Namaste :)

Our class began with the Dhyaana Shloka - Om Sahanavavatu (pg 9) followed by attendance. We had a new student in class today and when I asked the other kids to tell her about our attendance routine, we had some light moments when the a couple of kids ended up saying “Present/here” instead of “Hari Om” as we usually do J . Next we had a quick revision of the daily prayers (Karaagre Vasate, Vakratunda, Saraswati Namastubhyam, Bramhaarpanam, Shubham Karoti, Kara Charana - pages 14-17 of the My Prayer Book).

We learnt an interesting thing from two of the students – Shreya and Vedant, who taught us the significance of joining the hands in a “Namaste” pose for prayers. We join our hands and our thumb fingers point to our chest; this represents our praying for those who are dearest to us – our friends and family. The upright index fingers represent us praying for our teachers, the middle fingers, being the tallest, represent us praying for our leaders, the ring finger being the weakest, represents us praying for all those who are sick, poor and needy. Finally comes the tiny pinky finger, which represents us praying for ourselves.

We practiced the bhajan Rama Naama Thaarakam (pg 211) and revised the first 3 verses of the bhajan - Atma Nivasi Ram (pg 209-210).We also learnt verse 7 from the Gruru Sthothram (pg 85-86).

From the Bala Ramayana we covered the yagna performed by King Dasharatha resulting in the birth of the 4 princes – Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. The children learnt about sharing as the queens Kaushalya and Kaikeyi shared their kheer with Sumitra. The kids were very amused and excited by the knowledge that Lakshmana and Shatrughna were twins born to Sumitra as a result of her eating two portions of the kheer!

We practised writing "Ram" in Sanskrit. We also practiced our vowels in Sanskrit. The kids got to color a couple of pages from the Ramayana story. We practiced the colors in Sanskrit by locating them on the rug. Finally, we concluded the class with meditation followed by the closing prayer - Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha (pg-19).

For their homework, please make sure the kids revise their vowels and the Gurusthothram upto verse 7. Color the Ramayana sheet sent home, write your name and grade and insert the sheet into the folder.

See you at the next class. Please remember to bring you folders.

Have a good week! See you on at the next class.