BALABHAVAN NEWSLETTER VEDIC CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO September 2013 Balabhavan Coordinators BBC Announcements: VALLABHACHARYA Welcome back, Bala Bhavan Latha Sundar Families! Lalitha Krishnamoorthy Vallabhacharya (1479 - 1531 CE) was a Hema Rangaswamy devotional philosopher who founded the Pushti Classes started for Kumar Gowda sect in India. Vallabhacharya accepted the Toddlers/Super Seniors, and [email protected] 'Acharya' designation of Vishnuswami Sampraday we celebrated Vinayaka upon request by his predecessor. Chathurthi on the 8th! Class Coordinators This was after Vallabhacharya won the Sept 14 – Bala Bhavan Classes famous debate of Brahmavada over Shankaras in start for Juniors, Seniors the courtyard of the Emperor Krishna Deva Raya Super-Senior Class: of Vijayanagara Empire. Apart from being PHOTOS!!!!: BB Summer Krishna Meduri acharya, Vallabhacharya also propagated the Camps 2013 (pg 3) and BB Pushtimárga upon god Krishna's order and thus Annual Field Trip, Sept 1 [email protected] became the acharya of Pushti Sampradaya also. (pg4) Senior Class: He is the Acharya and Guru within the Vaishnava traditions as prescribed by the Vedanta PARENT VOLUNTEERS: Please Radhika Chari philosophy. come well-prepared for your Pavani Balebail shloka/bhajan/story-telling [email protected] assignments. Please contact your Class & BB Coordinator Junior Class: Team IMMEDIATELY if you need help preparing for your Sushma Natarajan assignment. Rajashri Balaji [email protected] IMPORTANT- Toddler Class: ATTENDANCE POLICY: Beyond 2 absences per semester with or without Vanitha Santhamoorthy Vandana Santhanam excuse, students stand to lose their seat in Bala Uma Uralegaddi Within Indian Philosophy, he is known as the [email protected] Bhavan. writer of Anubhashya - a commentary on Brahm Sutra, Shodash Granth or sixteen 'stotras' (tracts) BBC Team Registration coordinator: and several commentaries on the Bhagavata Ω∂ Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes) ∂ Kumar Gowda of the Avatar, Krishna. Vallabhaacharya occupies September Birthdays a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a Newsletter Coordinator: Toddlers: philosopher and devotional (bhakti) preacher. He is widely considered as the last of the four great Shriya Sankaran Krishna Meduri : Vaishnava Acharyas who established the various Yajushi Hulgundi [email protected] Vaishnava schools of thought based on Vedantic philosophy, the other three (preceding him) being Juniors Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya and Shreya Gopala Festivals of the Month: Nimbarkacharya. He is especially known as a lover Shreya Palakodety and a propagator of Bhagavata Dharma. He was Please visit: born in Champaranya in India. Super Seniors: www.shiva-vishnu.org for -Shravanthi Bala Keerti Tadimeti Srikanth Kalluri more details 7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 September 2013 Issue 9 1 BALABHAVAN NEWSLETTER VEDIC CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO September 2013 Editors Corner SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU Are you smarter than a I know my Mahabharata! He was born on February 18th 1486, PUNDIT? …at least , I think I do. when the moon was eclipsed. His father Jagannath Misra was a poor brahmin and his Test your ability to match wits Answer some questions about mother Sachi Devi was a kind lady. His with the greatest of Indian the Mahabharata….. if you can. grandfather, Pandit Nilambar Chakravarati, rishis in a four question mind- boggling quiz about the VEDAS If you know your stories inside an astrologer, predicted that he would be a and out, this should be easy! great figure and named him Visvambhar. The and ASTROLOGY… women of the village called him Gaur Hari. 1. Take the name of the place His mother called him Nimai. where the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas took When Chaitanya was five, he started place, subtract out all vowels, attending school where he learned Bengali. move the last letter to the One day his mother gave him sweetmeats to nd rd front, subtract the 2 ,3 , and eat, he ate clay instead. When his mother last letters, add ‘a’ in between questioned him about why he did this, he the 1st and 2nd letters, and to said, mother, “These sweetmeats are the end, and copy the last three nothing but clay transferred, so I can eat 1) What is the Veda that is letters again to the end. clay as well.” When he was 8, he learned known to lay the basics for Sanskrit from Gangadas Pandit. His father music? died soon. His mother was very unhappy until a. Rig her son consoled her. At the age of 14 or 15, b. Sama he was married to Lakshmi Devi, the c. Atharva daughter of Vallabha Acharya and Nadia. The d. Yajur wife died shortly afterwards because of snakebite. Then he married Vishnupriya, 2) How long will Kali Yuga daughter of Pandit Sanatan Misra. Sri Last? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a very dear Krishna a. 427000 years devotee. b. 127000 years c. Not long… All through his life he loved Sri 2. Who played a game of tag Krishna. When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 3) The life of Brahma lasts… with Arjuna and ended up grew up he spread Sri Krishna consciousness. a. 111 x 1012 years driving Brihannala’s chariot He has showed love of God to the highest b. 211 x 1012 years against the Kaurava army? degree, and taught chanting the holy names c. 311 x 1012 years of Krishna is the way to attain the love of d. 411 x 1012 years 3. What was the method used by god. Drona to pick up the ball that -Pranavi Maddipatla 4) The shortest Vedic time fell into the well when the period is called the … Pandavas and Kauravas weren’t a. Kshana even tall enough to ride Newsletter Editors b. Truti chariots? c. Nimesa Keshav Tadimeti Sankaran Ramanarayanan _________________________ 1. Rakshasha Answers 2. Uttara Topics of the Month 1 b 3. Arrows, arrows, and more Pranavi Maddipatla 2 a arrows…or maybe just a few7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-33940 c Shravanthi Bala Sept 2013 Issue 9 4 b 2 BALABHAVAN NEWSLETTER VEDIC CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO September 2013 = Balabhavan Summer Camps 2013 Shri Ram Krishnamurthy’s “Vedic Science” Students in Sriram Srinivasan & Kodandapani camp discusses the subtle relationships Ramadurgam’s Vedic Math camp work their between Dharmic philosophy and modern way through a difficult geometry problem scientific theories. with the help of their mentor and colleagues. Ardent young artists guided by Smt. Rama The Vedic Culinary Camp Expert Chefs serve Srinivas, proudly display their creations in the up a sumptuous, yummy, yet incredibly Vedic Art Camp healthy meal fit for a King!! Budding Mrdangists learn with rapt attention Smt. Seetha Janakiraman’s Vedic Cooks! all about the basics of Rhythm in Shri Raam Kumar’s Mrdangam Camp 7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 Sept 2013 Issue 9 BALA BHAVAN ANNUAL FIELD TRIP - SIKH GURDWARA, Sept 1, 2013 7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 Sept 2013 Issue 9 .