Deliverance of Nalakuvara and Manigriva

Hare Krsna!!!
Dear Parents,
Please let the kids hear the Damodarastakam few times and they will be able to sing in the class very nicely. Thank you for helping us.

This week,
Prayers & Bhajans: Kids are enthusiastically leading the prayer in the class.

Damodarastakam: We learnt the third verse of the Damodarastakam from Radhika Mataji
Kartik month is the favorite month of Lord Krsna and He performed Damodar(one whose belly is bound by ropes) lila during Kartik month. So, we should all take a little time to sing Damodar Astakam and light a ghee lamp for Lord Krsna and He will be immensely pleased.
Lyrics for Damodarastakam: http://kksongs.org/songs/n/namamisvaram.html
Audio Link: Damodarastakam

Story time: The two great demigods, Nalakuvara and Manigriva, were sons of the treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera, who was a great devotee of Lord Siva.  Nalakuvara and Manigriva being the sons of a rich man were very spoiled.
Once they entered a garden of Lord Siva in the region of Kailash to play in the lake.
While they were enjoying themselves in the water, all of a sudden Narada, the great sage, happened to pass that way. Nalakuvara and Manigriva could not even see that he was passing.
Narada was compassionate and wanted to save them from their fallen life.
Narada therefore thought that the best punishment for them was to make them immovable living entities, or trees. Although the brothers would be punished to become trees, they continued to keep their memory to be able to know why they were being punished.
Sage Narada contemplated that the two demigods should remain as twin Arjuna trees for one hundred years, in the time of the demigods, in the courtyard of Nanda Maharaj, and after that they would be fortunate enough to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, face to face.
Although the child Krsna was bound up to the wooden mortar, He began to proceed towards the twin Arjuna trees in order to fulfill the prophecy of His great devotee Narada.
Lord Krsna was able to pass through the passage, but, the large wooden mortar stuck horizontally between the trees. Taking advantage of this, Lord Krsna began to pull the rope which was tied to the mortar. As soon as He pulled, with great strength, the two trees, with all branches and limbs, fell down immediately with a great sound. Out of the broken, fallen trees came two great personalities, shining like blazing fire.  The two purified bodies immediately came before child Krsna and bowed down to offer their respects and prayers.
Their prayer was to be always engaged in Lord Krsna's transcendental loving service by speaking only about His glories and hearing about His transcendental activities. Their hands and other limbs be engaged in His service and their minds always be concentrated at His lotus feet and their heads always bowed down before the Lordship.
Krsna still bound to the mortar smiled and said that since they developed ecstastic love for Him, they will go to their father's residence in the heavenly planet and by doing devotional service they will be liberated after this life.
After this, the demigods circumambulated the Lord many times and bowed down before Him again and again, and left. The Lord remained bound up with ropes to the grinding mortar.
When the twin arjuna trees fell to the ground, making a sound like the falling of thunderbolts, all the inhabitants of Gokula, including Nanda Maharaja, immediately came to the spot. They were very much astonished to see how the two great trees had suddenly fallen. Because they could find no reason for their falling down, they were puzzled. When they saw child Krsna bound up to the wooden mortar by the ropes of Yasoda, they began to think that it must have been caused by some demon. But,  the small children who were playing there informed the men that the trees fell due to Krsna's pulling the wooden mortar with the ropes to which He was bound. When the trees fell down, two very dazzling men came out of the trees, and they talked to Krsna and disappeared.
Nanda Maharaja began to smile, hearing about the extraordinary abilities of his son. He came forward and untied the knot to free his wonderful child. After being freed by Nanda Maharaja, Krsna was taken away to the courtyard of the house by the elderly gopis and they began to clap, praising His wonderful activities. Krsna clapped along with them, just like an ordinary child.

We concluded the class with coloring pictures of Krsna and the demigods, Nalakuvara and Manigriva.

Looking forward to seeing all of you in the next class.
Haribol!!
Gopala Class Teachers
Radhika Mataji
Amutha