May

May 7

Namaste!

We watched a video on the death of Dhuryodhana and Shakuni. We watched the final day of the

war and how the Pandavas ended it.

Seething from the rage of his Dhuryodhana’s death, Ashwattama attempted to fulfill his dying

wish, to kill all the Pandavas and their heirs. He snuck into the Pandava camp at night and crept

into the tent where the Pandavas were supposed to be sleeping. He slaughtered the 5 people

sleeping there. It turned out that the people sleeping in there were the children of the Pandavas.

After being confronted by the Pandavas, Ashwattama fired a Bhramastra, directed at Uttara,

who was pregnant with the last Pandava heir, Parikshit. Arjuna was forced to withdraw his

Brahmastra he used to destroy Ashwattama’s and the original Bhramastra struck the womb of

Uttara. Krishna, furious with the crime, cursed Ashwattama with immortality, wrought with

sickness and pain.

Seeing the pain that Uttara was in, Krishna helped her and healed the damage caused by the

weapon. The baby in her womb was revived and was deemed Parikshit, “one who passed the

test”.

Homework:

What is the name of the snake that Vishnu lays upon?

What is the name of the snake around Shiva’s neck?

How did Parikshit die?

April

April 30

Today we started off class by going over some basic backstory for Krishna. We then talked about the death of Karna and the influence Krishna had on it. We then talked about the special powers Duryodhana received from his mother and how that affected him. We finally learned about the Tirupperunthurai temple and how symbols in the temple are related to hindu

Homework:

What is polytheism and polymorphism?

What was the name of Karna’s adoptive parents?

Who was the father and mother of Ved Vyasa?

April 16

Namaste!

Great work during the presentation everybody!!!

Today, we began with covering the death of Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu, having received the

information on penetrating the Chakravyuha, went into the formation against the vehement

refusal of his uncles, the Pandavas. The Pandavas tried to follow Abhimanyu into the formation,

but they were stopped by Jayadratha, who had received a boon that allowed him to hold off the

Pandavas for one day. All alone, Abhimanyu faced the 6 Kaurava leaders. Drona refused to kill

the boy, but Dhuryodhana ordered Karana to begin firing on him. Abhimanyu withstood every

onslaught that was thrown against him while the Kauravas committed violations of war. He

fought until the sun went down, dying a renowned warrior.

We then talked about how Arjuna decided to get revenge and kill Jayadratha. Arjuna was going

to kill Jayadratha at night, which is against the rules of the war. He was eventually convinced not

to, and he makes a vow to instead kill Jayadratha by sundown, or else he would kill himself.

Krishna then tricks the Kauravas that it was nighttime by using a chakra to blot out the sun,

which lures them out into the open. Then Arjuna uses a weapon granted to him by Bhagwan

Shiva to behead Jayadratha and shoot his head into his father’s lap, counteracting Jayadratha’s

boon and killing him and his father.

Homework:

- Figure out the story of Dronacharya and Jayadratha

April 9

To start, we went over the homework of last class

Chaitrya

Vaishaka

Tithi—>4th—>Chaturthi

Paksha—> Krishna

Jyarshta

The story of Shikandi:

As the students have read, Shikandi was the second incarnation of Amba, a woman whose life

was ruined by Bheeshma. She vowed to aid in the killing of Bheeshma in her second life. When

she came back as a woman, she was refused access to the battlefield due to her gender and as

a result, she underwent a ritual to transform into a male. Now being a man, she joined the

Pandavas on the battlefield and fought with Bheeshma alongside Arjuna. Bheeshma refused to

fight Shikandi as he still believed that she was a woman, refusing even to shoot in her direction.

Arjuna then shot Bheeshma with as many arrows as he could, laying him upon a bed of arrows.

Homework:

PRACTICE SHIV TANDAV STOTRAM

- PRESENTATION ON APRIL 16 (NEXT WEEK)

March

March 26

Today we began by reviewing the Hindu months. There are 12 Maas (months), and there is an extra 13th month called adhika-maas, which is added every 3 solar years so the solar and lunar calendars align. Each maas is broken into 2 Paksh, Krishna and Shukla. There are also 2 Aayans, Uttar and Dakshin. Each Aayan consists of 6 months, making up a Varsh, or a full year.

Next, we practiced reciting the Shiv Tandav Stotram.

Afterwards, we reviewed the homework from the previous class.

Then, we talked about Shikhandi, how she was Amba in her previous life, and how she made Bhishma immobile in the war. We then watched a video about Bheema and how he wanted to

kill all the Kauravas.

We then watched a video about Adi Shankaracharya. He traveled across India 3-4 times by foot

and established an organization that still exists today. He also Today we began by reviewing the Hindu months. There are 12 Maas (months), and there is an

extra 13th month called adhika-maas, which is added every 3 solar years so the solar and lunar

calendars align. Each maas is broken into 2 Paksh, Krishna and Shukla. There are also 2

Aayans, Uttar and Dakshin. Each Aayan consists of 6 months, making up a Varsh, or a full year.

Next, we practiced reciting the Shiv Tandav Stotram.

Afterwards, we reviewed the homework from the previous class.

Then, we talked about Shikhandi, how she was Amba in her previous life, and how she made

Bhishma immobile in the war. We then watched a video about Bheema and how he wanted to

kill all the Kauravas.

We then watched a video about Adi Shankaracharya. He traveled across India 3-4 times by foot

and established an organization that still exists today. He also gave a commentary on the

Vedas. Unfortunately, he died at the young age of 32 in 750 A.D.

Homework:

1. On which Aayan did Bhishma leave his body?

2. Learn Tithi

3. What are the 18 parvas of Mahabharata?

4. What is the story of Shikhandi?

5. Who were the commanders of the Kaurava Army after Bhishma and when did they die?

6. PRACTICE SHIV TANDAV STOTRAM. WE PRESENT ON APRIL 16TH.gave a commentary on the

Vedas. Unfortunately, he died at the young age of 32 in 750 A.D.

March 19

Namaste!

Today, we began class by having the students recite their portions of the Shiv Tandava Stotram.

From there we resumed our discussion of the Bhagavad Gita going over the meaning of the

shoklas of the first chapter. The chapter discusses who had assembled at the battlefield, what

they were there for, and their relation to Arjun.

Finally, we watched as Arjun and the rest of the Pandavas fought against Beeshma, laying him

upon the bed of arrows.

Conch names:

Krishna: Panchjanma

Arjun: Devadattum Dananjayaha

Homework:

Who is Sanjay and how did he recite the Mahabharatha to Dhritarashtra?

What is the relationship between Dhirdirashtra and Sanjay?

What are the titles of the first four chapters of the Bhagavad Gita?

Where did the Zorastrians immigrate from Iran?

February

February 26

Namaste!

Today, we began by reciting parts of the Shiv Tandav stotram.

Then, we reviewed the homework.

We then talked about the story of how the resources of Krishna were split up between the

Pandavas and the Kauravas. The story goes that one day both Arjuna and Dhuryodhana

wanted to ask Krishna for something to help them with the war. As they both entered Krishna’s

room, the Lord was sleeping. Arjuna took his spot at the Lord’s feet while Dhuryodhana stood at

His resting head. When Krishna awoke, He saw Arjuna first at the foot of the bed. Given that

Arjuna was seen first, Lord Krishna allowed Arjuna to pick first between Himself or the vast army

that Krishna had at his disposal. Dhuryodhana was angry that Krishna allowed Arjuna to pick

first and asked why. Krishna said that Arjuna had the respect to sit at the foot of His bed and

wait patiently while Dhuryodhana was arrogant to stand near the head. Much to the surprise of

Duryodhana, Arjuna picked Krishna Himself. Laughing, Duryodhana was allowed to take the

massive army. When asked by Krishna why Arjuna chose Him, Arjuna said that wherever

Krishna goes, there is Victory.

We also talked about the difference in numbers in the fight between the Kauravas and the

Pandavas, with the Kauravas having many more people, and how the Pandavas still won.

HOMEWORK:

- What were the names of Sri Krishna’s biological mother and father?

- Who raised Sri Krishna?

- What are the names of the Chiranjeevis?

- What is the name of the bow that Lord Shiva uses?

Groups for Final Presentation:

Group 1:

Rikita

Tashi

Jayanth

Ved

Shreyan

Group 2:

Shashank

Yash

Aarav

Archit

Lakshya

Group 3:

Krishna

February 19

Namaste!

Today, we began with reviewing the homework.

We then began to learn the Shiv Tandav Stotra and created groups (See below).

From there we covered the history and importance of Shivaratri.

Resuming where we left off on the Mahabharata, the Pandavas reach the period of hiding during

their Vanvyas. They chose to hide in the Kingdom of Virat. The Pandavas were forced to split up

their work and went to take separate jobs in the kingdom. Yudishtir served as a royal advisor,

Bheema served as a cook, Arjuna served as a “woman” dance teacher to the princess, Nakul

and Sahadeva served as cowherds, while Draupadi served as the queen's personal maid.

During their hiding period, the Kauravas were scouring the kingdoms, trying to find the

Pandavas. Meanwhile, Keechak, a vile royal man, began to prey upon Draupadi while the

Pandavas were at work. After some time, Draupadi complained to Bheema who became

enraged. Bheema then killed Keechaka, effectively revealing where the Pandavas were hiding

and sending a message to the Kauravas. The Kauravas rushed to the kingdom upon hearing

the news and began to search for the Pandavas, but they had already left. This sparked a large

conflict between the Kauravas and the Kingdom of Virat with the Kauravas accusing Virat of

providing the Pandavas with refuge and threatening war. We ended class before the conflict

before the last day of the 13 years.

Homework:

What was the special boon given to Jayadritha?

What was Jayadritha’s Father’s name?

Groups for Final Presentation:

Group 1:

Rikita

Tashi

Jayanth

Ved

Shreyan

Group 2:

Shashank

Yash

Aarav

Archit

Lakshith

February 12

Namaste!

Today we began class by watching a few videos relating to the Mahabharata.

The first related to the story of how Arjuna had to answer the 5 questions of a Yaksha after

he found his brothers dead at the bank of the river.

Another video was the beginning of the enmity between Jayadrath and the Pandavas

The last video was about how Arjuna met Lord Shiva as a tribal. They fought and Arjuna lost

to the Lord. After he lost, Arjuna begged for forgiveness, to which Shiva was pleased and

bestowed a Bhramastra unto him.

We also watched a fourth video about Adiyogi and how he destroyed 3 cities with a single

arrow, and how this affects our lives today.

HOMEWORK:

Who was the lady that fell in love with Arjun?

Who composed the Shiva Tandava Stotra and how was it constructed?

January

January 29

Namaste all,

Today we started out by having the students go through multiple shoklam to get them

familiarized. From there, we expanded on the meaning of each word and what the slokam itself

meant.

From there, we did some meditation.

Then we briefly covered some content from last class and discussed what Hindu month is going

on right now.

Afterwards, we resumed our content on Draupadi’s disrobing. During the event, Draupadi was

aided by Lord Krishna who gave her cloth to shield her. After Dushasana got tired from trying to

disrobe her, Krishna explained that he helped Draupadi because she had given him a piece of

her saree when he was cut across the hand. On top of that, Krishna shed everyone else's

clothing in the court as punishment for being silent when a woman was being insulted in court.

From there, they were offered another game to play for their freedom, but they lost and were

forced to live in the forest. While in the forest they were given the condition that they were to live

in the forest for 12 years freely but on the 13th year, they were to go into hiding while the

Kauravas searched for them. If they were found, they were to repeat their 12 years, but if they

weren’t, they were promised the kingdom.

Homework:

- Who is Chanur and what is his relation to Krishna?

- Find out what the title “Vedavyasa” means, and figure out Sree Vedavyasa’s name.

- What is the current Hindu month?

January 22

We started class by going over the homework which was assigned the previous week.

After Indraprastha was built, Duryodhana’s jealousy grew. This caused him to feel the need

to take Indraprastha away from the Pandavas. Shakuni suggested that he gambles with

them in order to win everything. While they were gambling, Yuddhishtr eventually gambled

everything away including his brothers. Seizing their opportunity, the Kauravas eventually

manipulated Yuddhishtr into gambling away Draupadi. Dushashan, one of the Kauravas,

dragged Draupadi to the middle of the conference and was forced to take her clothes off.

Here divine agency is brought in the epic, when Draupadi prayed to Krishna, and as the

attire was pulled from Draupadi’s body, another attire appeared and so on.

We finished off class by doing a review Kahoot quiz.

Homework:

What is Bheeshma’s relation to the Pandavas and the Kauravas?

January 15

Today we started off class with the parent teacher conference.

We then learned about the death of Shishupal. He was promised that he would only be killed

by Krishna after commiting 100 mistakes. After crossing that mark he was killed by Krishna’s

chakra.

We will continue these topics next class.

HW:

Who built Indraprastha?

Why is Indraprastha named after Indra?

Find out the story of Yayati?

December

December 4

Namaste!

Today in class, we began by answering the homework questions from last class. After that, we

reviewed the ending of the last class by talking about the conflict between the Pandavas and the

Kauravas in the form of a single story, that of Bheema’s poisoning. The story goes that the

cousins were out and playing with each other in the fields and grew tired after playing and

wrestling for hours. From their tiresome playtime, they all went back to their camps to drink and

eat food. Duryodhana, knowing that Bheema would eat a lot of sweets, poisoned them and

served them personally to Bheema. Bheema, not knowing the poison was within the sweets, ate

them and fell unconscious. From there, Duryodhana threw Bheema into the nearby river to

dispose of the evidence. As Bheema sank, he was bitten by snakes of the Naga Loka. The

venom of the snakes acted as an antidote to the sweet poison of Duryodhana. As Bheema

awoke, he was greeted by the King of Nagaloka. The king embraced him and explained how

they were related, giving Bheema multiple plates of food to rejuvenate himself. Bheema was

thankful and received a nectar that would grant him the strength of 50 men. Taking his blessing,

Bheema returned to the surface and returned home.

Another story we covered was the story of Drona and Drupada.

As the cousins finished their education under Drona, they were required to give him payment for

his teaching. Not like the others, Drona asked his students to wage a war against his age-old

friend, Drupada. Drupada was an old friend of Drona who turned sour. They studied together but

when they grew up, Drupada who grew to own a kingdom insulted Drona who remained poor in

his court and sent him away without so much as a cow to sustain himself. So Drona asked his

pupils many years later to war against Drupada. Surprisingly, Drona won against Drupada and

took half his kingdom and one cow, allowing him to keep the other half as a reminder of how

Drupada insulted him the years before. This in turn created an enmity between the two that

grew until explosion in the War of Kurukshetra.

As the cousins grew up, the Pandavas grew up, the people favored Yudishtira for crown prince.

This in turn made Duryodhana angry as he wanted to get the crown.

Homework:

Where was Yudishtir’s castle?

November

November 20

Namaste!

Today in class, we began by taking attendance. We talked about Shakuni and his reasoning for

leaving Gandhar and following Gandhari to Hastinapur. We also talked about how Karna got

cursed by Parshurama. He lied to his guru about being a Bhramin which caused him to receive

a curse that whenever he needed his knowledge the most, he would lose it.

We then talked about the influence Shakuni had on others around him. He poisoned

Duryodhana’s, the eldest of the Kauravas, mind and convinced him that he had the right to be

the next king. He also made him build hatred for the Pandavas as they were also in line for the

throne.

In order to get to Yuddishtir, Duryodhana realizes he needs to take care of (kill) Bheema. He

decides to poison Bheema with food, and then he drops his body in the river to hide all traces of

evidence. The king of Nagas saves Bheema by taking the poison out of him. This incident

causes the Pandavas to become closer and more aware of threats to their safety.

HW:

Who were the students of Parshurama?

What is the name of Shakuni’s son?

Who was the father of Shakuni?

What is the name of the King of the Nagas?

November 13

Namaste!

Today we had Nirav Ji come teach us about meditation.

We first talked about how meditation can help us in the real world. Meditation can help both

calm us and help us focus. Meditation helps us with our body, mind, and spirituality. When you

meditate you can remove negative emotions which can positively affect your health as well.

Meditation can also help us experience our inner light which is coming from god. Through

meditation we can also experience the wisdom and love of god.

We also answered the question, what is the true purpose of life? The purpose of life is to

become one with God which can only be done through meditation.

Finally, we all practiced meditation for 10 minutes.

We will continue to learn about Mahabharatha in the next class!

November 6

Namaste!

Today our class was shortened because of the Safety presentation we had during the

Assembly.

We spent the entirety of class time on the Parents vs Students Quiz Competition. This is

only part 1 of the quiz as there will be many more in the future. Today, the parents and

students tied 16-16. We will continue to discuss various topics next class!

October

October 30

Namaste!

Today in class, we started off by having the children recite slokas of their choosing.

From there, we had a discussion about various Ayurvedic Practices regarding eating and

meditation. Afterwards, we went over last week’s homework.

We then went over the sons of Pandu, the Pandavas. The eldest of the Pandavas was

Yudhisthir, meaning one who is calm in battle, and he was the son of Vayu. Vayu, the god of

wind, was also the father of Hanuman. The second son was Bheema and he was the son of the

Wind God, Vayu. The third was the son of Indra, Arjuna. The fourth was Nakula and the fifth was

Sahadeva, their fathers were the Ashwini Kumars. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins. The

mother of Yudhisthir, Bheema, and Arjuna was Kunti, and the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva

was Madri.

Some time later, the Kauravas were born. Dhritarashtra was recommended to kill his first son,

Duryodhana, because he was born into poor signs and an unhealthy environment. These signs

led the advisors to believe that Duryodhana would destroy the kingdom if he was allowed to live

and grow to adulthood. Because of Dhiritarashtra’s attachment to his first born son, he did not

listen to the advice of others around him.

As time went on, Pandu was cursed by Rishi Kindama and his wife as Pandu had mistaken

them for deer on a hunting trip. He was told that he would die the moment he was attracted to

his wife. Given this curse, Pandu decided to live in the forest, allowing his brother, Dhritarashtra,

to rule the kingdom until Yudishtira came of age.

As they grew up, the Pandavas lived in the forest while the Kauravas lived in the palace of

Hastinapur. The kingdom was under Kaurava control and the Pandavas were forced to survive

until the eldest, Yudishtira, came to age. As time went on, the Kauravas grew attached to the

crown and were becoming more and more hesitant to release it to Yudishtira.

Eventually, the Pandavas were accepted into the kingdom, but the issue of the crown’s

succession was still muddy.

We also learned the story of the Kauravas and Pandavas meeting Dhronacharya. A further

explanation will be provided in the book.

From there, we went over the surya kavacha and kundala.

HW:

Why did Shakuni go with his sister, Gandhari, to Hastinapur instead of staying back at his own

kingdom?

Why did Gandhari marry Dhritarashtra?

Who was the Guru of Karna and what was the story behind this?

Who is Dronacharya, and who is his father?

Who is Kripacharya?

How are Dronacharya and Kripacharya related?

*We will have a trivia competition between the parents and kids next week, further information

will be given by the teacher*

October 23

Namaste! 

Today in class, we started by reviewing the homework and then talking about Prajapati. Kashyap had children with Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kadru, and Vinita. Those five started their own species: 

Aditi - Devas 

Diti - Asuras 

Danu - Daanav 

Kadru - Snakes/Nagas 

Vinita - Eagles/Garuda 

We also continued to review Shantanu’s family tree. Vichitravirya’s children were Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra was born blind while Pandu was born abnormally pale and eventually became king. The children of Dhritarashtra were known as the Kauravas and the children of Pandu were known as the Pandavas. There were 101 Kauravas, one of them being a girl, and there were 5 Pandavas. 

Dhritarashtra’s wife was Gandhari, who came from the region of Gandhar, which is currently at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhari was a great devotee of Bhagwan Shiv, who gave her a special boon to have 100 sons. The father of Gandhari was Subala, who was hesitant about marrying his daughter to Dhritarashtra. To show her will to marry Dhritarashtra, Gandhari tied a blindfold around her eyes. 

The wives of Pandu were Kunti and Madri. Kunti’s brother was Vasudev who was the father of Krishna, making Kunti the aunt of Krishna. Madri was princess of Madra, and was the sister of Shalya, who plays an important role later on in the Mahabharata. Later on, something happens to Pandu. He was out hunting and his arrow pierced two deers. However, those two deers were Rishi Kindama and his wife. Pandu then realises this and asks for forgiveness, but Rishi Kindama curses him instead. Pandu decides he cannot rule and steps down from the throne. 

We then talked about the sage that visited Kunti. Kunti took care of the sage very well, and the sage was impressed. Thus, he gave her a special boon: a mantra that Kunti could chant in order to have a son. She decides to test out the boon and gives birth to Karna who is also the son of Surya, the sun god. This is also the same mantra Kunti and Madri use to give birth to the Pandavas. 

Adhirat, Karna’s adoptive father, was the charioteer of Dhritarashtra. 

HW: 

Who was the sage that visited Kunti before she was married and still a princess? Who was the wife of Adhirath? 

What was Karna’s original name? 

Who were the fathers of the Pandavas?

October 16

Namaste!

Today in class we started with reviewing the Paksh. We are currently in and learned that

Diwali is always on a New Moon.

We continued to review the story of Bheeshma’s childhood and how he was the eighth and

only living son of Ganga and Shantanu. Bheeshma swore to always protect Hastinapur

which became an obstacle for him later in his life.

We also learned about the birth of Ved Vyasa, son of Satyavati and Parashar, author of and

recurring character in the Mahabharata. Satyavati, daughter of a fisherman, and Shantanu

met and got married.

We also learned of how the reactions of Amba’s sisters towards Ved Vyasa affected their

children, Pandu and Dhritrashtra. Ved Vyasa agrees to give a blessing to one more person,

a maid. With this blessing comes the birth of Vidura.

Finally, we were introduced to and learned about the importance of Garuda.

HW:

- Find out the names of the three children of Satyavati and Shantanu

- Find the name of the sisters of Amba

- Find the name of Vidura’s mother

- Who is Garuda, how was he born, how did he come to be the vehicle of Vishnu?

October 2

We started off by going over the Hindu months and what month we are in right now. Oct 2=

Ashwin(Shukla Paksh).

We went over last week's homework:

Who was the father and mother of Beeshma: Shantanu and Ganga

How many Navaratris are in a year: 4, one is in Chaitra, Ashwin/Aso, and the other two are

found during the winter and spring months.

Why is the Mahabharata called the Mahabharata: The name came from the first king of

Hastinapur, Bharat.

We went over the story of how Beeshma took the oath of celibacy and diversion of the throne in

order to ensure that his father could marry Satyavati and allow her children to ascend the throne

of Hastinapur. The grandeur of this vow moved Shantanu so much that he gave Beeshma the

boon of a wished death.

We watched a video going over the story of Shantanu and Ganga Devi. When Ganga and

Shantanu first met, Shantanu begged Ganga to marry him. Ganga said that she would accept

only if he agreed to accept the condition that he could not question any of her actions. As the

years passed, she drowned 7 of her sons while Shantanu kept his promise to never question

her. Finally on the 8th son, Shantanu couldn’t take it anymore, he questions her out of despair.

Ganga Devi leaves with the son because she was angry with Shantanu. Years later, Shantanu

finds the son, his name being Devarath(Beeshma). Immediately, he questions the boy, asking

him where he came from and who he is. The boy(Devarath) tells him that he is Shantanu’s son

and that Ganga brought him here. Ganga then comes to the both of them and tells Devarath to

go with Shantanu. The both of them then return to Hastinapur and Devarath grows up in

Hastinapur.

We went over the story of Bharat and the formation of Hastinapur. King Bharat was the founder

of the kingdom. The king was considered just and fair throughout his reign, but his heirs were

not up to the same standard, causing the king to choose a boy from a different lineage to lead

the kingdom.

We watched a few videos concerning Ellora Temple and the new movie, Adi Purusha.

Homework:

Which two people trained Bheeshma/Devarath?

What is the story of King Bharat?

Who did Bharat choose to lead Hastinapur?

Who was the first to establish democracy?

Why did Ganga Devi kill 7 of her sons?

Try learning a few lines of the Shiv Tandava Stotram.

Why do we celebrate Navaratri?

September

September 25

To begin, the class went upstairs and applied kumkum. 

From there, we talked about the importance of the area where kumkum was applied. Kaushal Ji said that it was placed there due to Ayurvedic research concerning the placement of a specific hormonal gland located in between the eyebrows. 

We went over the Narayana/Saraswati shloka with a visual. The sloka was a prayer of gratitude/worship regarding the boundless knowledge and power of Narayana/Saraswati. We also went over another sloka. The meaning of the shloka regarded the common concept that all aspects of human existence are covered and explained throughout the course of the Bhagavad Gita. 

Considering the current date(2022) the events of the Mahabharata took place at least 4,000-5,000 years ago. The original name of the Mahabharata was Jaya Samhita. 

Astronomy/Timekeeping terminology:

Ex. Sept 25—>Ashwin—>Amavasya(End of Shukla Paksh)

From a full moon to a new moon is called Krishna Paksh

From a new moon to a full moon is called Shukla Paksh

Full moon=Poornima

Throughout this time, we practiced the moon cycles and how different dates correspond to different Pakshas. 

Homework:

How many days are in Navaratri?

How many verses are in the Mahabharata?

What is the story of Bheeshma(Find out who his father and mother were)?

Which Hindu month is next week?

September 18

Namaste!

Today we learned several things in class.

First we learned about the Hindu calendar which is based on the cycle of the moon. The moon cycle consists of Shukla Paksh (New Moon to Full Moon) and Krishna Paksh (Full Moon to New Moon). In the Hindu Calendar, every 3 years there is a 13th month known as Adhik Mas.

Today we talked about who wrote the Mahabharata (Shri Ganesh and Ved Vyasji) and how old it is (between 5000 to 7000 years old). We also discussed why this text is still alive and the reason the students are attending this class. Vedvyasji had a connection with the story as he was the grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas. We learned how the Mahabharata was written down and how sanskrit impacts your brain.

Finally we learned about Itihasa which consists of Dharma, Arth, Kama, and Moksha. Dharma supports life in the universe and Arth refers to meaning/purpose. Kama is desires/wants/prosperity and Moksha is detachment/enlightenment.

We will continue these topics next class!

Thank you for your support and we will see you next class!

Homework:

Learn the name of all Hindu months. Every week students should be able to identify the current Hindu month and Paksh.

What was the name of Mahabharata before it was called Mahabharata?

How many verses are in Mahabharata?

Challenge:

Whoever can memorize the most shlokas/verses from Shiv Tandav Stotram by the end of the year will get a special prize from the teachers.

P.S - Today students received the class books. For those who did not receive the book, they will get it next week.