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Home , Balarama, Indradyumna, Subhadra, Vishvakarma

October 2008

Balabhavan Coordinators Ram Krishnamurthy Subhadra is one of BB Announcements: the deities Meduri worshipped at BB Re-registration for Aparna Vemuri with her brothers, 2009:

Krishna, and th Contact: 2008 Oct 4, 11, 18, 20 – [email protected] Subhadra - literally means auspicious/blessed Everyone must submit forms Class Coordinators one and she truly was being the sister of (electronically) for each Super-Senior Class: Krishna, wife of and mother of child with a $50 (materials & . She was born to and Padmini Mylavarapu registration) fee per child [email protected] and hence was also the sister Balarama. Arjuna, in the guise of a per year (30$ check to SVT & Senior Class: mendicant, spent his last month of exile in 20$ cash to BB). Bharathy Thridandam Dwaraka. He met Subhadra here. Balarama [email protected] wanted to give Subhadra in marriage to Talent Day:Saturday, Rajasri Kota Dhuryodhana but Subhadra felt Arjuna was a th [email protected] November 8 , 3.00 p.m. to better suitor and so they fled and secretly 6.00 p.m. at Junior Class: married. This, of course, was done with the Temple main hall. Please Srinivasan of lord Krishna. arrive and be seated by [email protected] The picture below shows Subhadra, 2.45 p.m. Please do not Moorthy Akella one of the deities worshipped in the forget to bring your CDs and [email protected] Jagannath temple of Puri. There is a story CD players, and other items behind this. Once a king called necessary for your Toddler Class: had a dream of a great Krishna idol in a cave. presentation/ performance. Nithya Sudhakar But he could not identify the cave! So he sent [email protected] We are unable to Pallavi Sridhar his army to find the real cave. After a long accommodate last minute [email protected] search they came up on a cave and inside – Lo requests on the day of and Behold! The exact Krishna statue the king performance. To all those Registration coordinators: had dreamed of! But, on knowing that the who signed up: your Panner Selvam statue owner, Vishwasu would not part with child(ren)'s items have been [email protected] it! King Indradyumna, a great Krishna bhakta, noted and entered. Munikutla was very dejected. His intense desire to have REMINDER:PRESENTATIONS [email protected] a statue made was fulfilled when MUST BE BASED ON INDIAN Priya Ram came disguised as an old architect and agreed [email protected] CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. to make three statues. But he laid one ------Participation in Talent Day October Birthdays condition that nobody should disturb him until program is restricted to Super Senior: he finished the statues!” The curious queen children enrolled or None went and peeked into the room where the waitlisted in BB program. Senior: sculptures were being made. The architect Aishwarya Vuppala vanished into thin air! The folly of the queen Festivals of the Month: left king Indradyumna to be content with the Bhairav Peri Chidambaram Sept 29-Oct 9 -Dasara unfinished statues. Sajan Palanki Navarathri Shreya Janani Shriram Subhadra is portrayed as a valorous Junior: woman. When Ghatothgaja attacked Oct 26 – Chaturdasi Mukta Phadnis Abhimanyu mistaking him for an intruder in Oct 27 – Deepavali the forest, Subhadra challenged and took up Aparna Akella /Dhanalakshmi arms to enter into combat with the former! A Toddler: Visit (http://www.shiva- Priyanka Samavedam truly gallant mother of legendary heroic son. vishnu.org) for more details Alisha Werry By Sankaran R

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 October 2008 ISSUE10 - 1 -

October 2008

UTHARA Class Schedules Class Schedules

10-11-2008 ------10-4-2008 ------

Senior Class: Toddler Class: Story: Story of -Prasad Kota Story: Shuka Sloka: Soundaryalahari 14-16: -Pallavi Nagaraj -Lalitha Kodandapani/ Sloka: Annapoorney Sada Shanti Kalluri Poorne : Jag Sukh Karini, -Nithya Sudhakar Prathama Ganapathi Bhajan: Paramesahwari –Srujana Srinath Latha Sundar/ Anandhi Sriram Uthara was the princess of and she

was the daughter of king . Junior Class: disguised themselves as ordinary citizens Super Senior Class:

and served king Virata after 13 years of Story: Story of Durga exile in the forest. Story: - Krishnan Arjuna disguised himself as an eunuch -Ram Krishnamurthy Sloka: Soundaryalahari 17-19 Sloka: Sharad a Bhujangam 5-6 named Brihannala and taught dance and -Anupama Sudarshan music to princess . Arjuna led the - Lalitha Kodandapani Bhajan: Jaya Mithilesha Kumari Bhajan: Jaya Jaya Maa cowardly prince Uttara, brother of princess Saraswathi: Durga Maa Uthara to the war against Kauravas. He -Latha Sundar - Sangeetha Prahalad acted as his charioteer and defeated them.

King Virata was happy to know that the 10-25-2008 ------Brihannala was none other than the 10-18-2008------Madyama , Arjuna and he offered

Senior Class: his daughter to Arjuna for marriage. But Story: Review of Durga, Arjuna accepted her as his daughter-in-law. Toddler Class: Story: Review Shuka Deva with Lakshmi & Saraswathi – Facts & Uttara married Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu was values learnt - killed in Kurkshetra war and at the same values learnt -Ashok Mallavalli time Uttara was pregnant and was carrying - Pallavi Nagaraj Sloka: Annapoorney Sada Sloka: Soundaryalahari 17-19 the boy baby, , who was a great -Lalitha Kodandapani/Shanti devotee of lord Krishna. poorney - Nithya Sudhakar Kalluri At the end of the war Ashwattama - Bhajan: Devi Lakshmi Mam Pahi Bhajan: Deva deva deva son of - wanted to kill the whole Krishnaa; Prathama Ganapathi Pandava dynasty. He killed the sons of - Nalini Natarajan

-Latha Sundar by setting fire to their tent. Later /Sheela Malavalli he used Bramhastra to kill the unborn baby Junior Class: (Parikshit) of Uttara and Abhimanyu. The Super Senior Class

baby was a great devotee of lord Krishna Story: Review of Durga, even when he was in the womb of Uttara, Discussion: -Ram Krishnamurthy Lakshmi & Saraswathi- Facts & and was just stunned by the great values learnt Bramhastra. The stunned baby, Parikshit, Sloka: Soundaryalahiri 20-22 - Ravi/Kalpana Palakodety was saved by Lord Krishna; he later became - Lalitha Kodandapani Bhajan: Jaya Saraswathi Sloka: Sharada bhujangam 7-8 successor to Pandavas and ruled the dynasty - Anupama Sudarshan as a just ruler. - Latha Sundar

Bhajan: Jagado Dharini Maatha By Srinidhi M - Sangeetha Prahlad

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940

October 2008 ISSUE10 - 2 -

October 2008

Why we do what we do: What is the significance of Class Volunteers Why do we ring the bell before, during and Namaskara? after the pooja? Story: Ashok Malavalli Kalpana/Ravi Palakodety In most there are one or more Pallavi Nagaraj bells hung from the top, near the entrance. The Prasad Kota devotee rings the bell as soon as he/she enters, Ram Krishnamurthy thereafter Children love jumping up or being Renuka Krishnan carried high in order to reach the bell. According to our , Bhajan: Is it to wake up the lord? - The lord never Namaskara is a formal Anandi Sriram sleeps. Is it to get his permission to enter the traditional greeting by Latha Sundar premises? - It is a homecoming and The Lord showing respect to one Nalini Natarajan welcomes us all the time. Is it to let him know another. Sangeetha Prahlad that we have come for his darshan? - The lord Sheela Malavalli knows everything. Then, why do we ring the How do we do Surjana Srinath bell? Namaskara? Bend the arms The ringing of the bell produces what is from the elbow upwards and Sloka: regarded as an auspicious sound. It produces the face the two palms of the Anupama Sudarshan sound , the universal name of the Lord. hands. Place the two palms Lalitha Kodandapani There should be auspiciousness within and together and keep the folded Nithya Sudhakar without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is palms in front of the chest. Pallavi Nagaraj all-auspiciousness. Utter the word namaskara Shanti Kalluri We ring the bell before proceeding for and while saying the word darshan of the Lord and prayers. the pooja to bow the head slightly. Class Presentations indicate the start of the pooja and draw everybody’s attention towards the pooja. Even Why do we do Senior Class: while doing the ritualistic aarati during the Namaskara? Namaskara pooja, we ring the bell. It is sometimes could be just a casual or 10-11-2008 accompanied by the auspicious sounds of the formal greeting, a cultural What is the original name of conch and other musical instruments. An added convention or an act of our religion? significance of ringing bell, conch and other worship. However, there is instruments is that they help drown any - K much more to it than meets inauspicious or irrelevant noises and comments 10-25-2008 the eye. The real meeting that might disturb or distract the worshippers in Why is India called Bharath? their devotional ardor, concentration and inner between people is the -Anugraha P peace. We also ring the bell after the pooja to meeting of their minds. Where is hell and ? indicate the completion of the pooja. When we greet one another -Shreya J S with namaste, it means, Junior Class: As we start the daily ritualistic worship (pooja) ‘may our minds meet’, 10-11-2008 we ring the bell, chanting: indicated by the folded What is the original name of "Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam Gamanaarthamtu palms placed before the our religion? rakshasaam Kurve ghantaaravam tatra chest. The bowing down of –Yogitha S Devataahvaahna lakshanam" the head is a gracious form 10-25-2008 I ring this bell indicating the invocation of of extending friendship in Why is India called Bharath? divinity, so that virtuous and noble forces enter love, respect and -Pranav P (my home and heart); and the demonic and evil humility. When we say it to Where is hell and heaven? forces from within and without, depart. God, it also means I worship -Shreya P you. By Sujanya S By Rachana M

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 October 2008 ISSUE10 - 3 -

October 2008

Kolam What is Meditation? Why do we do aarathi?

Kolam is also known as . It is a decorative design drawn by women using rice powder and is widely practices by in South India. It is usually Many people may consider meditation as a Aarathi is often performed done at the front of the worship or prayer. But it is not so. Meditation with . Camphor home and before sunrise. means awareness. Whatever you do with when lit, burns itself The floor is damp so it is awareness is meditation. "Listening to your completely without leaving a held better. breath" is meditation; listening to the birds is trace of it. Camphor There are many purposes for meditation. As long as these activities are represents our inherent drawing a kolam. One reason free from any other distraction to the mind, it tendencies. When lit by the is to feed the hungry is effective meditation. fire of spiritual knowledge animals, thus inviting other Meditation describes a state of which illuminates the truth, beings into one’s home. It is consciousness, when the mind is free of our vasanas burn themselves drawn in patterns that range scattered thoughts and various patterns. completely, not leaving a between geometric and Meditation often involves turning attention to trace of the ego. This makes mathematical ones to form a single point of reference. us understand God better. closed shapes. When this is done it is said to keep evil It is difficult to pinpoint where it At the end of the aarathi, we spirits out. It also symbolizes originated, but one place may have been place our hands over the happiness and prosperity. Vedic Hinduism due to connection between flame and then gently touch Aesthetic value is also added and mediation. Vedic Hinduism is the our eyes and top of the head. to the home when the kolam oldest religion that advocates meditation as a It means, may the light that is drawn. Though kolams are spiritual and religious practice. Indian illuminated the Lord light up drawn with rice powder for scriptures dating back 5000 years describe my vision; may my vision be longevity, dilute rice paste meditation techniques. Meditation has always divine and my thoughts be or even paint can be used. been central to Buddhism and considered a noble and for all. key tool in spiritual development. Most Kolams also help women’s religions including Christianity, Islam, By Aparna A bodies. When they bend over , Judaism, practice meditation in one ------to draw, it helps their form or another. Newsletter Editors digestive system. It also The purpose of meditation is to make our improves concentration. mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is When the woman bends her Janani Hariharan peaceful, we will be free from worries and body, it symbolizes humility Keerti Tadimeti mental discomfort, and so we will experience and also stretches their true happiness; but if our mind is not Topics of the Month muscle and joints. peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best Sankaran Ramanarayanan conditions. If we train in meditation, our Srinidhi Malavalli mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and ------purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will Please send your be able to stay happy all the time, even in the suggestions/comments on most difficult circumstances. this newsletter to By Janani H By Sajan P [email protected]

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 October 2008 ISSUE10 - 4 -