Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Churning the milk ocean

Dear parents,

Hare Krishna.

We had around 10 kids last week, we started with the Krishna and Radha pranamas. we continued with the new story of Kurma avatar. I had a book and showed them lots of pictures about the churning the milk ocean. I am sure kids loved it.

The Story is:

Sage Dhuruvasa gifts the garland to Indra, but Indra ignores it so he gets cursed by the Dhuruvasa muni that he will loose all the kingdom and wealth.

Demons headed by Bali mahraj attack Indra and occupy everything. Indra and other demi gods visit Brahmaji for help.

Brahma asks them to approach Vishnu. Lord Vishnu instructs the devatas to churn the milk ocean with Mantara mountain.

With the help of demons the demi gods life the Mantara mountain and start churning using snake Vasuki as rope.

It gets so hard and the mountain sinks, again the demi gods call for Vishnu's help. So Lord Vishnu comes as tortoise (Kurma avatar) and keeps the mantara mountain on his back.

They churn and churn and Vasuki spits poison because of pain. Lord Shiva drink the poison to save the nectar.

After that from the churning comes Godess Lakshmi, Surabi cow, horses and elephants.

Godess Lakshmi goes to Vishnu and Surabi cow is takes by demi gods and others are shared with demons.

Finally the nectar arrives with danvantri. Now both the demons and demigods fight for the nectar. But Lord Vishnu comes as Mohini murti and distributes all of them to the demigods.

Thus they will regain strength and will get all the wealth they had lost.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Dasa avatar video

Dear parents,

The dasa avatar video is here



Love and Regards
Nama Priya

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hiranyakasipu and Prahlad Mahraj - Part 2

Dear parents,

This the story I told the kids last week in the sunday class. I took this from Srimad Bagavatam 7th canto.

The demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, having thus been blessed by Lord Brahmā and having acquired a lustrous golden body, continued to remember the death of his brother and therefore be envious of Lord Viṣṇu.


Hiraṇyakaśipu became the conqueror of the entire universe. Indeed, that great demon conquered all the planets in the three worlds — upper, middle and lower —

Hiraṇyakaśipu, who possessed all opulence, began residing in heaven, with its famous Nandana garden, which is enjoyed by the demigods. In fact, he resided in the most opulent palace of Indra, the King of heaven.

Hiraṇyakaśipu was always drunk on strong-smelling wines and liquors, and therefore his coppery eyes were always rolling. Nonetheless, because he had powerfully executed great austerities in mystic yoga, although he was abominable, all but the three principal demigods — Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu — personally worshiped him to please him by bringing him various presentations with their own hands.


Being worshiped by sacrifices offered with great giftsinstead of offering shares , accepted them himself

Everyone, including the rulers of the various planets, was extremely distressed because of the severe punishment inflicted upon them by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Fearful and disturbed, unable to find any other shelter, they at last surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu

Lord Visnu says as follows

When Hiraṇyakaśipu teases the great devotee Prahlāda, his own son, who is peaceful and sober and who has no enemy, I shall kill Hiraṇyakaśipu immediately, despite the benedictions of Brahmā.

Hiraṇyakaśipu had four wonderful, well-qualified sons, of whom the one named Prahlāda was the best. Indeed, Prahlāda was a reservoir of all transcendental qualities because he was an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead.

He was completely cultured as a qualified brāhmaṇa, having very good character and being determined to understand the Absolute Truth. To respectable persons he acted exactly like a menial servant, to the poor he was like a father, to his equals he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was completely free from unnatural pride that might have arisen from his good education, riches, beauty, aristocracy and so on

Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a family of asuras, he himself was not an asura but a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. Unlike the other asuras, he was never envious of Vaiṣṇavas. He was not agitated when put into danger, and he was neither directly nor indirectly interested in the fruitive activities described in the Vedas. Indeed, he considered everything material to be useless, and therefore he was completely devoid of material desires. He always controlled his senses and life air, and being of steady intelligence and determination, he subdued all lusty desires.


Prahlāda Mahārāja was already educated in devotional life, but when his father sent him to those two sons of Śukrācārya to be educated, they accepted him at their school along with the other sons of the asuras.


Prahlāda certainly heard and recited the topics of politics and economics taught by the teachers, but he understood that political philosophy involves considering someone a friend and someone else an enemy, and thus he did not like it.





When Hiraṇyakaśipu's servants brought the boy Prahlāda back to the guru-kula [the place where the brāhmaṇas taught the boys], the priests of the demons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, pacified him. With very mild voices and affectionate words, they inquired from him as follows.





Dear son Prahlāda, all peace and good fortune unto you. Kindly do not speak lies; just reply with the truth. These boys you see are not like you, for they do not speak in a deviant way. How have you learned these instructions? How has your intelligence been spoiled in this way?



The great soul Prahlāda Mahārāja became silent after saying this to his teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the seminal sons of Śukrācārya. These so-called brāhmaṇas then became angry at him. Because they were servants of Hiraṇyakaśipu, they were very sorry, and to chastise Prahlāda Mahārāja they spoke as follows.



Oh, please bring me a stick! This Prahlāda is damaging our name and fame. Because of his bad intelligence, he has become like a cinder in the dynasty of the demons. Now he needs to be treated by the fourth of the four kinds of political diplomacy.



Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the teachers of Prahlāda Mahārāja, chastised and threatened their disciple in various ways and began teaching him about the paths of religion, economic development and sense gratification. This is the way they educated him.



After some time, the teachers Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka thought that Prahlāda Mahārāja was sufficiently educated in the diplomatic affairs of pacifying public leaders, appeasing them by giving them lucrative posts, dividing and ruling over them, and punishing them in cases of disobedience. Then, one day, after Prahlāda's mother had personally washed the boy and dressed him nicely with sufficient ornaments, they presented him before his father.



When Hiraṇyakaśipu saw that his child had fallen at his feet and was offering obeisances, as an affectionate father he immediately began showering blessings upon the child and embraced him with both arms. A father naturally feels happy to embrace his son, and Hiraṇyakaśipu became very happy in this way





śrī-prahrāda uvāca

śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaḿ pāda-sevanam

arcanaḿ vandanaḿ dāsyaḿ


Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) — these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.


Love and Regards
Nama Priya

Sloka - Shri Krishna and Shri Radha pranama

Dear parents,

Hare Krishna, I got the video for kids to listen to the pranam mantra's for Shri Krishna and Radha rani. You can play this for the kids at home.



He Krishna karuna sindhu
dina bandhu jagat pate,

gopesha gopika kanta radha kanta namahtute

tapta-kanchana-gaurangi

radhe vrindavaneshvari

vrishabhanu-sute devi

pranamami hari-priye



Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Recipe for carob (choclate) chip cookies

Dear parents,

Hare Krishna. Lots of them asked for the recipe for cookies distributed in the class. I used carob chips (whole foods) instead of choclate.

Have fun!!

Love,
Nama Priya

Choc Tipped Cookies

Monday, May 11, 2009

Prayers to Srimati Radharani

Prayers
tapta-kanchana-gaurangi

radhe vrindavaneshvari

vrishabhanu-sute devi

pranamami hari-priye

Translation:


"O Shrimati Radharani, I offer my respects to You whose bodily complexion is like molten gold. O Goddess, You are the queen of Vrindavana. You are the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, and are very dear to Lord Krishna."

Narasimha kavaca

Dear parents,
Hare Krishna.

For parents who did not get he Kavaca yesterday, I will get for your kids from Mayapur in November. We did not expect that we will run out of it. Please let me know if you did not receive from the temple so I will have an idea of how much to get from India.

Love and Regards
Nama Priya DD

Monday, May 4, 2009

Bagavad Gita verse 9.26

Verse:
patram pushpam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahritam

asnami prayatatmanah


Translation:If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

Story of Prahlad Mahraj - Part 1

Dear parents,
Below is the story I told the kids in the class. I got the story from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7


Hiranyakasipu's Anger:

Hiranyakasipu was very upset that Krishna killed Hiranyaksha his brother. He considered to kill Lord Vishnu and devastate the Vaikunthaloka kingdom. Exhibiting his terrible teeth, fierce glance and frowning eyebrows, terrible to see, he took up his weapon, a trident, and thus began speaking to his associates, the assembled demons.


He said Krishna is equal to both demons and devatas. But this time when devatas approached him he took their side and helped them. Thus he gave up his natural tendency of equality towards the demons and demigods. He also said Lord Vishnu was influenced by Maya, he assumed the form of a boar to please His devotees. So I will fight with Vishnu to please his brother Hiranyaksha



Thus saying these to the demons he instructed them to destroy everyone. So the demons went ahead and started putting fire to the cities, villages and pasturing grounds, agricultural forest and natural forests. Some of them burned the hermitages, protective gates of the palaces, cut down the trees, destroying the government buildings.

The devatas, were very sad and did not know what to do.

Hiranyakasipu's tapasya:

Hiranyakasipu wanted to do tapasya to attain immortality and not to suffer from old age and disease and not to be attacked by any opponents and wanted to become the ruler of the universe. With this desire he entered the mandara mountain and began praciticing a severe type of austerity and meditation.

Hiranyakasipu began his austerities by standing with his toes on the ground, keeping his arms upward and looking toward the sky. This position was extremely difficult. From the hair on Hiraṇyakaśipu's head there emanated an effulgent light as brilliant and intolerable as the rays of the sun at the time of dissolution. Seeing the performance of such austere penances, the demigods, who had been wandering throughout the planets, now returned to their respective homes.


Because of Hiraṇyakaśipu's severe austerities, fire came from his head, and this fire and its smoke spread throughout the sky, encompassing the upper and lower planets, which all became extremely hot

Because of the power of his severe austerities, all the rivers and oceans were agitated, the surface of the globe, with its mountains and islands, began trembling, and the stars and planets fell. All directions were ablaze.

Devatas approaching Lord Brahma:

Scorched and extremely disturbed because of Hiraṇyakaśipu's severe penances, all the demigods left the planets where they reside and went to the planet of Lord Brahma, where they informed the creator as follows: O lord of the demigods, O master of the universe, because of the fire emanating from Hiraṇyakaśipu's head as a result of his severe austerities, we have become so disturbed that we could not stay in our planets but have come to you

O great person, chief of the universe, if you think it proper, kindly stop these disturbances, meant to destroy everything, before all your obedient subjects are annihilated

Brahma seeing Hiranyakasipu:

Lord Brahma, who is carried by a swan airplane, at first could not see where Hiraṇyakaśipu was, for Hiraṇyakaśipu's body was covered by an anthill and by grass and bamboo sticks. Because Hiraṇyakaśipu had been there for a long time, the ants had devoured his skin, fat, flesh and blood. Then Lord Brahma and the demigods spotted him, resembling a cloud-covered sun, heating all the world by his austerity. Struck with wonder, Lord Brahma began to smile and then addressed him as follows


Lord Brahma said: O son of Kasyapa Muni, please get up, please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall try to fulfill your wish.

My dear son of Diti, with your great determination and austerity you have done what was impossible even for great saintly persons, and thus I have certainly been conquered by you

O best of the asuras, for this reason I am now prepared to give you all benedictions, according to your desire. I belong to the celestial world of demigods, who do not die like human beings. Therefore, although you are subject to death, your audience with me will not go in vain.

After speaking these words to Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord Brahma, the original being of this universe, who is extremely powerful, sprinkled transcendental, infallible, spiritual water from his kamaṇḍalu upon Hiraṇyakaśipu's body, which had been eaten away by ants and moths. Thus he enlivened Hiraṇyakaśipu

As soon as he was sprinkled with the water from Lord Brahma's waterpot, Hiraṇyakaśipu arose, endowed with a full body with limbs so strong that they could bear the striking of a thunderbolt. With physical strength and a bodily luster resembling molten gold, he emerged from the anthill a completely young man, just as fire springs from fuel wood

Seeing Lord Brahma present before him in the sky, carried by his swan airplane, Hiraṇyakaśipu was extremely pleased. He immediately fell flat with his head on the ground and began to express his obligation to the lord

Hiranyakasipu's asking for benediction:

Hiranyakasipu asked for the benediction for immortality - which means he does not want to leave this world. Brahma said he cannot do that, so Hiranyakasipu asked for benediction - not to be killed by the living entities created by Brahma, not die inside, outside the house , not day time or night time, not in ground or sky, no weapons, not by any demigod of demon, give me mystic power that these cannot be lost any time


Love and Regards
Nama Priya