Shri Rama the fruit of all his penance, and advised them to go to Rishi Suteekshna’s ashram. Suteekshna also offered Shri Rama the fruits of his entire tapasya and advised them to visit many ’ ashrams in Dandaka forest. They spent ten years, moving from ashram to ashram and destroying to bring peace to the rishis. When their exile years were closed to end, Shri Rama has a great desire to visit sage . Rishi Agastya was a very powerful rishi, who taught a lesson to two rakshasa brothers IIvala and Vaataapi. Once, Ilvala invited sage Agastya for the meal. Vaataapi had a boon if he cut into pieces he can always join himself back. Ilvala served food to Rishi Agastya as his brother cut up into pieces. When the meal was finished by Rishi Agastya, Ilvala called for his brother

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to come out, but rishi Agastya said he is being digested by me. Then, Rishi Agastya opened his eyes and turned Ilvala into ashes too. When Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Sitaji visited Rishi Agastya, he advised them to spend the remaining period of their exile in Panchavati.

With this we finished Ayodhya Kanda (chapter 2) and started Aranya Kanda.

We chanted all the ending prayers.

We ended the class by chanting the closing prayer “Purnam adah”.

Homework

1. Pages 44 and 45 of Bala Ramayana.

2. Practice chanting: - verses 1-7 and 14 of Shri Gurustotram (Prarthana book page 11-12, 15) - the daily prayers (Prarthana book)

Announcements

Apr 27th is field day at Green Hope Elementary School.

Please be on time. The reporting time for Session 3 is 10:55 AM. Parents are welcome to attend the General Assembly. If your child is going to be absent, please fill in the absence form on the website. Please do not send an email. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at [email protected]

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