Newsletter of the Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO May 1999 Summer 1999 Issue Volume 2, Issue 2 Swami Vivekananda Sangita Sharma EDITOR’S NOTE Second Grade Ridgeway Elementary School Welcome to another issue of Bal Sandesh, this issue is a column entitled Letters to the the newsletter of the youth group Bal Editor, one which I would like to become a Sabha. This issue includes many diverse permanent addition. As many of you know, this Summer Swami Vivekananda, the great submissions from Bal Sabha kids. It includes articles ranging from religion to Edition of the Bal Sandesh is the last issue religious leader and philosopher, was school activities, as well as creative work with which Gaurav Jashnani and I will be born on January 12, 1863 in Calcutta, such as poetry and pencil sketches. Three involved. We have both enjoyed working India. In his childhood, Biley, as he adult contributors have been invited to on the staff and wish the continuing was lovingly called, was bright and full write articles for this issue – one a feature member Ansuman Satpathy best of luck. of energy. Although his mother found article, Ayurvedic Medicine, provides an We would also like to thank our parent him extremely restless and hard to excellent background on holistic medicine advisors Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, Sandhya Sharma, and Shailesh control, he was not a bad boy. He was practiced in India since the ages. I would Vengurlekar for their support and fascinated by the wandering monks like to thank the kids and adult contributors for their support and willingness to share enthusiasm[ who were so common in India, and their work. would practice meditation for fun. As I also would like to invite submissions for Tara Chandrasekhar he grew older, he did very well in the next issue and to encourage feedback Senior, Hickman High School school and amazed his teachers. He on previously published articles. New to always wanted to test the truth of what he was told. He would not believe house did not like the noise. One day THANK YOU anything just because someone said it he went out and shook his fist at This issue of Bal Sandesh has been made was true. Biley. "Don't climb that tree any possible through financial sponsorship from: more," he said. "Don't you know that it Days Inn/Travelodge is haunted? There is a ghost in that Howard Johnson/Panda Pals tree, and it will grab you by the neck India’s Rasoi and kill you!" Taj Emporium Biley quietly listened to the old man and said nothing in reply. But as soon as the man went back into the house, RAINBOW Biley began to climb the tree again. One of the boys said, "Oh Biley, don't climb the tree anymore. That ghost will catch you by the neck. Please Meghna Srinath come down Biley. Let's go home." Fourth Grade Biley laughed and said, "Don't be a Fairview Elementary School fool. You know how many times I have climbed this tree. If a ghost lived Beautiful faded blurry colors, in it, it would have caught me a long opening the door to a new day. time ago." The sky looks like a soaked When Biley grew up he always told light blue paper with fluffy soft white people, "Have no fear! Ask questions cotton spread out everywhere. and find out the truth for yourself. Rain droplets have vanished after Never believe anything, unless you mixing with the dazzling sun light. know it is true. Be strong and A peaceful silence grows, as the fearless!" curved arch spreads across the Biley and his friends would often pleasant sky. play on a big tree in a neighbor's Reference Joy, happiness and excitement fill up house. Like all children, they made a 'The story of Vivekananda' published every corner of my heart as this lot of noise. The grandfather of the by the Advaita Ashrama[ image in front of me gets painted[ 2 Bal Sandesh Tri-Yearly Newsletter of the Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO DashaDasha AvatarAvatar Sagar Vengurlekar Third Grade, Ridgeway Elementary School An incarnation is a manifestation of the demon Hayagriva, who had stolen the hands hold the wheel and the conch-shell God on earth. Hindus believe that Vedas when Brahma was asleep. and the other two may hold a sword, a whenever the forces of evil begin to gain mace or a lotus, or they may be in the control of the world, Vishnu the great KURMA AVATAR protection and boon giving modes. preserver leaves the heavens and Vishnu in his second incarnation is in Vishnu turned himself into a boar descends to the earth in different forms to the form of half-man, half-tortoise (Kurma), (Varaha) and rescue mankind. Vishnu is said to have the lower body being the tortoise. He is descended to the taken on ten incarnations but sometimes normally shown as having four arms. In bottom of the ocean to more than twenty-two forms are ascribed the upper two he carries the conch-shell rescue the earth which to him. Some of the forms are cosmic in and the wheel while the lower two are in had been abducted and character while some are based on the protection and boon giving postures or hidden there by a historical events. It is interesting to note carrying a mace and a lotus. demon. After a long that the evolution of these incarnations When the gods were in danger of losing struggle Vishnu (as the from lower to higher forms of life is their authority over boar) slew the demon, reflected in the evolution of mankind. the demons, Vishnu rescued the earth, and Formerly Yagnas were the form of advised them to brought it to the surface worshipping, and after that the worshipping of churn the ocean so and made it ready to the gods began. The first gods are Indra, that they might support life by modeling Varuna, and the sky. Then came Brahma, procure amrita the mountains and Vishnu, and Mahesha. The idol of this Trinity (ambrosia) which shaping the continents. was made and placed in the temple for would make them In this way the world worship. The Trinity gave the stories of the strong and was brought into being once again to begin ten incarnations of Vishnu. Of the ten immortal. He another kalpa or cycle. The extrication of incarnations (avataras), the most popular promised to the world from the deluge of sin is are Rama and Krishna become a tortoise symbolised by this legend and is a creation on which would rest myth. The ten different incarnations are illustrated the mountain as: Mandar, which was NARASIMHA AVATAR 1) Matsya 2) Kurma used as the churning stick. Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of 3) Varaha 4) Narasimha Together with ambrosia, the churning Vishnu, is in the form of half-man (Nara)and 5) Vamana 6) Parashurama brought to the surface the other thirteen half-lion (Simha), having four hands. Two 7) Rama 8) Krishna objects that had been lost in the deluge. hands carry a wheel and a conch-shell and 9) Buddha 10) Kalki They were Lakshmi (consort of Vishnu), two are in the boon giving and protection Sura (goddess of wine), Chandra (the modes or tearing at the stomach of the MATSYA AVATAR moon), Apsaras (celestial nymphs), demon-king. Vishnu assumed this form in In his first incarnation, Vishnu has the Kaustabha (the precious gem for Vishnu’s order to overcome a demon-king who could lower body of a fish (Matsya) and the body), Uchchaihshravas (the divine horse), not be slain by a man nor by a beast, upper part body of a man. He has four Parijata (the wish granting coral tree), neither inside nor outside a palace, during arms; with two he holds a conch-shell and Surabhi (the cow that grants all desires), the day nor the night. Adopting the form of a wheel, while the other two are holding a Airavata (the four-tusked elephant), a lion headed man, Vishnu approached the lotus or a mace, or are in the protection Panchajanya (conch-shell) and Sharanga palace at dusk and hid himself in a pillar at and boon giving postures. (the invincible bow). However, after more the entrance, out of which he sprang and There are several explanations as to churning, the power of the ambrosia was killed the demon-king, Hiranyakashipu. why Vishnu assumed the form of the fish. almost neutralized by the appearance of According to some scriptures the incident One of them describes him as turning into its oppposite, halahala (poison). Shiva took place inside a pillar, while according to a fish so as to be able to tow a ship in held this poison in his throat and saved others which Manu, the mankind. The poison was so powerful that Narasimha progenitor of the it turned Shiva’s throat blue, giving him the placed the human race, had name “Neel-kantha” or the “blue-throated demon on his lap taken refuge from a one”. The churning also brought out and tore out his devastating flood. Dhanvantari (physician of the gods), entrails. The same story is carrying the pot of ambrosia (amrita) in his The symbolism found in the hands. here is of the Mahabharata where lion-like the fish is described VARAHA AVATAR characteristics of as having a horn. In Varaha (the boar) is the third incarnation fierceness, the Bhagvad-Purana of Vishnu. Its images are divided into two bravery, and the story is further main groups - those entirely in animal form independence elaborated by the and those having an animal’s head on a that claim almost addition of a fight human body with four arms.