Hari Om Parents,
Hope you and your families are doing well. Here is a brief summary of our Bala Vihar class on 10/5/25:
1. Opening Prayers:
We began class with our opening prayers:
Om Sahanāvavatu
Saraswati Namastubhyam
Guru Brahma
2. Marble Meditation:
Children participated in a short marble meditation session. This helps them slow down, focus their thoughts, and be more mindful during class.
3. Review of Previous Class:
We briefly reviewed what we learned last week — the introduction to the Mahābhārata, its significance as an Itihāsa, and the story of how Vyāsa and Lord Ganesha worked together to bring it to us.
4. Story Time – The Story of Bheeshma:
We continued our journey through the Mahābhārata with the story of Bheeshma, a symbol of sacrifice, dharma, and duty.An inspiring story of sacrifice and dharma
A long time ago, in the kingdom of Hastinapura, there was a wise and noble king named Shantanu. He ruled with kindness, and the people loved him very much.
One day, while walking by the River Ganga, King Shantanu saw a beautiful woman. She was so graceful and serene — she was none other than Ganga Devi, the goddess of the river herself! The king fell in love and asked her to marry him.
Ganga agreed, but with one condition:
"You must never question or stop me from doing anything, no matter what I do."
Shantanu, madly in love, promised.
They were married and lived happily. Ganga gave birth to a baby boy, but to Shantanu's horror, she took the baby and gently placed him in the river! 😲
But he remembered his promise, so he stayed silent. One by one, Ganga had seven sons — and each time, she let them go in the river.
Finally, when the eighth child was born, the king could no longer bear it.
"Stop! Why are you doing this?" he cried.
Ganga looked at him sadly and said, "You have broken your promise. Now I must leave you. But I will tell you the truth."
She explained that these eight children were Vasus — celestial beings from heaven who had been cursed to be born on Earth. Ganga had agreed to free them by letting them return to heaven right after birth.
But the eighth Vasu had to live a full life on Earth as part of the curse. That child would be very wise, brave, and pure. Ganga said:
"I will take this child to heaven and teach him everything — the Vedas, archery, the arts, and dharma. When he is ready, I will bring him back to you."
This child grew up to be the great Devavrata, who was later known as Bheeshma — the mighty warrior and wise grandfather in the Mahabharata.
He earned the name Bheeshma because he took a terrible vow — a promise never to marry and to serve the kingdom all his life — just to make his father happy.
🌼 Values to Remember
Obedience and sacrifice: Bheeshma gave up his own happiness to keep a promise and serve others.
Dharma: He always did what was right, even when it was difficult.
Love and duty: He deeply loved his family and kingdom.
✨ The children were very engaged and helped build the story together. It was wonderful to see them collaborate and recall key details!
5. Class Activities:
We played a Hangman game with names of characters and places from the Mahābhārata.
6. Geeta Chanting:
We practiced chanting Chapter 15, Shlokas 5 and 6 of the Bhagavad Gita.
The children are becoming more confident in their pronunciation and rhythm.
7. Closing – Aarti and Pledge:
We concluded the class with our closing prayers and Aarti in the temple hall, followed by the Bala Vihar Pledge.
Please feel free to continue discussions at home — even a small conversation about the story or values can make a big impact on kids.
Warm regards,
Chitra & Rupa
