I used to attend the Balvikas classes as a child and that is how I learned all those stories from the Puranas and the scriptures. Magazines like the Chandamama also helped a lot. I always wanted other children including mine to have such exposure but I live in a village far away from such groups. Nevertheless, the internet is now my tool and I can use it to share such ideas.
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Balvikas literally means the development of children. It is somewhat like Sunday school for Christian children.
The thing with Hinduism is that it does not have leadership or hard and fast rules that the followers have to strictly obey. It is a free religion or as I said earlier in a post - a way of life. So, Balvikas is a class that you can send your child to or simply stay away from. The choice is always there.
The Puranas are stories that are retold to children so that they learn from their experiences and gain wisdom. Small activities and quizzes are also held for the children. Nowadays, the media is also used and children are shown stories with the help of cartoons too.
I decided to use the Hinduism community to share such stories with children. This is my first attempt and although I have written 'Grandma stories for children' earlier, these stories will be based on the Puranas. I seek the blessings of my gods and elders.
One day, a father was about to begin his daily worship before leaving for the office. He noticed that there were no fruits left. Fruits were usually offered to the Lord and then given as prasad. So, he asked his young son to go and buy some fruits.
The son took the money and went out to buy fruits from the nearby shop. When he was returning from the shop with the fruits, he saw a mother and a small child about to collapse from hunger. The mother extended her arm to him asking for food. Before they could speak, both collapsed on the ground. The boy was so moved that he brought some water and sprinkled it on them and made them drink the water. Then he gave the bananas for them to eat. Both of them thanked the boy who then returned home, empty-handed.
The father asked the boy for the fruits and the boy replied that the fruits he bought could not be seen and would not rot at all. The father looked quizzically and asked him what he meant. The mother also arrived to hear the reason out of curiosity. The boy retold what had happened and said that he brought home the 'sacred fruits of action'.
Both the mother and father were pleased that their son was such a good human being and they thanked God for having him.
Doing a good act and helping feed the hungry is the noblest act ever and hands that help are always holier than lips that pray.
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This story was narrated in the Balvikas class and I have written about it on Hive.
