Bala Kanda

Verses:
kauśikamakhasaṃrakṣaka rāma ।
śrīmadahalyōddhāraka rāma ।
gautamamunisampūjita rāma ।
suramunivaragaṇasaṃstuta rāma ।
nāvikadhāvikamṛdupada rāma ।15|

Story:
After Rāma defeated the demons in the forest, Sage Viśvāmitra felt so happy. He took the young princes, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, to his sacred place to perform a great fire sacrifice. Many demons tried to disturb it, but Rāma bravely protected the ceremony. That is why people called Him Kauśikamakhasaṃrakṣaka Rāma—the guardian of Sage Viśvāmitra’s (also called Kauśika’s) yajña.
On their journey, they passed through a quiet place where long ago a curse had fallen on a noble lady named Ahalyā. Because of her mistake, she had turned into a stone and lay hidden for many years. When Rāma’s feet touched the ground near her, the curse was lifted, and she became herself again, shining with joy and tears. From that day, Rāma was remembered as Śrīmadahalyōddhāraka Rāma—the merciful one who freed Ahalyā.
Her husband, Sage Gautama, was overjoyed to see her restored. He bowed with folded hands to Rāma and honored Him with prayers. That is why Rāma is also called Gautamamunisampūjita Rāma—the one worshipped by the sage Gautama.
Not only Gautama, but all the gods, sages, and heavenly beings praised Rāma together. They sang hymns, showered flowers, and rejoiced in His compassion and strength. For this, He is known as Suramunivaragaṇasaṃstuta Rāma—the one praised by hosts of gods and great sages.
Soon after, the princes and the sage came to the banks of the holy River Gaṅgā. A humble boatman (nāvika) stood ready with his little boat. When Rāma stepped onto the boat, He placed His feet so gently that even the soft river sand was not disturbed. Because of this, He is lovingly remembered as Nāvikadhāvikamṛdupada Rāma—the Lord with tender feet who walked softly into the boatman’s vessel.
Thus, Rāma’s journey showed not only His courage but also His kindness and humility, making every being—from sages to simple boatmen—feel blessed in His presence.

Class 1 (Age 6yrs & below)

Teachers: Srikala, Sneha, Aruna

We began the class with our prayers and review of the verses from previous lessons. After that, we learned the next three verses and the stories that go with them.

Verses:
viśvāmitrapriyadhana rāma ।
ghōratāṭakāghātaka rāma ।
mārīchādinipātaka rāma । 10 ।

The story of Tataka: Teaches us to always listen to our teacher/s (Guru) and that protecting good and innocent people/beings is very important. Since Tataka was hurting others and spreading evil, it was right to stop her so that everyone could be safe.

The story of Maricha and Subahu: Reminds us to always do good deeds and to help and protect those who are doing good work/things, just like Rama and Lakshmana protected Sage Viśvāmitra’s Yajña. But if someone tries to hurt or disturb people who are doing good, they will face punishment, just like Marich and Subahu.

After that, kids took some time to relax by doing some coloring and a maze activity on paper.

Class 2 (Age 7-9yrs)

Teachers: Srilatha, Kavitha

We started class by revising the previous 2 weeks' Namaramayana slokas. Went over homework that was given in the previous class. Reviewed characters again in the class. Explained about how many kandhans are there and what kanda we are currently learning. Went over this week's slokas and explained the meaning of each line.

Homework:

• 1. Who are Rama’s parents?
• 2. How many brothers does Rama have and their names?
• 3. How many Kandas are there ? What Kanda are we currently learning?
• 4. Who is Bharatha’s wife? Who is Shatrughnah’s wife?

Class 3 (Age-10yrs & above)

Teachers: Veena, Radhika

Hari Om!

We started the class with OM chanting and opening prayers. We went over the 3 slokas that we chant at the beginning and why we pray and also encourage the kids to start their day with these prayers. Vakratunda Mahakaya, Saraswathi Namasthubyam, Guru Brahma.

Revised the first 10 verses of Nama Ramayanam and then moved on to the next 5 new verses. We discussed the meaning of each line and tried to sing in tune. The verse introduced us to the story of Gautama rishi and Ahalya.

Later randomly picked the kids to say the meaning of a particular verse. We did have a brief yoga pose - Tree Pose. The last few standing in that pose were acknowledged. It was good to see the kids stay focussed and still. The kids enjoyed a little bit of the exercise.

Please play the Nama Ramayanam audio every day and assist your kids with practice.

Quiz: Find out the place where Ahalya regained her human form after she was touched in reverence by Rama's foot.