Hari Om Parents,
Hope you and your families are doing well.
Here is a brief summary of our Bala Vihar class on 10/26/25:
1. Opening Prayers
We began class with our opening prayers:
Om Sahanāvavatu
Saraswati Namastubhyam
Guru Brahma
2. Review of Previous Class
We briefly reviewed last week's lesson — the story of King Shantanu and Ganga, the birth of Devavrat (Bheeshma), and the powerful vow he took when Shantanu married Satyavati, the fisherman's daughter.After marrying King Shantanu, Satyavati's sons continued the royal lineage:
Chitrangada – eldest son, became king but died young.
Vichitraveerya – younger son, later participated in a swayamvara where princesses chose their husbands.
Vichitraveerya's Swayamvara:
We discussed how the swayamvara worked and its significance in the royal family. The children were fascinated by the idea of princesses choosing their husbands!
Bheeshma took three sisters — Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika — to Hastinapur.
Amba loved another king(King of Shalva), but he wouldn't marry her, so she promised she would someday defeat Bheeshma.
The other two sisters married Vichitraveerya, and their children became important in the Mahābhārata. Here they are -
Ambika's son: Dhritarashtra – born blind, later became king.
Ambalika's son: Pandu – born pale and weak, became a good king.
Maid's son: Vidura – very wise and fair, helped the kingdom but was not a king.
3. Story Time: Kunti's Boon and Birth of Karna
We continued with the Mahābhārata and focused on the next generation.
Long ago, there lived a kind and brave princess named Kunti. When she was young, she had the great fortune of meeting Sage Durvasa, a very wise and powerful saint. The sage was pleased with Kunti's respect and devotion, and he gave her a special blessing, called a boon.
This boon was very unusual: it allowed Kunti to call upon any god she wished, and that god would give her a child. Kunti was amazed! She wondered what it would be like to have a child with the blessings of the gods.
Out of curiosity, even though she was not married yet, Kunti decided to try the boon. She recited the sacred mantra and called upon the Sun God, who was mighty, bright, and full of energy. The Sun God appeared before her and, impressed by her devotion, blessed her with a son, who was strong, brave, and generous. This son was named Karna.
Even though Kunti had Karna before her marriage, she promised to keep this secret until the right time. This story shows that with devotion, respect, and faith, we can receive great blessings, but it also teaches us to use them wisely.
Discussion:
We asked the children: "If you could have a power, what would it be and why?"
The kids shared so many creative ideas:
Flying like a bird
Invisibility
Super strength
Telepathy to read minds
Healing powers to help people
Teleporting
It was wonderful to hear their imaginative ideas and reasoning!
4. Geeta Chanting
We practiced chanting Chapter 15, Shlokas 9 and 10 of the Bhagavad Gita.
The children are gaining confidence in their pronunciation and rhythm — excellent progress!
5. Aarti and Pledge
We concluded class with our Aarti and the Bala Vihar Pledge, fostering a sense of unity and devotion.
🙏 We encourage you to continue the conversation at home — even a short discussion about the story or powers the children imagined can help reinforce the lesson and values.
Warm regards,
Chitra & Rupa
