Nov 2, 2025 - Grade 6 (Sunday AM)

Hari Om Parents,

We started our class with 3 OM and the following shlokas and prayers

• Sahana Vavatu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
• Samastha Jana Kalyane
• Chanted Mahalakshmi Ashtakam -  verses # 6 & 7 (Page 40 in My Prayers book)
  
• We also practiced all the Aartis 

Gita Chanting:
This year, we will be learning Chapters 15 and 12 of the Bhagavad Gita. This week, the class chanted Chapter 15's verses 11 & 12:

https://youtu.be/QpShIxEIWsE?si=HrUtc9cJ9DoBtKdX

Mahabharata:

We chanted the following prayers before starting the Mahabharata:

• Narayanam namaskritya
• Vyasaya Vishnu roopaya
• Vasudevasutam devam

1. Yudhisthira loses the game of dice for the second time. Based upon the agreement, Pandavas would have to go into exile for 12 years and lead the 13th year in the forest incognito.
2. Pandavas, along with Draupadi and their minister Dhaumya, leave Hastinapur to go to the forest. Many sages and people follow them into the forest. Yudhisthira obtained a divine vessel from Lord Surya, with the help of which they were able to feed all the sages and people who were accompanying them
3. In the forest, Yudhisthira spends time with the sages and in Satsang, learning many wise things and virtues from them.
4. Lord Krishna and Rukmini, other Yadavas, visit the Pandavas in the forest and console them. Lord also helps Draupadi when sage Durvasa comes to visit them.
5. Arjuna goes to the Himalayas, upon the advice of Sage Veda Vyasa, and does penance on Lord Shiva, eventually wins over Lord Shiva's grace, and with his blessings obtains Pasupatha Astra. Later, he goes to heaven and helps devas defeat asuras. Pleased by his achievement, Indra felicitates him and asks him to stay for a little while in heaven. During that time, Arjuna gets cursed by Urvashi. 
6. In the Himalayas, Bheema goes on a quest to obtain a celestial flower for Draupadi. On his way to finding these flowers, he meets a monkey. The old monkey asked him to lift his tail and go on. Bheema could not lift the tail of the monkey to his astonishment. He later realizes that the monkey was none other than Hanuman and prays to him. Hanuman blesses Bheema and promises to be on the flag of Arjuna's chariot during the war with the Kauravas.
7. While the Pandavas were in the forest, Duryodhana, along with his retinue, came to the forest to make the Pandavas feel jealous. During that time, Chitrasena, the Gandharva king, comes and fights with the Kauravas. He defeats Karna, and others take Duryodhana captive. Hearing this news, Yudhishthira asks Bheema and Arjuna to go and free Duryodhana. In the beginning, Bheema and Arjuna were hesitant, since they thought Duryodhana got what he deserved. But upon the insistence of their elder brother, both of them go and rescue Duryodhana and free him.

India, the Sacred Land: Hindu New Year!

In this section, we covered the following points with the help of this presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZZoV3W2pON-y1qoVME1xVdJJG-BRDfS8125TK0XMVuk/edit?usp=sharing 

• The class started with the question: What festival is Today? Tulsi Vivah
• Hindu months refresh
• Amavasyant system
• Purnimanta system
  
• When is the New Year celebrated in India?
  
• Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (March–April)
  
• Puthandu / Vishu / Bihu / Pohela Boishakh
  
• Diwali as New Year (October–November)
  
• Bhai Dooj festival Story
• Govardhan story
  
• Shri Govardhan Giriraj Parikrama
  

The students were surprised to learn that today is Tulsi Vivah. We briefly discussed the celebration, during which Tulsi is ceremonially married to Shaligrama, and that those who do not have a Shaligrama may use a Krishna murti or vigraha instead.

The children were also amazed to learn that the New Year is celebrated in different months across various states in India. They were particularly intrigued by the Amavasyant and Purnimanta calendar systems.

They were astonished to see an image in the presentation of a child their own age performing Shri Govardhan Giriraj Parikrama with sashtang pranam.

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The children practiced the aartis regularly across several classes and performed them exceptionally well. One of the parents even conveyed their appreciation to Anshuman ji, one of the coordinators of the Bala Vihar program. We are very proud of how beautifully the children performed the aarti!

Parents, please send your children to class on time to avoid disruptions to the class. Also, have them bring the decorated name tags to the classes. Please make sure children bring in My Prayers book, handbook, notebook, pencils, etc (to take notes, do activities in the class)

Hari Om,
Sachin Gaikwad & Devender Akula