/Kids

Sanskrit for kids the past Summer

Dear friends, please find attached short video clip of how we helped kids (aged 6) become more proficient in reading/writing in Sanskrit (Devanagari) the past Summer. We used Bhagavad-gita verses as the reading material and as a side effect kids effortlessly memorized the chapters we covered.

To prepare the mood for upcoming Gita Jayanthi, we as a family sit together and read the shlokas and translations every day. Due to the exposure to Sanskrit, kids are very eager for the sessions.

Please watch this video carefully if you want to know the process we followed.

Hare Krishna!

2019-11-20T17:31:15+00:00November 20th, 2019|Categories: Camp sessions, Sanskrit, Videos|Tags: , , |

Discussing SB 1.7 in Kids Bhagavatam

While contemplating our impending move to India, I was debating whether to start a new chapter. I asked the kids to see what their reaction is. Maharathi very eagerly said, “This is the chapter about Pandavas I want to hear you cannot stop”. I also noticed he is developing a genuine desire to chant chant the Holy Names. The other day he was saying, my only business is to chant. I added, “And to tell others to chant”.

To serve their eagerness, last Saturday we started “SB 1.7 –

2019-10-20T21:53:24+00:00October 20th, 2019|Categories: Material existence, Sessions, Vyasadeva|Tags: , , |

Nārada muni’s glories

At the beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter6, Srila Vyasadeva asks three questions to Nārada muni about his previous life. The last one of which is, “How do you remember your previous life from the previous day of Brahma (4.32 billion years ago)”. Nārada muni replies to this question from 1.6.26 onwards.

After the Lord stopped speaking, Nārada muni (in his previous body) led rest of his life chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord and traveled all over the earth fully satisfied, humble and unenvious. In due course of time as he was fully Krsna conscious, when

2019-10-03T14:22:58+00:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Brahma, Narada Muni, Poems, Reincarnation, Sessions|Tags: , |

Lord’s dealings with Narada Muni

In his previous life, when Nārada muni was just a 5-year-old boy, his mother, his only guardian passed away due to a snakebite. He took it as causeless mercy of the Lord and started walking to the north. On the way, he saw many metropolises, villages, animal farms, and flower gardens. Nevertheless, he was not attracted by any of them. Feeling very tired and thirsty he finally reached a lakeshore, having refreshed himself by drinking water he sat down under a Banyan tree to meditate on the Supreme Lord as instructed by the Bhakti-Vedantas (sages).

He advances in his devotion very

2019-09-12T16:42:20+00:00September 12th, 2019|Categories: Narada Muni, Poems, Sessions, Supremely independent|Tags: , , |

Lord’s Transcendental form

In our Kids Bhagavatam session today, we discussed SB 1.6.11-19. Kids traveled along with Narada to towns, metropolises, villages, flower gardens. To understand the meaning of “bhava” stage Narada muni was in, they learnt “Nine stages of Bhakti” through a short sing able/poem.

Narada though elated upon seeing the Lord’s form in the first attempt, becomes despondent when the form is lost and frustrated when he couldn’t get to see it again.

Kids learnt the following poem, which encapsulates the essence of 1.6.18-19 verses and purports.

Title: Lord’s transcendental form

So many forms, I have seen, in this world, but none of them gave

2019-09-12T16:39:02+00:00September 7th, 2019|Categories: Narada Muni, Poems, Sessions, Supremely independent|Tags: |

Next Generation Kirtaniyas

One of the elements of the “Nitai Nimai Summer Camp 2019” was attending the afternoon aarthi at the temple. Seeing that no one is there to sing, Divya mtj (Vinamra’s mom) encouraged the kids to take turns and sing. Our lordships Sri Sri Radha NilaMadhava known for their merciful nature kindly allowed these 6 year olds to sing for them and accepted their devotion.

These kids are normally very shy – though they would sing at home while playing, taking bath etc., especially if we ask them to sing in front of others, they become very self-conscious and refuse to do

2019-09-05T18:40:01+00:00August 21st, 2019|Categories: Camp sessions, Kirtanam, Videos|

Most satisfying Summer

A year after our twins took birth (2014) one of our friends in Seattle introduced us to the concept of “Home Schooling”. I was very inspired how H.G Aruddha mathaji gave her kids both academic and spiritual education, all based on Srimad Bhagavatam. By then we were already attending Bhakti-Vaibhava (Systematic study of the first six cantos of Srimad Bhagavatam). I felt so much joy that this type of Home Schooling would not only help me go deeper into Bhagavatam, but also assure kids’ Krsna consciousness. We decided to take this approach in educating our children as they grew up.

As

2019-11-20T17:41:09+00:00August 21st, 2019|Categories: Summer Camp 2019|Tags: , , , , |

Discussion on “Karma” with 6 year olds

After hearing about the recent incident of how a local devotee was gun shot in his convenient store, our curious 6-year-old kids started asking following questions:

Nrsimha-Krsna dasa: When Krsna’s devotee is good, why somebody killed him like that.

Father: Everybody has to face reactions to bad things they did previously, that is how material nature works. See for example, sometimes you pinch Maharathi and remember that day nobody did anything, you were playing and you hit against the pillar, got a cut on the head and it started bleeding. That is how reactions come. Everybody has to face his or her

2019-08-10T00:28:46+00:00August 10th, 2019|Categories: Karma, Kids Bhagavatam, Realizations|Tags: , , |

SB 1.4 Summary Video

Here is the short summary of SB 1.4 – The Appearance of Śrī Nārada:

  1. Verses 1-13: After hearing the answers to the six questions asked by the sages in Chapter1, Saunaka Rsi asks four new questions about the history of Srimad Bhagavatam.
  2. Verses 14-25: Suta Gosvāmī starts answering the question about when, where, how and why did Srila Vyasadeva write Srimad Bhagavatam. After summarizing Vyasa’s birth, he describes how Vyasadeva foresaw anomalies of the age of kali and decided to divide the Vedas into four for the welfare of common people. He even wrote the Mahabharata.
  3. Verses 26-31: In
2019-06-20T22:47:05+00:00June 20th, 2019|Categories: Kids Bhagavatam, Videos|

“Kids Bhagavatam” at Sadhu Sanga Retreat 2019

In the one hour Kids Bhagavatam session at Sadhu Sanga Retreat 2019, attended by 35-40 kids 5 years and above, we discussed SB 1.1.1. We started with Srila Vyasadeva paying obeisances to Krsna because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We discussed the following:

  1. Why Krsna is called VAsudeva.
  2. When and how did Krsna give knowledge to Lord Brahma?
  3. Definition of “Supreme Personality of Godhead”.
  4. Poem to remember the definition of Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  5. Explanation of terms in the poem – Creator, Maintainer, Destroyer.
  6. Art activity depicting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Some of

2019-06-03T17:51:50+00:00June 3rd, 2019|Categories: Kids Bhagavatam, Videos|

SB 1.3 Summary Video

Here is the short summary of SB 1.3 – Krsna is the source of All Incarnations:

  1. Verses 1-5: Suta Gosvāmī summarizes how the Lord expands as the three puruṣa avataras for the sake of creation. He mentions that the second puruṣa is the source of all the incarnations within the universe, 22 of which he will mention next.
  2. Verses 6-29: Suta Gosvāmī answers the fifth question by the sages – “What does the Lord do when he comes here”, by mentioning 22 incarnations and their activities. He concludes this section by saying that Sri Krsna is the ultimate source
2019-04-16T15:16:41+00:00April 16th, 2019|Categories: Kids Bhagavatam, Videos|