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sanAtana dharma for kids

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous in Parenting' started by saidevo, May 8, 2011.

  1. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    Prayer Time: gaNesha shlokas
    Small shlokas, Great Results: gajAnanam bhUta gaNAdi sevitam...

    [Following a Family Time of discussions at the dining table (of which more is to be written up), we teach our shishu-gaNa--young children, small shlokas that they can memorize and recite daily, duly understanding their meaning. Let us teach devanAgari alphabets and encourage the children to read the SaMskRta text of the shlokas fluently.--sd]

    Start your day with a prayer to gaNesha, also known as vinAyakA, vighneshvara, piLLaiyAr and gaNapati. This is usually the first shloka that a mother teaches her child.

    Media help

    aniGanesha2.GIF
    View attachment Gajananam-Gayathri.mp3

    shloka text

    गजाननं भूतगणादि सेवितं ।
    कपित्थ जंबू फलसार भक्षितं ।
    उमासुतं शोकविनाश कारणं ।
    नमामि विघ्नेश्वर पाद पङ्कजम् ॥

    gajAnanaM bhUtagaNAdi sevitaM |
    kapittha jaMbU phalasAra bhakzitaM |
    umAsutaM shokavinAsha kAraNaM |
    namAmi vighneshvara pAda pa~gkajam ||


    Translation
    [Let the children identify the English equivalents of the SaMskRta terms in the translation.]

    gajaH AnanaM - elephant faced
    bhUta gaNa Adi sevitaM - (whom) all beings from Shiva's army of BhUtAs worship
    kapittha jaMbU - wood-apple (kapittha) and rose-apple (jaMbU) fruits
    phalasAra bhakzitaM - eats (bhakzitaM) the essence of
    umA sutaM - UmA's son
    shoka vinAsha kAraNaM - reason for removal (vinAsha) of hurdles and sorrows (shoka)
    namAmi vighneshvara - let us prostrate to vigneshvarA's
    pAda pangkajam - lotus feet

    Meaning

    He has the face of an elephant.
    He is worshipped by all beings and is the head of God Shiva's army of BhUtas
    He eats the essence of wood-apple (kapittha) and rose-apple (jaMbU) fruits.
    He is the son of Goddess umA.
    He removes hurdles and sorrows.
    Let us offer our namaskArams at God vigneshvara's lotus feet.

    Analysis

    gaNesha, son of umA (pArvatI) and shiva, has the face of an elephant. Like gaNesha, the elephant is large, beautiful, peaceful and powerful. shiva made gaNesha the head of his bhUta gaNa (that's why the name gaNapati), so gaNesha is worshipped by them.

    gaNesha is fond of two fruits: the wood-apple (kaiTh in Hindi and nAval pazham in Tamizh), and the rose-apple (jambul--Hindi, viLAm pazham'--Tamizh). We offer these two fruits among others to gaNesha on the vinAyaka chathurthi day. Next time, check and insist that your mommy offers these two favourite fruits to gaNesha. And do eat them after the puja is over.

    gaNesha is a very popular God who is known to remove our shokam--sorrows, and vighnam--hurdles. He is the first God we pray to in all our worship and pujas. Pray, therefore, to gaNesha and make him your favourite God. He will remove hurdles on your way and make you happy.

    Activity

    01. Collect digital, printed and other kinds of images of God gaNesha. Arrange the digital images in a slideshow, keep the printed images in an album, and the other kinds in the showcase/puja room.

    02. Look up the google search images for the kapittha and jaMbU fruits and know about their plants.

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  2. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    Small shlokas, Great Results: vakratuNDa mahAkAya...
    Pray to GaNesha when you get up


    Start your day with a prayer to GaNesha, also known as VinAyakA, Vighneshvara, PiLLaiyAr and GaNapati. This shloka seeks GaNesha's blessings for a successful day.

    Media help

    aniGanesha2.GIF
    View attachment vakraTunDa.mp3

    shloka text

    वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय कोटिसूर्य-समप्रभ ।
    निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥

    vakratuNDa mahAkAya koTisUrya-samaprabha |
    nirvighnaM kuru me deva sarvakAryeShu sarvadA ||

    Translation
    [Let the children identify the English equivalents of the SaMskRta terms in the translation.]

    vakra tuNDa mahA kAya - curved trunk, huge body
    koTi sUrya sama prabha - brightness (prabha) of one crore (koTi--ten million) suns
    nirvighnaM kuru me deva - make free God (kuru me deva), without hurdles (nirvighnaM)
    sarva kAryeShu sarvadA - all my efforts and acts at all times (sarvadA)

    Meaning

    Hey BhagavAn, with a curved trunk, and a huge body,
    who shines like a crore suns!
    Make all my acts and efforts, always,
    be without hurdles or obstacles.

    Analysis

    Like an elephant, GaNesha has a curved trunk. His body with this curved trunk stands for the letter AUM(). AUM is the first sound from God that created the universe and GaNesha's large body stands for that universe. As the universe contains innumerable suns (the stars you see), GaNesha is dazzlingly bright, shining like a crore suns!

    We pray to this resplendent God to destroy any hurdles or obstacles in our actions and activities, all the time. We can also pray to GaNesha for health, wealth, knowledge and wisdom, but since He is the remover of hurdles, we pray to Him chiefly for a successful day of action and efforts.

    Chant this simple, small shloka with faith, three times slowly, as the first thing you do in the morning, when you get up from bed. You will surely have a successful day.

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  3. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    Small shlokas, Great Results: shuklAm-baradharaM viShNum...
    Start all your routines with this shloka

    Every religious ritual and puja starts with this dhyAna shloka--verse for meditation, on GaNesha. When you start to pray in the puja room or elsewhere, always start with this shloka.

    Media help

    aniGanesha2.GIF
    View attachment shuklAmbharataram.mp3

    shloka text

    शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
    प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्व विग्नोपशान्तये ॥


    shuklAmbaradharaM viShNum shashivarNaM chaturbhujam |
    prasannavadanaM dhyAyet sarva vignopashAntaye ||


    Translation

    shukla ambara dharaM - wearing (dharaM) white (shukla) clothes (ambara)
    viShNum - present everywhere and in everything (omnipresent)
    shashi varNaM - moon-coloured, that is, white and bright
    chatur bhujam - (having) four arms
    prasanna vadanaM - blissful face (prasanna also stands for elephant)
    dhyAyet - should be meditated on
    sarva vighna upashAntaye - (for) allaying (upashAntate) all hurdles (vighna)

    Meaning

    He wears white clothes.
    He is omnipresent, that is present everywhere and in everything
    He is as white and bright as the full moon.
    He has four arms.
    He has a blissful face (of an elephant).
    God GaNesha of such nature should be meditated on
    for removal of all the hurdles we might encounter in our efforts.

    Analysis

    VaiShNavas use this shloka to meditate on MahAViShNu. Generally, this is the first shloka chanted before commencement of all our rituals and pujas.

    Notice that this shloka asks us to 'meditate' on GaNesha rather than invoke his blessings in a prayer. Another special requirement of this shloka is that you should lightly tap on your temples with your knuckles five times while saying this mantra.

    When we meditate, we use a picture to focus our thoughts on it and ward off all other thoughts from our mind. So, when we meditate on GaNesha, we meditate on his outer form, thus:

    • on his white clothes (remember the mUrtis of GaNesha clad in white in temples)
    • on his the divine form, representing AUM, so pervading all forms and beings
    • on the moon-white brightness of his form with four hands and a blissful face.

    As we meditate on GaNesha's outer form we also contemplate his inner nature, thus:

    • the whiteness of his clothes and the brightness of his form are indicative of his sattva (divine and pure) nature;
    • his blissful face indicates that he is always at peace and is happy;

    When we thus deeply meditate on GaNesha, he imparts us with some of his nature, which gives us the courage to face obstacles in our life, most of which he removes as we sincerely worship him.

    More on this shloka for parents

    • There are two opinions as to the God this shloka relates to: for VaiShNavas (because of the word 'ViShNu') it is ViShNu and for others it is GaNesha (because of the reference to vighna).

    • Again, although there is the word ViShNu, he is rarely described as of shashi varNam. Common epithets that refer to ViShNu's color are: megha-varNa--of the colour of the cloud, shyAma-varNa--of gray colour, and nIla megha shyAma--having the blue-gray color of the cloud. Let us also note that bAlachandra is a name for GaNesha.

    • Unlike GaneSha who is shuklAm baradharam--clad in white, ViShNu is commonly spoken of as wearing pItAmbaram--cloth of yellow color.

    shrI Abhinava VidyAtIrtha svAmigaL, who was an earlier pIThAdhipati--pontiff of the Shringeri ShAradA MaTham explains* that the term prasanna-vadanaM in the shlokam refers to GaNesha because, "it is the opinion of our ancestors that the term prasanna includes a meaning 'elephant' among its many meanings."
    *in the book titled sandhyAvandanam published by shrI VidyAtIrtha Foundation, Chennai.

    • Typically, whenever this shloka is recited, the reciter gently taps the sides of his head just over the ears with his/her knuckles. This is to let the amRutam--nectar in the shiras, sahasrAra chakra to course down the nADis and vivify spiritually.

    • Here is a connection between the phrase prasanna vadanaM and GaNesha:

    pra = forward, to extend
    sad = droop, sunk
    vadanam = face
    prasanna vadanam = forward sunk face, as that of an elephant

    pra = forward, to extend
    sad = droop, sunk
    vadanaM = mouth
    prasanna vadanam = a mouth that is drooping, as that of an elephant

    pra = forward, to extend
    sana = the flapping of an elephant's ears
    prasanna vadanaM = extended mouth with flapping ears, so an elephant

    Additionally, it is amazing to note the connection of the root sad with the elephant!

    sadAdAna = always exuding rut-fluid (as an elephant); an elephant in rut
    sadAmada, sadAmatta = always in rut
    sadAna = being in rut
    sadri = an elephant
    sajjana = caparisoning an elephant
    sana = the flapping of an elephant's ears

    GaNesha of this shloka, is thus of prasanna vadanaM--an elephant face which is bright and with flapping ears.
     
  4. mohana

    mohana Silver IL'ite

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    wow,,, very infirmative post.Please continue your wonderful work.
     
  5. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    Small shlokas, Great Results: buddhirbalaM yasho-dhairyaM...
    Pray to HanumAn for Knowledge, Courage and Health

    When you pray to HanumAn, he will bless you with mighty qualities that will make you stand apart from others, like him.

    Media help

    aniHanuman.GIF
    View attachment buddhir-balam-gAyatrI.mp3

    shloka text

    बुद्धिर्बलं यशो धैर्यं निर्भयत्वमरोगता ।
    अजाड्यं वाक्पटुत्वं च हनूमत् स्मरणात् भवेत् ॥


    buddhirbalaM yasho dhairyaM nirbhayatvamarogatA |
    ajADyaM vAkpaTutvaM cha hanUmat smaraNAt bhavet ||


    Translation

    buddhiH(r) balaM - intellect, strength
    yasho dhairyaM - fame, courage
    nirbhayatvam - fearlessness
    arogatA - freedom from disease
    ajADyaM - brightness of intellect
    vAkpaTutvaM - eloquence in speech
    cha hanUmat - (all these virtues you get) from HanumAn
    smaraNAt bhavet - (by) remembering and praying (him).

    Meaning

    When you remember and pray to HanumAn, he blesses you with:
    1. intellect
    2. strength of body
    3. illustrious fame
    4. courage in times of danger
    5. fearlessness to take initiatives in spiritual pursuits
    6. freedom from disease and bodily ailments
    7. brightness of intellect born out of wisdom
    8. skilled, eloquent and diplomatic speech.

    Analysis

    HanumAn is the real superman who would make each one of us something like him, if we have faith in him, and remember and worship him everyday.

    HanumAn has a super-intellect. He learnt the shAstras from the sun-god. He is the only learned scholar who knew the nine vyAkaraNas--grammar texts.

    HanumAn's body was hard as a stone. So his mother AnjanA named him Vajrangga.

    HanumAn is as famous as RAma in the rAmAyaNam. He worked wonders and showed superhuman feats for RAma. He is also known by the names mahAvIra--mightiest hero, balibhImA--strong person and mAruti--wind god.

    HanumAn is one of the most courageous characters in the rAmAyaNam. He has the siddhi--spiritual power, to swell or shrink the size of his body and take any form he liked. He was completely fearless in his adventures.

    Being strong of body, and a yogi, HanumAn is free from disease and bodily ailments at all times.

    RAma used HanumAn as a messenger, a warrior, a servant and a devotee. He knew that HanumAn had wisdom, brightness of intellect, skill of diplomatic speech and the courage to act, which was why RAma sent HanumAn as his messenger to RAvaNa.

    With all these super qualities and virtues, HanumAn was is devoted to RAma. He teaches us that intellect, strength, courage and fame should bring up the quality of humility in us, only then we will get wisdom, peace and bliss, and the nearness to God.

    Once RAma asked HanumAn about the relationship between them. HanumAn said, "On the lowest level, you are my master and I am your servant. At the next level, you are my God and I am your devotee. At the highest level, we both are equal, because you are in me!" Such is the depth of his bhakti towards shrI RAma.

    HanumAn is a chiraMjIvi--one who lives for ever. When MahAViShNu ended his RAmAvatAram on the earth and was about to leave for paradise, RAma asked if HanumAn would accompany him to VaikuNTham. Since there will be no RAma but only MahAViShNu in VaikuNTham, HanumAn chose to live on this earth for ever, and stay in the places wherever RAmA's name is chanted. Elders say that HanumAn will become the next BrahmA in the next creation cycle, after the present BrahmA's life ends.

    HanumAn is an incarnation of God Shiva, born to AnjanA and Kesari after the couple prayed to Shiva to beget Him as their child. Being AnjanA's son, HanumAn has the name Anjaneya, which is one of his most famous names.

    Assignment

    • Ask your parents about the day of hanumat-jayanti: diarise it and remember to celebrate the day.
    • Try to know about the incidents in the rAmAyaNam that showcase HanumAn's superhuman qualities.
    • Is there a HanumAn sannidhi in your local temple? Next time you go there, check the inscriptions/writings there and watch the rituals performed for worshipping this form of God.
    • Have you watched the HanumAn animation movie? If you haven't, find out if any of your friends have it or your parent can buy it for you.

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  6. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    Small shlokas, Great Results: karAgre vasate lakShmI...
    Pray when you get up from bed by kara-darshanam

    When you get up from your bed in the morning, the first thing you must do is to pray. Looking at the palms of your hands, say this shloka slowly, word by word, within your mind.

    Media help

    aniLakSarKam.gif
    View attachment karAgre.mp3

    shloka text

    कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मी
    करमध्ये सरस्वती ।
    करमूले तु गौरी स्यात्
    प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥

    karAgre vasate lakShmI
    karamadhye sarasvatI |
    karamUle tu gaurI syAt
    prabhAte karadarshanam ||


    Translation

    kara Agre vasate lakShmI - (at the) beginning (Agre) of hand (kara) lives (vasate) LakShmI
    kara madhye sarasvatI - middle (madhye) of hand SarasvatI
    kara mUle tu gaurI syAt - root (mUle) of hand GaurI lives (syAt)
    prabhAte kara darshanam - (so) in the early morning (at daybreak) (prabhAte) have darshan of your hands

    Meaning

    LakShmI, goddess of wealth, dwells at your finger tips.
    SarasvatI, goddess of wisdom and knowlege, dwells at the center of your palm.
    GaurI (ParvatI), goddess of power, dwells near your wrists, the base of your palm.
    Therefore, have a darshan of your own hands, as you get up in the early morning, and pray to these Goddesses.

    Analysis

    Don't you use your finger tips to count money? When you work, you use your finger tips. As you read this, now, your finger tips are fondly around your computer mouse. When you eat, or give money, you use your fingertips. LakShmI, goddess of wealth, stays at your finger tips and prompts you to work hard, earn money, and use it and give it for good causes.

    As you read a book, you hold it safely, in the palm of your hand. The word palm refers to two things: the palm of your hand, as well as the palm tree whose leaves were used in ancient BhArat to preserve knowledge. SarasvatI, goddess of wisdom and knowledge, stays at your palm and connects your book to your mind.

    In self-defence, as in karate, you use the bottom of your palms. GaurI, also called (ParvatI), stays at your wrists and gives you the power to defend yourself.

    Pray, therefore, to LakShmI, SarasvatI and GaurI (ParvatI) when you get up in the morning. Remember them whenever you use your hands and fingers.

    Doubter

    How can the goddesses dwell on my palm, which is too small for them?

    Gods and goddesses have a pure, metaphysical form of light. They are not physical. They are always with us, silently watching and guiding us. You watch your favourite actor, actress and sportsperson on the TV. Even when you switch the TV off, their forms are in the air around you, as energy waves. But there is a big difference. Telecast images have no intelligence like the God forms, so they can't watch or guide you.

    More on this shloka for parents

    • In many versions of this shloka, the second line is chanted as karamUle tu govinda(m(, invoking MahAViShNu instead of GaurI. This is fine, but it would be more appropriate if it is GaurI, since then this would be an adoration on Goddess ShaktI in her three forms.

    • In some versions it is karamUle sthita gaurI instead of karamUle tu gaurI syAt. Both the terms mean the same thing--dwell: sthita means standing and syAt means exists.

    • The shloka speaks about the sanctity of our hands, specially the palms, using which we do everything: since the goddesses reside in them, they need to be impeccably clean at all times, just as we keep our puja room or shelf.

    • Since our palms are residential locations of the three forms of Goddess ShaktI, it is incumbent on us to use them to work in accordance with our dharma, in the four puruShArthas of our life: dharma artha kAma mokSha.
     
  7. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Awesome work Saidevo - would like to use this in our balvihar group. Hope you are ok with it!
     
  8. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    namaste smt.Srama.
    Yes, it is okay, do use my work, with the only requirment to mention my userid as the source. I have made the shlokas section interactive, added some more shlokas and uploaded a zip file of the entire contents here:
    http://www.esnips.com/doc/284c55e3-1be0-4114-bf97-12b491a2f859/sgHtml20110810

    Installation guidelines:
    1. Download and unzip the contents to C:\ which will create the folder C:\sgHtml and its subfolders.
    2. Use the 'Sanskrit 2003' font in the C:\sgHtml\fonts folder.
    3. Keep JavaScript option turned on in your browser.
    4. Click the file 00indexbAla.html in the C:\sgHtml folder to launch the current homepage and then navigage via the links.

    I shall be periodically updating this local Website via the zip file tagged with the date of updation. Your feedback on the use of the website in your localhost is welcome. You might share the file with your kith and kin subject to the above condition of indicating the source.

    PS: Members are welcome to download the sgHtml website zip file at e-Snips and use its contents.
     
  9. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Thank you for that information Saidevo, but I am afraid you cannot share that information here on IL as per IL guidelines!!

    My balvihar group is quite small with kids in the age group of 4-7 and I was thinking of mostly using what you have posted here on IL. I will certainly make the reference and keep you updated as well. We will resume classes only a month later!
     
  10. saidevo

    saidevo Gold IL'ite

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    namaste smt.Srama.

    Well, in that case please remove my post no.18 above.
     

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