May 18th Class

Beginning prayers

• 3 times ॐ chanting, Meditation
• Daily Prayers (click here for script)

Gitaa chanting

• bhagavadgItaa 14th adhyaaya 1 - 27 shlokas

Story time

• war or peace
• karna and kunti
• the battle begins - gItopadesha

Discussion/Quiz

• Picture time - for the inaugural souvenir 

Ending prayers and pledge

• sarve bhavantu sukhinaH, pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
• aarati and pledge 

Synopsis:

Rashmi aunty and Sitaram uncle's class:
Today in class we did prayers and started of with the Mahabarata. We learned that Krishna told Karna that he is Kunti's son. Karna tells him that people were making fun of his birth and only duryodhana stood by him.   Hence he won't betray duryodhana.  Bhishma knows this too. He is the commander in chief of the Kauravas, so Karna is not allowed to fight until Bhishma is the commander in chief. The Pandavas make Drishtadhyumna (Draupadi's brother) the commander in chief of their army. After all this happened, they started preparing for the war. The Pandavas prostrate to Bhishma, Drona, and Kripacharya and blessed for victory.  Any one who bows to his elders, automatically becomes a winner! Sikandini (Draupadi's sister), who was Amba in the previous birth, was born as a girl, but transferred to a man to fight in the war. Bhishma says that he won't fight in Shikandini's presence as she was born woman.  Dhiritarashtra says that he doesn't want his sons to die in the war. Veda vyaasa gives divine vision to Sanjaya.  Sanjaya narrates the events on the battle field to Dhiritarashtra.  He says that Arjuna threw down his weapons and didn't want to fight. Krishna tells  Arjuna why he should fight, and explains it to him in the 18 chapters of bhagavadgeeta.  So, the gItaa was told by kRuShNa to arjuna on the battle field, before the war began.  In between(11th chapter), when arjuna came to know kRuShNa is the Lord Himself, he wished to see his form in its entirety.  Then the Lord showed him His vishwaroopam (universal form).  arjuna was mesmerized. After the conversation, arjuna was prepared for he war mentally.  He arranged their army in the vajra (diamond) formation and fought fiercely.  Abhimanyu (Arjuna's son) and Uttara (Abhimanyu's wife, Uttare's brother) fought in the war.  Uttara died valiantly on the battle field.  Many people died on the paanDava's side on the first day.  Bhishma was very intense on them.

We also went to take pictures for the souvenir today.  We were all dressed colorfully and went with big smiles to get our pictures taken :).

Written by Sriman Vaidyanathan.

May 11th Class - CORD Walkathon

Beginning prayers

• 3 times ॐ chanting, Meditation
• Daily Prayers (click here for script)

Gitaa chanting

• none

Brain Storming

• Who are the beneficiaries and benefactors of a fund raising event?

Story time

• Glass of milk

Ending prayers and pledge

• sarve bhavantu sukhinaH, pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam

Synopsis:

Rashmi aunty and Sitaram uncle's class:

Today is Mother's day as well as CORD walkathon.  We were walking 5 miles at the Mercer County Park, to raise funds and awareness about the services done by 'Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development' in India.  Before that, we had a brief class.  We then discussed who are the  beneficiaries and benefactors of this event.  We concluded, we were the beneficiaries and to whose cause we were walking, were the true benefactors!  Yes, we said it right.  By giving us the opportunity to serve, they were doing us a bigger favor than we could do by raising money for them.  They were teaching us to appreciate what we have been blessed with and to share heartily!  What goes around comes around.  We also heard a story about a similar scenario.  

There was a boy who was very poor and didn't have any food to eat. He decided to go to one of the houses and ask for something to eat. He knocked on the door of a house and a lady opened the door. He was too ashamed to ask for any food, or even for a glass of milk, so he just asked for a glass of water. The lady brought him a warm glass of milk, and the boy felt very happy. Years passed, and the boy became a doctor who worked at a hospital. The lady forgot about the good deed she had done. Then, the lady fell very sick and needed hospital care. She was worried about the expensive bills that she would have to pay. When she got better, she received the envelope that said "Hospital Bills". When she opened it expecting charges of thousands of dollars, there was only a note that read "Paid in full with a glass of milk". The boy had remembered the lady's act of kindness and had helped her in her time of need, even when she had forgotten.
I think that the lady was given her an opportunity to do seva to the famished boy. Similarly, the people in rural India who we support with the CORD Walkathon, are also helping us, by giving us the opportunity to help them and do good deeds.

Written by Stuthi Kuroodi

May 4th Class

Beginning prayers

• 3 times ॐ chanting, Meditation
• Daily Prayers (click here for script)

Gitaa chanting

• bhagavadgItaa 14th adhyaaya 1 - 27 shlokas

Story time

• paaNDava-s reveal their identity – recap
• duryodhana adament on war
• war or peace

Ending prayers and pledge

• sarve bhavantu sukhinaH, pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
• aarati and pledge - in the auditorium

Synopsis:

Rashmi aunty and Sitaram uncle's class:
In today's story, Yudhishthira, revels their true identity to Virata. Virata’s fit of anger is forgotten and the whole of the Virata kingdom apologizes to the Pandavas. After thanking them all for their hospitality, the Pandavas proceed to win back their kingdom.
Meanwhile, Yudhistira sends messengers as a request for their part of the kingdom. Duryodhana refuses, and secretly starts to prepare for the war that he now knows is coming. When the news reaches Yudhishthira, he is unsure if he wants to provoke all that bloodshed.
Then Arjuna and Duryodhana go to seek help from Krishna while he is sleeping.  Duryodhana sits by his head, on a throne, but Arjuna respectfully sits by Krishna’s feet. So, when Krishna wakes up, he sees Arjuna first and gives him the first chance to ask what he wants. However, Arjuna gives his opportunity to ask first, to Duryodhana. Krishna offers to them either himself or his army. Arjuna chooses him and Duryodhana takes his army with feigned nonchalance.

In the midst of preparation, Yudhistira suddenly realizes how many lives will be lost. So, in an an attempt of pacification, Yudhistira sends Krishna to tell Duryodhana that he will settle for 5 villages if he agrees to call off the war. In an attempt to coax and impress Krishna, duryodhana presents him with riches and shows off his luxury. But Krishna chooses to stay Vidhura’s home, a humble hut. His wife is a great devotee of Krishna.  When Krishna brings up the treaty, Duryodhana still refuses to call off the war.

Written by Shruthi Bharadwaj