Children’s Program Week-16

Starting this week, we have pastimes from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Also we have a new activity this
week- some craft work for the children.

Tulasi arati : 10 minutes

Set up the Tulasi stand holding Tulasi in the middle of the room. Keep all the paraphernalia for
worshiping her ready in advance. Lead the kirtan as the children follow you. Perform the arati offering
Tulasi incense, ghee lamp, and flowers. Make the children offer water to Tulasi and also go around her
three times while singing the song.

Ice- breaker : 15 minutes

When you are seated in a circle, ask them one by one to speak for a minute on : “What did I tell my best
friend about Krishna, and what was his/her response.”

Kirtana : 15 minutes
If any of the children know to play some musical instruments, you can ask them to bring it and play as
an accompaniment for the kirtana. Involve the children in kirtana by asking them to clap their hands and
to dance some simple steps. Also ask them to go up to the altar and offer some flowers or an incense
stick which all of them can use for offering to the Lordships.

Story: 30 minutes
Story telling has to be interactive for maximum effect.
This means that you have to ask them questions every now and then so that they remain alert and learn
all the important facts. With this in mind we have included questions after every few paragraphs . You
can read out the text of every paragraph, explain it in your own words and then ask the questions. Ask
them to raise their hands if they know their answer. No shouting or screaming out the answers and no
speaking out of turn. You have to emphasize this from the very beginning, so that they learn proper
discipline from the very beginning. Also you can encourage the quiet ones to participate. Speak
encouraging and appreciative words especially to the shy and quiet ones and also to all the others in
general. This will make them very enthusiastic and responsive.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1

Narada Muni is a great mystic sage. Though he lived in ancient

India, the Vedas declare that he still lives today. In fact, he has
an eternal body and always travelling throughout material and
spiritual worlds, playing his vina and singing joyfully.

1) Who is Narada Muni?

2) Where did he live?
3) Where is he now?
4) What does he do?

Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 1 of 8

Children’s Program Week-16

Narada is transcendental (spiritual) spaceman. God, known as

Krishna to followers of the Vedas, gave Narada mystic power to fly
everywhere. We may think it impossible for a person to fly.
According to the Vedas, however, if we went to one of the many
heavenly planets where Narada goes, we would see people flying in
the air. We would also see people travelling in engine free, swan
shaped air-ships.
1) How does Narada muni manage to fly every where?
2) What kind of planes do the people of the heavenly planets use?

Narada’s duties extend all over the universe. He gives perfect instructions to those who seek spiritual
guidance. Krishna, from within Narada’s heart, tells him where to go and whom to help.
1) Who does Narada muni give spiritual guidance to?
2) How does he know whom to give instructions and what to tell them?

About 5,000 years ago, Narada instructed the ruler of Earth, King Yudhisthira, and told him many stories
to illustrate Vedic philosophy. In one such story, concerning reincarnation, Narada explained his own life
story of two lifetimes ago, as follows.

1) Who ruled over the whole earth 5000 years ago?

2) About how many of his life times did Narada muni explain to the king?

“Long, long ago, I was born on a heavenly planet and my name was Upbarhana. I was a Gandharva, an
angelic musician, and I would beautify my body with flower garlands and sandalwood perfume to attract
beautiful women. But as my popularity grew. I became proud.”
1) Who was Narada muni in a previous life?
2) Why did he become proud?

“One day, some demigods (ministers of our universe) invited me to a spiritual festival in which people
are praising Lord Krishna. When I arrived, accompanied by beautiful women, I joined the singing and
dancing. Bewildered by my false pride, however, I praised some demigods instead of Lord Krishna”.
“’You are an offender!’ declared the demigods organizing the festival. Angered by my misbehavior, they
cursed me: ‘Without delay you will be born on Earth as the son of a maid servant. There you will have
neither wealth nor beauty’. “Upon hearing their curse, I realized my mistake I had thought that praising
the demigods and singing ordinary songs were equal to glorifying Lord Krishna. And so I fell to Earth”.
1) What kind of festival was Narada muni invited to?
2) Who invited him for the festival?
3) How did Narada muni go to the festival?
4) Why did the demigods get angry and curse Narada muni?
5) What was the curse?

According to the Vedas, there is life after death. When the body dies, the eternal soul – which is a
person’s real identity within the body – continues its existence in another body. Just as the actors
constantly incarnating in different bodies. These include animal bodies too. Very few people remember
what body they had in their previous life but Narada was an exception. By the special grace of Lord
Krishna he remembered his last two lives.
Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 2 of 8
Children’s Program Week-16

1) What do actors do in different plays?

2) Why is the soul compared to an actor?
3) Does the soul normally remember his previous life?
4) How was Narada muni able to remember his previous life?

Immediately after the demigods cursed him, Upabarhana (Narada) was born on Earth as the son of a
maidservant. Narada told the story of his adventure in that life to his disciple, Srila Vyasadeva, as
follows.

1) Who was Narada muni born to in his last life?

2) Who was the disciple of Narada to whom he spoke his story to earlier?

Many millions of years ago, I was born on Earth as the son of

maidservant. My mother and I lived in a small farmhouse. “When I
was about four years old, my mother allowed some spiritual
teachers, Brahmans, to stay at our house during the four-month
rainy season. Those sages were known as bhakthi-vedanthas (an
elevated title awarded to those who fully understand that pure love
and devotion to God, Lord Krishna, is the conclusion of all the
Vedas).
1) Where did Narada muni and his mother live?
2) Whom did his mother invite to stay in their home for 4 months?
3) Why did they have the title of Bhakti-vedanthas?

We gave them a warm and respectful welcome. During their stay those great sages taught me many
things about spiritual life, and for that reason I eagerly served them. Although I was just a child, I only
spoke for their service. And I never allowed my attention to be distracted – not even for play.
1) How did Narada muni serve the sages?
2) What did the sages do for child Narada?

Once, I asked and received permission to eat the remnants of their prasadam (pure vegetarian food first
offered to God with special devotion prayers known as mantras). The sages explained that by eating
prasadam one’s body and mind become purified. I also learnt that prasadam left by great saints
contains extra spiritual power. After eating the remnants of their prasadam, my natural spiritual
knowledge was awakened and all the bad reactions to my past misdeeds were destroyed. (The Vedas
state that by violating God’s scriptural laws one receives a reaction of punishment from the laws of
Nature.)
1) What is prasadam?
2) What does it do to our mind and body?
3) What is special about the remnants of prasadam left by great saints?
4) What happened to Narada muni after he ate the remnants of the great sages?

My caring and respectful service to those sages greatly pleased them. In return they blessed me and
instructed me on how to love God. With their blessing I made rapid spiritual development as I regularly
heard them describe Lord Krishna’s amazing pastimes.
1) How did child Narada advance quickly in his spiritual understanding?
Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 3 of 8
Children’s Program Week-16

While developing my love for God in that way, I began to perceive that the soul is infinitely more
important than the body and mind. I saw that in reality my physical body and subtle mind were merely
the temporary material covering on me, an eternal soul. Those wise sages explained that I was
becoming enlightened.
1) What enlightenment did child Narada get by the sages' mercy?

After the rainy season, just before those great saints left, they advised me: “listening daily to Krishna’s
mysterious adventures and Vedic Philosophy is the process by which you will soon understand how
God is the Ultimate Controller, why He is the Greatest Object of devotion, and that He is the True
Friend of everyone.’ As I watched them slowly disappeared, I felt sad. Yet, I also felt assured. I knew
that their spiritual teachings would always remain in my heart.
1) What advise did the sages give to Narada before leaving?
2) How would child Narada always have the association of the sages even though they left him?

Japa : 15 minutes
You can make them chant 108 times or one mala together. Before giving them beads to chant and
teaching them to chant together both the Panca Tattva Mantras, please read the following text to them.
After that you can ask them if they have understood it and need any further explanation before they start
chanting.

Read

Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name

Chanting of the Holy Name Is the Easiest Means for Spiritual Advancement

Krishna says that out of many thousands of people, one may try to make perfection of this life; and out
of many millions of such persons on the path of perfection, only one may understand Krishna. So
understanding Krishna is not very easy. But it is also the easiest. It is not easy, but at the same time it is
the easiest. It is the easiest if you follow Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's instructions..

Simply chant Hare Krishna. It can be done by everyone. In my classroom, I am perhaps the only Indian.
My students are all Americans, and they are taking part in the chanting very nicely, chanting and
dancing. That means that, in any country, in any place, this can be performed. Therefore it is the
easiest. You may not understand the philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita. That is also not very difficult; but
still, if you think that you cannot understand, you can still chant very easily: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.
If we want to understand God, Krishna, this is the beginning. The easiest beginning—simply chanting.
Now, there are many students of my ISKCON institution. This institution is open a little over a year; but
some of the students, by simply chanting, by the grace of Krishna, have advanced in such a way that
they can talk about the science of God, and they will very easily answer those human questions. So,
this is the easiest method of transcendental meditation.

Krishna says that out of many millions of people, one may understand Him. But, by chanting of this Hare
Krishna, as introduced by Lord Caitanya—chanting and dancing—you can understand Krishna within a
very short time.
Srila Prabhupada, The Path of Perfection

Tell them to chant one round of japa together. Tell them how they should chant loudly and listen to the
words and should also plead with Krishna to make them better devotees. Tell them to chant in a
Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 4 of 8
Children’s Program Week-16
prayerful mood. Hand over the beads to them. Make them repeat the Guru pranam mantra and Sri
Panca tattva mantra. Then begin to chant loudly and quickly the Hare Krishna Maha mantra together on
the beads.

If they feel restless to keep sitting down chant, you may permit them to also walk and chant. At the end
of the session, inquire from those who have started chanting at home daily about how their chanting has
been. You can also ask the others if they would like to start chanting also at home.

Slokas : 20 minutes
Children have good memory power and learn the slokas easily too. But you must make it interesting for
them to learn and most important they should have some understanding of the meaning. It is good to
have a drawing describing the sloka. We have attached these drawings in the CD enclosed. Keep the
drawing ready for this sloka. Put it up on the board.

First read out the sloka and the translation to them and then read out the explanation. Then with the
help of the drawing , explain it once again in your own words what you just read out. You can ask them if
they have understood it and if they have any doubts or questions about it.

Only after this you teach them to repeat the words and then whole sentences of the sloka. Make them
repeat it many times. If they are old enough to copy it on their own, they can do so in their note-books.
Otherwise, you can ask each of the older children to write down in one of the smaller kid's note-book. If
they are all young and unable to write, you can make photo copies of the slokas and file it for them. So
that their parents can help them to memorize them at home. Every week, if you recite the previous
week's slokas as well, they will learn it by heart it very quickly.

Slokas: 15 minutes

Bhagavad-Gita 7.14

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāḿ taranti te
SYNONYMS
daivī — transcendental; hi — certainly; eṣā — this;
guṇa-mayī — consisting of the three modes of
material nature; mama — My; māyā — energy;
duratyayā — very difficult to overcome; mām —
unto Me; eva — certainly; ye — those who;
prapadyante — surrender; māyām etām — this
illusory energy; taranti — overcome; te — they.
TRANSLATION

This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three

modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome.
But those who have surrendered unto Me can
easily cross beyond it.

Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 5 of 8

Children’s Program Week-16
Explanation
Krishna says that the material nature is one of His energies. So this material nature is divine, but its
purpose is to put us into illusion. This illusion makes us forget our spiritual nature as souls. As souls we
belong to the spiritual energy of the Lord. However hard we try to remove this illusion on our own, we
cannot, because this illusion is working under the control of the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Since we are bound up by the ropes of illusion, only one who is not bound up and is free can free us
from this bondage. So only Krishna and His representatives like the bonafide Guru can release us from
material illusion. So the only way in which we can become free from all illusion is if we surrender unto
Guru and Krishna and beg Them and please Them.

Krishna is very clear that only He can release us from illusion: not even the greatly elevated beings like
Lord Brahma and Lord Siva since they are also not free completely from illusion as they are
incarnations of rajo guna (passion) and tamo-gunah (ignorance) and so are also under the control of
illusion or Maya.

Only Lord Vishnu or Krishna controls Maya, so He can release us from her clutches.
1) What are the names of the two energies of the Lord?
2) What does the material energy do to us?
3) Why cannot we get free from her clutches on our own?
4) Who can help us to become free from illusion? Why?
5) Why can no one else help us to become free from Maya or illusion?

Activity:15 minutes

Craft-work- Making book marks and greeting cards

You can buy some chart paper and some color felt pens, and some decorative items like sequins, glitter
etc for sticking on to the cards. Get some pictures of Krishna / Lord Chaitanya or Their associates. You
can scan and take photocopies of the paintings from books. Then you have a wide choice of photos to
stick (for example, the different pastimes of Krishna). Also get some peacock feathers if possible. It is
more economical to buy in bulk and share the cost. So you can request the parents to pay for the cost.
Use the scissors to cut the cards yourself for them and then help them to stick the pictures and
decorative items on the card and to write appropriate words like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the
book-mark, and for the greetings appropriate wishes for birthdays and anniversaries along with the
message: Please chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare .

Home-work:
You can hand out the coloring sheet for them to complete at home. Request them to write their names
on the sheet, to file it and bring it to class next week. You can return the sheets which you have put up
on the notice board to them.

Prasadam: 15 minutes
Children look forward to eating the prasadam at the end of the class, however simple it may be. Ask
them to think of Krishna while eating the Prasadam and to thank him for tasting it first and giving them
back the remnants.

You can play some music or play some devotional DVD movie for them. As they leave the class, speak
to each one of them and wish them goodbye.
Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 6 of 8
Children’s Program Week-16

COLOURING SHEET

Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 7 of 8

Children’s Program Week-16
CROSSWORDS

Down Across
2) To whom was Narada Muni born as a result of 1) Who is the incarnation of Rajo guna?
the curse?
3) What is the easiest beginning to understand 6) Who is the True Friend Of Everyone?
Krishna?
4) Who gave mystic power to Narada Muni? 7) Who can release us from the clutches of Maya?
5) Who gives instructions to Narada Muni about 9) Narada Muni got a power to fly everywhere.
where to go and whom to help? What is that power?
8) Which is person’s real identity with in the body? 12) What was the title given to the sages who came
to live in Narada Muni’s house?
10) Which King ruled over the whole earth 5000 15 ____ left by great saints contains extra spiritual
years ago? power.
11) What is Narada Muni’s musical instrument 16 Who is the incarnation of Tamo Guna?
called?
13) Chanting of the _________Is the Easiest Means 17 Which among the following is more important
for Spiritual Advancement. a) Soul, b) Body, c) Mind.
14) What kind of planes do the people of heavenly 18 As a Gandharva, what was Narada Muni’s
planets use? name?

Compiled by Prema Padmini dd Page 8 of 8