Janmashtami is a wonderful celebration of a great Lord in our scriptures. Lord Krishna is one who evokes great happiness and peace to his devotees

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1 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : B A C K T O S C H O O L T I P S 2 P A N C H A S H A B D A 3 R E C I P E 3 K I D S P A G E 4 C O M I C S T R I P 5 C A L E N D A R 6 C R E D I T S 6 Janmashtami is a wonderful celebration of a great Lord in our scriptures. Lord Krishna is one who evokes great happiness and peace to his devotees and the celebration of Janmashtami should be no different. V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 2 A U G U S T Janamashtami: Cradling Happiness Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna and falls around mid- August to mid-september in the Gregorian calendar. Janmashtami is celebrated over two days as Rohini nakshatra and Ashtami may not fall on the same day. The first day is known as Krishnashtami, as the birth of Bhagwan Krishna falls on the eighth day after Raksha Bandhan; the second day is known as Kalashtami. The story of Lord Krishna as told in the Puranas is one filled with action, trickery, and compassion. Taking place in a town called Mathura in Northern India, it starts with King Ugrasen. King Ugrasen was beloved by all his people and had two children, a son named Kansa and a daughter Devki. Kansa was however, cruel by nature and through his wickedness imprisoned his father and forcefully became the new King. Kansa then chose to marry his sister off to one of the high ranking officers in his army, Vasudev. But on the day of the wedding, Kansa was told the premonition that he would be killed by the eighth child of Devki, and so Kansa went to kill his sister. Luckily upon Vasudev s pleading, both he and Devki were put in the dungeons and left there with the promise that they would hand over all their children to Kansa to be killed one by one. Kansa was able to kill the first six children, but on the seventh child, Lord Vishnu decided to intervene. The seventh child was transferred from Devki s womb to the womb of Rohini, Vasudev s other wife. Thus, the elder brother of Krishna, Balram, was born from Rohini while Kansa was lead to believe Devki only had a miscarriage. Upon the birth of the eighth child of Devki, Lord Krishna was born. Miraculously, at birth, the soldiers guarding the couple were put to sleep and the gates of the dungeon opened. Seeking the opportunity, Vasudev fled with the child to get it to safety. Concealed in a basket, Vasudev tried to get the baby to his friends Nand and Yashoda in Gokul. But to do so he had to cross a treacherous river that was flooded. Miraculously again, the river subsided and with the protection of the five headed serpent of Lord Vishnu, Vasudev was able to cross the river and get to Nand. Vasudev ended up trading Nand the baby for a girl child so he could return for Devki. Upon hearing about the birth of new child, Kansa came to kill the child. Ignoring Devki s begging not to, Kansa went to kill the girl child, but the girl vanished in his hand and a voice announced that Kansa s slayer had been born and was safe in Gokul. In Gokul, Lord Krishna would grow up to later kill Kansa and free the people of Mathura from his rule. It is at midnight between Krishnashtami and Kalashtami that this festival of Janmashtami is usually celebrated. At midnight, it is customary to sing bhajans while a murti or other form of representation of Lord Krishna is bathed with panchamrit as the cradle is made offerings to and rocked. Although some devotees fast on the first day and break it at midnight, many choose to fast for the entirety of the two days. Janmashtami is a wonderful celebration of a great Lord in our scriptures. Lord Krishna is one who evokes great happiness and peace to his devotees and the celebration of Janmashtami should be no different.

2 Page 2 Back to School Tips Everything you Need to Have a Fantastic Year! Nervous about the new school year? Don t sweat it! We have some awesome tips that will help you get ready for a new year of learning and adventures. A new school year is just like the New Year. We make resolutions to do better, stay organized, and work harder. We strive to make each year better than the previous. Keep the following tips in mind throughout the year and you ll be well organized and prepared. 1. Be sure to get plenty of rest each night so you aren t falling asleep during class. Don t stay up too lat e on school nights so you are energized and refreshed for the next day. 2. Lay out your clothes the night before to eliminate a rush in the morning. Make sure your uniform (if you have one) is clean and ready for the next day. By preparing your clothes in the evenings, you ll save yourself some time to relax in the mornings. 3. Have a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Eating healthy helps to keep us focused and alert throughout the day. Be sure to pack a healthy snack for break time and something just as nutritious for lunch. 4. Always have extra supplies. Paper, pencils, and pens are things that never go to waste. Whether a friend needs to borrow something or you misplace your favorite pen, extra supplies always come in handy. 5. Use folders, binders and notebooks to stay organized. Keeping different folders and notebooks for each class will make studying so much easier. Your backpack won t be filled with loose papers and you ll be able to find just what you re looking for when you need it. 6. Prepare your backpack the night before. As you finish your homework, put your books back into your bag immediately. Before you go to bed, check to make sure you replaced your books, homework assignments, and student ID (if you have one) in your bag for the next day. 7. If you need some extra help, don t be afraid to ask! Teachers will be more than happy to lend a hand. So would we! Members of the Youth Group will be more than happy to help in any way we can. Did you Know? Did you know the word Hindu was never mentioned in the ancient scriptures? Later invaders of India named the people as Hindus because they used to live on the banks of the Sindhu River, also known as the Indus River. Their religion then became that of people living around the river, thus naming their language Hindi, and their land Hindustan.

3 Page 3 Eggless Cake recipe Pancha means five and Shabda means word. In each issue, we will attempt to bring you five Hindi and traditional words and phrases in an effort to increase our understanding of the traditionally expressed language/languages of Sanatan Dharma. We encourage you to learn them, practice them and by all means use them in everyday activities. Pancha Shabda: In this edition, we learn how to say different phrases related to school. 1. Anukaran Karna: to borrow 2. Kalam (column): pencil 3. Patra (puh-truh): paper 4. Pustak (poos-tuh-k): book 5.Ghar Kaa Kaam (guh-r car kah-m): homework Ingredients 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 14 oz can condensed milk 2/3 cup melted butter 2 tbsp granulated sugar 3/4 cups water 1/2 tsp vanilla Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix: Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a fork or whisk, beat condensed milk and margarine until smooth. Add dry indgredients and sugar to milk mixture. Then, add water and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Grease and flour an 8 square of round pan. Bake: Bake for 45 mins in a preheated oven or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted in the center. Decorate: Use your favorite icing, sprinkles, candies, or fruits to create a simple, elegant, or whacky and fun design! If you have a traditional phrase you would like to share or have published please Youths@DharmaInc.net

4 Kid s Page Page 4 Can you help this little boy find his missing tabla?

5 Page 5 Mai Nahi Makhan Khaayo

6 We will be celebrating Janamashtimi on the evening of Sunday, August 21, 2011 CREDITS: Editors: Varuna Mahadeo, Kumar Ramasar Design: Vikash Mahadeo Contributions: Aaron Gunness, Valini Mahadeo, Varuna Mahadeo, Vikash Mahadeo, Devindra Persaud, Kumar Ramasar, and Deven Soondar, Govardhana Pujaa will be observed on Thursday, October 27, 2011.