April 2009
Sage Jahnu Balabhavan Coordinators BB Announcements:
Bharathy Thridandam Nithya Sudhakar The Balabhavan Children will Sriram Srinivasan be performing a RamaNavami Contact: Pooja on April 12, 2009 at [email protected] 10:30 a.m. Please participate in this joyous occasion and Class Coordinators make it a memorable event. Prasadam will be served Super-Senior Class: Jahnu was a great sage and he lived after the pooja. Sudhakar Devulapalli in an island called Jahnudvipa in Navadvipa. [email protected] Sage Jahnu appeared in the dynasty of As part of our Volunteer Ashok Malavalli Pururava. Navadvipa, which literally means service, we have decided to [email protected] ‘nine islands’ represents the nine processes of collect gently used Ram Krishnamurthy devotional service. He performed austerities clothes(time to spring clean [email protected] in order to please the Lord and receive the some closets)that your darsana of Lord Caitanya on this island. children have outgrown to Senior Class: donate to the Women’s Renuka Krishnan King Sagar’s great great grandson, Resource Center by Mother’s [email protected] Bhagiratha, had 60,000 uncles who were Day, May 10,2009. Along with Anitha Chidambaram burnt to ashes by lord Kapiladeva as a this, any babycare products, [email protected] punishment for their evil deeds. So, King canned foods, toiletry items m Krishna Meduri Bhagiratha performed austerities to Lord Siva (soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, [email protected] to let Ganga Devi out of his locks so that she etc) can be donated. can descend to earth and save them. Lord Collection boxes will be Junior Class: Siva was satisfied with his worships and let available at regular Seetha Janakiraman her free. Ganga Devi agreed to come and Balabhavan class times on [email protected] liberate his uncles with her life saving waters. 4/11, 4/18 and 4/25/09. Sangeetha Prahalad [email protected] The Balabhavan family picnic Ganga Devi became so excited to be is tentatively scheduled for in Navadvipa that she began flowing with Toddler Class: June 14, 2009(Sunday). great speed. The force of her rushing waters Vidya Chari We are planning summer washed away part of Sage Jahnu’s hermitage [email protected] camps in July and August. and his acamana cup that was beside him. Murali Chari We will have more details on While this was occurring he was saying the [email protected] these events in the next Gayatri Mantra. This broke sage Jahnu’s Priya Ram issue. We appreciate the meditation and he drank all the water from [email protected] continued support and Ganga Devi in one gulp. King Bhagiratha generosity of our dear parent worshiped Sage Jahnu for many days so Ganga Registration coordinators: volunteers for their time and Devi could come out of him. The Sage finally Panneer Selvam efforts let Ganga Devi out from his ear and because [email protected] of this incident, she is known as Jahnavi, or Matangi Munukutla BBC TEAM the daughter of Jhanu. Even today this day is [email protected] Priya Ram celebrated as Jahnu Sapthami in the month of Vaisakha. [email protected] By Yashes S
7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 April 2009 ISSUE 4 - 1 - April 2009
Class Schedules Are Only Indians Hindus? Class Schedule
04-11-2009 ------A Hindu is any person who accepts
the authority of the Vedic scriptures and 04-04-2009 ------Senior Class: lives his/her life in accordance with
Dharma, which are God's divine laws as Toddler Class: Story: Shukra described in the Vedic scriptures. - Padma Kodukula The main scriptures in Hinduism can be No Class Shloka: Review divided into two types: (a) Shruti - 4 vedas Soundaryalahari shloka #1-25 and 108 Upanishads (10 of them are most Super Senior Class: - Viji Ramanarayanan important). (b) Smriti - the Bhagavad Bhajan: Janani, Sharanam Gita and 2 epics (Ramayana and No Class Siddhi Vinayaka Mahabharata) - Viji Ramanarayanan 04-18-2009------Banumathi Sugumar Dharma is anything that helps an
individual reach God. For example, the Toddler Class: Junior Class: practice of austerity, purity, compassion,
and truthfulness is prescribed in the Story: Panchatantra Story: Rama’s meeting of Bhagavat Purana for life on the Dharmic Sabari and Hanuman - Yaso/Saba Ratnavel path. Other religions also are defined by the Sloka: Sahana Vavathu / Gurur -Shyam Kadaba combination of main scriptures and beliefs. Shloka: Adithyahridayam, Brahma For example, a Jew is an individual who - Ravi/Gayatri Vidyashankar Review Vishnushatpadi follows the Torah and believes in a single - Vijaya Purohit Bhajan: Gauri Nandana God. Christians are those that follow the Gajaanana / Ganesha Sharanam Bhajan: Prathama Ganapathy Gospels and believe in Jesus as their God. A -Rashmi Madhukara -Viji Ramanarayanan Muslim follows the Quran and believes in -Banumathi Sugumar Allah as their God. Super Senior Class 04-25-2009 ------Amongst religions, Hinduism is Discussion: Marriage Senior Class: considered the oldest. No single individual -Lalitha Kodandapani started this religion. Hinduism is unique Sloka: Review SL: 1-34 Story: Quiz among religions in considering a single - Viji R/Latha C -Renuka K/Ashok Malavalli supreme being (Brahman) with many Bhajan: Gowri Nandana Shloka: SL: 1-25, LNP incarnatations (as Gods). Gajavadana; Sharanam Siddhi - Anandhi Sriram Vinayaka Bhajan: Madhusudhana, Review So, any person who accepts the -Latha Sundar Sharanam Siddhi Vinayaka authority of the Vedas and lives his/her life /Anandhi Sriram -Latha Sundar according to Dharma is a Hindu. Therefore,
-Banumathi Sugumar it is not true that only Indians are Hindus.
Junior Class: On the contrary, an Indian who rejects the Upcoming Events Vedas is not a Hindu while an American, Story: Sugreeva and Vali Russian, or Chinese who does accept the - Pallavi Nagaraj Veda is a Hindu! In fact, there are over a April 3 – 5, 2009: IFAASD – billion Hindus in the world today. About 900 Shloka: Adithyahridayam, Indian Music and Dance Review Vishnushatpadi million of them live in India. Nepal, India's Festival Visit (http://www.shiva- - Rashmi Madhukara neighbor, has over 80% of its population as Bhajan: Vanamali Radha Hindus. Hinduism is practiced all over the vishnu.org/content/indian_music_dan Ramana world. Like right here, we are all in a Hindu ce_fest_2009.jpg) for more class in California far away from India! -Latha Sundar details - Banumathi Sugumar - Shreya C
7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 April 2009 ISSUE 4 - 2 -
April 2009
Class Volunteers: April Birthdays: Story: Why Do Some Hindus Believe in Ashok Mallavali Vegetarians? Is There a Rule About Toddler: Lalitha Kodandapani Hindus Eating Meat? Aditi Raju Padma Kodukula Pallavi Nagaraj Juniors: Some major paths of Hinduism hold Renuka Krishnan Akul Athmaram vegetarianism as an ideal. There are three Shyam Kadaba Reetesh Sudhakar main reasons for this: to avoid violence Srinivasan Rajagopalan Sumana Srinivas (ahimsa) applied to animals; the purpose to Yaso/Saba Ratnavel offer only "pure" vegetarian food to a deity Bhajan: Seniors: and then to receive it back as prasadam and Anandhi Sriram Keshav Tadimeti the belief that non-vegetarian food is harmful Banumati Sugumar Srinidhi Malavalli for the mind and for spiritual development. Geetha Gopala Nonviolence is a common concern of all the Latha Sundar Super Seniors: vegetarian traditions in Hinduism. Rashmi Madhukara None
Viji Ramnarayanan Hindu vegetarians usually avoid eggs Sloka: ------but consume milk and dairy products. Milk Anandhi Sriram and milk products are mostly used in the Gayathri Vidyashankar traditional food habits of India. It is not good Lalitha Kodandapani Festivals of the Month: to consume anything from a dead animal or Latha Chandrashekaran try to kill a live one. Every living being is Rashmi Madhukara 04-03-2009: Rama Navami equal. There is a possibility that if a certain Sheela Ashok animal is eaten, the one who has consumed it Visit (http://www.shiva- Srinivasan Rajagopalan might experience the same karma. vishnu.org) for more details Vijaya Purohit
Viji Ramnarayanan We also have an ecological reason to
be a vegetarian and save our planet Class Presentations ------earth.Planet Earth is suffering because of the Senior Class: great loss of species due to the consumption 04-11-2009 Newsletter Editors of meat. Medical studies prove that a What is the significance of holy water used during poojas vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a Bhairav Chidambaram and as prasadam? wider ranger of nutrients and imposes fewer Yashes Srinivasan -Arun S problems throughout the body. Vegetarians 04-25-2009 are less at risk to all the major diseases that Topic of the Month affect humanity, and thus live longer, Why is fire considered sacred? healthier, have more productive lives. Yashes Srinivasan - Yashes S Junior Class: - Aishwarya V 04-18-2009 ------
What is the significance of Please send your holy water used during poojas suggestions/comments on and as prasadam? this newsletter to – Tejas S [email protected] 04-18-2009
Why is fire considered sacred? - Shreya G
7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 April 2009 ISSUE 4 - 3 -