November

November 2

Topics covered today:

1. Poisoning of Bhima under Influence of Shakuni

Duryodhana, resentful of Bhima’s strength and influence among the Pandavas, orchestrated a plan to eliminate him, with Shakuni’s guidance and assistance. Knowing Bhima’s legendary appetite, Duryodhana mixed a potent poison into Bhima’s favorite food and presented it in a seemingly innocent setting, often after moments like games or feasts. Trusting his cousin, Bhima consumed the food and soon fell unconscious due to the effects of the poison. To ensure Bhima’s death, Duryodhana (and sometimes Dushasana) tied up the unconscious Bhima with creepers and weighted his body with stones, throwing him into the Ganges River. The plot was designed so that, even if the poison did not work, the river’s snakes or drowning would guarantee his demise.​

However, fate intervened—Bhima sank to the bottom of the river, where the Nagas (serpent beings) resided. Unsuspectingly, the Nagas bit him, and their venom acted as an antidote, curing the poisoning. Recognizing Bhima as the descendant of their own lineage (Vayu’s son and Kunti’s son), the Nagas revived him with special nectar, enhancing his strength manifold. Bhima remained with the Nagas for several days, emerging not just revived, but significantly stronger.

2. Dronacharya’s First Interaction: The Well and Ball Incident

Dronacharya’s entry into Hastinapur’s royal life was marked by a simple yet profound incident involving the Pandavas and Kauravas while they were playing outside. As the princes played with a ball, it accidentally fell into an old, deep well. Various attempts by the princes to retrieve it failed. At that moment, Drona, then an unknown Brahmin, happened by. Observing the failed attempts, he used blades of grass and his skill to create a chain and retrieve both the ball and the princes’ ring, impressing everyone present. The princes marvelled at Drona’s remarkable skill and called upon Bhishma, who recognized Drona’s expertise and invited him to head the royal school of arms in Hastinapur.

3. Dronacharya - Teacher 

Among his pupils, Arjuna quickly distinguished himself by his exceptional devotion, discipline, and drive. When Drona asked for a promise that his students would help fulfill his personal mission, Arjuna alone eagerly accepted. Touched by this devotion, Drona made Arjuna his favored pupil, promising to make him the world’s greatest archer. This bond was strengthened by Arjuna’s relentless practice, such as when he trained at night after observing he could still eat in the dark—a display of dedication that greatly impressed Drona. Arjuna’s focus and respect for his guru set him apart, leading Drona to share his deepest knowledge and bestow unparalleled skills upon him—thus shaping Arjuna into the legendary archer he became.

October

October 12

Today's discussion point:

When Satyavati requested Vyasa to grant heirs to the widows of Vichitravirya — Ambika and Ambalika, along with a maidservant — he agreed, though he warned that the outcome would depend on their mental state and reactions during the process.

*Birth of Dhritarashtra:

*Vyasa first approached Ambika, the elder queen. Terrified by Vyasa’s austere and ascetic appearance, she shut her eyes in fear during the union. As a result, Dhritarashtra was born blind, symbolizing the blindness that would later extend to his attachment and judgment.

Birth of Pandu:

Next, Vyasa approached Ambalika, the younger queen. She turned pale with fright upon seeing the sage, though she did not close her eyes. Consequently, Pandu was born with a pale complexion. His name literally means “the pale one.” He would grow to be virtuous, disciplined, and a mighty archer — destined to be the king of Hastinapura, though fate would later lead him into exile.

Birth of Vidura:

When Satyavati again requested another heir from Ambika, the queen, still afraid, sent her maid in her stead. The maid, calm and respectful toward Vyasa, served him dutifully. Pleased by her composure and humility, Vyasa blessed her, and Vidura was born — a man of unmatched wisdom, truthfulness, and dharma. Though not born of royal blood, Vidura became the embodiment of righteousness and the wisest counselor to the Kuru court.

_*Dhritarashtra represents attachment and ignorance, blinded both literally and morally.

Pandu symbolizes purity and strength, but also the restraint born of fear and fate.

Vidura embodies ethical intelligence, born from humility rather than privilege.

_*Thus, through Vyasa’s divine intervention, the Kuru dynasty was restored, leading to the next generations — the Kauravas and Pandavas

*Pandu’s Curse

**After marrying Kunti and Madri, King Pandu went hunting in the forest. During his hunt, Pandu shot a pair of deer who, unbeknownst to him, were actually a sage named Kindama and his wife, transformed into animals. The wounded sage, deeply anguished, rebuked Pandu for interrupting such a sacred union. As punishment, Kindama cursed Pandu: if Pandu ever tried to approach his wife with desire, he would die instantly. Stricken with remorse, Pandu abdicated his throne and retreated to the forest with his wives, renouncing royal pleasures and his kingly duties.

Life in the Forest

While living as an ascetic in the Himalayan foothills, Pandu felt tormented by the thought that, due to the curse, he would be unable to produce heirs — thus failing in his duty to his ancestors. Kunti, remembering a boon once granted to her by sage Durvasa, had the special power to invoke any deity and have a child by them. Pandu requested her to use this power to bear children on his behalf so the Kuru lineage would not perish

Yudhishthira was born by invoking Dharmadeva (the god of righteousness).

Bhima was born by invoking Vayu (the wind god).

Arjuna was born by invoking Indra (the king of the gods).

Later, Kunti shared her mantra with Madri, who invoked the Ashwini twins and bore Nakula and Sahadeva.

These miraculous births happened in the seclusion of the forest, far from the palace of Hastinapura. Thus, the Pandavas’ origins are marked by both ascetic hardship and divine intervention.

Homework

1. Where is Gandhar located as of today.

2. Find Kunti’s story. How did Kunti get her name. She is not the daughter of Kuntibhoj.

3. What power did Kunti have and who gave it to her? Was it before her marriage or after?

4. Why did she let her baby go?

5. Which rishi cursed Pandu? What was the curse?

September

September 28

*Earth, Moon, and Sun: Seasons & Movements*

 • Interaction of Earth, Moon, and Sun

 • The tilt of Earth’s axis (23.5°) and its revolution around the Sun create seasons.

 • The Moon influences tides and lunar phases (Amavasya = New Moon, Poornima = Full Moon).

 • Equinoxes

 • Spring Equinox (March)– day and night are equal; marks the start of warmer months.

 • Fall Equinox (September) – day and night are equal; marks the start of cooler months.

 • Uttarayan & Dakshinayan

 • Uttarayan → the Sun moves northward; associated with spring & summer.

 • Celebrated as a festival of kites and the new harvest 

 • Dakshinayan → the Sun moves southward; associated with fall & winter.

*Mahabharata Stories*

_Ganga, Shantanu, and Beeshma_

 • Shantanu marries Ganga.

 • Their son is Devrath, later known as Beeshma.

_Shantanu, Satyavati, and the Throne_

 • Shantanu falls in love with Satyavati.

 • Her father agrees only if her son becomes king.

 • Shantanu cannot agree because Devrath already has the throne.

 • Devrath learns the truth → to protect his father’s happiness, he takes a terrible oath:

 • He will never claim the throne.

 • He will never marry or have children.

 • This sacrifice earns him the name Beeshma (the one who took a terrible vow).

_Sons of Shantanu & Satyavati_

 • Chitrangada – son of Shantanu & Satyavati.

 • Vichitravirya – son of Shantanu & Satyavati.

*Homework*

 1. Story of Vasu being cursed (to review).

 2. Story of Ma Ganga being cursed (to review).

 3. Promise – Think of a promise you will keep for 1 month.

 4. Find out who Chitrangada and Vichitravirya got married to.

September 21

In Class:

 We first covered the homework from last week. 

The class then watched a video of Vyasa’s perilous journey to meet Ganesha in the mountains. Vyasa has been tasked with writing a great scripture called the Mahabharata. The two make a deal in which Ganesha will constantly narrate the Mahabharata and stop speaking if Vyasa stops writing. Ved Vyasa is the creator and one of the characters in the Mahabharata because he saw the events happening and wanted to write them down as a lesson for humanity. Ved Vyasa’s parents are Parashar and Satyavati. 

The Mahabharata comprises Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Dharma means one which sustains and upholds life. Artha means management, administration, and economics. Kama means desire, wants, and needs. Finally, Moksha means salvation.

 We then watched a video of Shantanu meeting Ganga and falling in love with her. The two then get married and give birth to a son. Ganga killed her first son by drowning him and another 6 sons. Ganga didn’t kill the 8th son because Shantanu begged her not to. Then, years later, Shantanu comes back from war and meets his son who is now an adult. At the end of the video, Shantanu met Satyavati.

Then, the students learned that the process of new moon to full moon is called Shakla Paksh (15 days). Full moon to new moon is called Krisha Paksh (15 days). This whole process takes 30 days which is called Maas (Month). 

Homework: 

The students have to gradually read the Mahabharata book that they were  handheld in class at their own pace. They will be expected to know a couple facts about the Mahabharata by next class.

 Which Veda has Ayurveda in it. 

Find out the original name of the Mahabharata and name of 8th son who was left alive.

They should figure out the name of Shantanu and Ganga’s second son. The students should also know which of the Shantanu + Ganga OR Parashar + Satyavati stories happened first or at the same time.

The students should know the day of the lunar cycle for next week. 

The students should pick a mantra and recite it 5-10 times everyday, then recall their experiences next week.

September 14

Key Learnings

• Planetary Alignment & Time: The position of planets on a given day can help determine the exact date of an event.

• Hindu Calendar: Students are learning about Hindu months based on the calendar we follow.

• Mahabharata Structure:

◦ A shlokha is a poetic verse; the Mahabharata is composed in this format (it contains over 100,000 shlokas/lines).

◦ The Mahabharata has 18 Parvas (chapters/sections).

• Author of Mahabharata:

◦ Written by Ved Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa.

◦ He was the son of a rishi and a fisherwoman.

◦ He later became known as Ved Vyasa because he compiled and organized the Vedas.

• Writing of the Mahabharata:

◦ Vyasa requested a devata to write while he dictated the Mahabharata.

◦ Condition: the devata would only write continuously as long as Vyasa narrated. Vyasa, in turn, required the devata to write only after understanding what was said—so he added puzzles to slow down the writing.

• Ved Vyasa’s Saying:

◦ “Whatever you can see in life is in the Mahabharata, and whatever is not in life is not in the Mahabharata.”

Homework for Students

1 Learn the Hindu months from the calendar we follow.



2 Find out the names of the rishi and the fisherwoman who were Vyasa’s parents (Book 1, pages 1–20).



3 Ask your parents the four names of the Vedas.



4 Find out who the devata was that wrote the Mahabharata while Vyasa narrated it.



5 Look at the moon one night this week and find out its phase (Is it moving from new moon → full moon, or full moon → new moon?).