Bal Gopal - Lesson#5

Note

These lesson plans are part of the ISKCON Bhakta Prahlad Sunday School (BPSS) curriculum. They are designed to be used within the BPSS environment, guided by trained teachers and supported by a community of parents and children. While the written outline shows the structure, the true impact comes from the trained teachers, peer environment, and regular follow-up. We share them to build trust and transparency, but they are not a substitute for the full BPSS experience.

© ISKCON BPSS – All Rights Reserved

Shloka

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha--davagni-nirvapanam
shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritaswadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Glory to the Sri Krishna Sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

Materials you will need

• Some old News papers. 
• A dustbin.

• A small Krishna photo and a flower (teacher should keep this inside her purse -as a secret for now).

Key points to teach

• Our heart is currently full of SIX dirty things - take 10 to 15 minutes to explain these in brief.

  1. 1. Kama (selfish desire / greed for enjoyment)

        • Example: A child who wants all the toys for himself and won’t share.

        • Story: The greedy dog who saw his reflection in the river and lost his food.

     2. Krodha (anger)

        • Example: Getting angry when you lose a game or when your mother asks you to stop seeing videos on mobile.

        • Story: Duryodhana who became angry when the Pandavas got Indraprastha.

     3. Lobha (greed / never satisfied)

        • Example: Already has two Chitale Bhakavarvadis but still cries for more.

        • Story: King Midas who wanted everything to turn into gold.

     4. Moha (illusion / forgetting what is right)

        • Example: Choosing to play video games instead of doing homework or chanting.

        • Story: Arjuna in the battlefield, confused and forgetting his duty, until Krishna reminded him.

     5. Mada (pride / arrogance)

        • Example: Saying “I am the best, nobody is as good as me.”

        • Story: The proud Indra who stopped sending rains and how Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill.

     6. Matsarya (envy / jealousy)

        • Example: Feeling sad when your friend wins a prize or gets more attention.

        • Story: Kauravas feeling jealous of the Pandavas.

  2. We cannot be happy inside a room that is full of dirt. Similarly Krishna is also not happy inside our dirty heart. When we chant Hare Krishna, our becomes clean and beautiful, and Krishna is happy to live in our heart.

Activity

• Teacher : Now we will play a game. We will make five teams - count 1 to 5 and make five teams. Give one big news paper to each team. Tell them you have tear it into small small pieces and run and throw it in the room. Whole room should be dirty.
• Once room is covered, stop and take back the Newspaper and keep aside.
• Now ask the children to sit on the floor in the middle of the scraps and close their eyes for a few minutes. Ask to open eyes and prompt - "Children did you feel comfortable and happy sitting in the midst of the dirt?". Nooooo Mataji!

• Ok - now we will have to clean this dirty room. Here is the catch - we can only pick up a piece of newspaper from the floor by CHANTING HARE KRISHNA once (not the full mantra). 

• You should place the dustbin a bit far so that children should run to that and put the scraps of paper.

Line up kids in a line - make two lines - boys and girls for ease of setup.

• First child chants loudly “Hare Krishna!” → picks one scrap → puts it in the dustbin.
• Runs back, tags next teammate.
• Continue until the whole room is clean.
• Teacher claps and says: “Wonderful! The room is now clean!”
• Now teacher removes the photo from her purse and places it on the table along with a flower.
• Teacher line: “See! Now Krishna is happy to stay inside your clean heart-room!”

Now ask the children to sit on the floor and close their eyes for a few minutes. Ask to open eyes and prompt - "Children do you feel comfortable and happy sitting in the the clean room?". Yessssss Mataji!

Story - Dhruva Maharaja – Cleaning the Heart Room

The Dirty Room Heart

Once upon a time, there was a small prince named Dhruva. He was only 5 years old, just like some of you. He wanted to sit on his father’s lap. But his stepmother became very cruel. She said: ‘You cannot sit there! Only my son can sit. If you want to sit on the king’s lap, you should be born from me.’

How do you think Dhruva felt?
Children answer: Angry, sad.

Teacher:
“Yes! Dhruva’s heart-room became full of dirt — anger, hurt, revenge. His heart was not clean.”

Going to Clean

Teacher:
Dhruva ran to his mother. He cried: ‘Mother! I want a kingdom bigger than my father's. I want to be greater than everyone!’
His mother was gentle. She said: ‘Only Krishna can give what you want. If you want Him, you must go to the forest and pray.’

As he was going to the forest, Narada Muni came and spoke to Dhruva. He told Dhruva to go to Vrindavan and pray to Krishna. He gave him a Mantra to chant. Do you know what mantra Narada gave him?

Children: “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!” (teacher can repeat with them).

Teacher: So little Dhruva went alone to the forest. Can you imagine? Just a 5-year-old boy! Do you think you can go alone to a forest like Dhruva?

Pause for responses.

Cleaning the Heart

So Dhruva went alone to Vrindavan. Sat down on the banks of Yamuna river and started chanting again and again:
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya… Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya…’

At first, his heart was full of anger — revenge, jealousy, sadness. But every time he chanted, it was like wiping dirt off a room. Can you all make a wiping motion with your hands?

Children do wiping gesture.

Little by little, the anger left, the jealousy left. His heart-room became very clean.

Krishna Enters the Heart Room

Like this Dhruva was praying for ore than four months. He was barely eating anything. And then  — something amazing happened! One day Dhruva opened his eyes… and Krishna Himself was standing in front of him, more beautiful than thousands of suns.

Dhruva saw the Lord and tears were rolling from his eyes - he was very happy. Krishna asked Dhruva what he wanted.

Dhruva fell down and offered dandavats to the Lord. He said:
‘My Lord, I was angry and greedy. I was looking for broken glass… but now I have found a priceless diamond — You!’

Dhruva no longer wanted revenge. His heart-room was clean.

Wrap-up Question 

So children, what do we learn from Dhruva’s story?

1. If our heart-room is dirty with anger or envy → Krishna is not happy staying in our heart.
2. When we chant sincerely → the dirt goes away.
3. A clean heart = Krishna’s home, and we feel truly happy.

Just like you cleaned your dirty class room today, Dhruva cleaned his heart-room by chanting. When his room was clean, Krishna Himself came and gave his darshan. So every time we chant Hare Krishna, we are also cleaning our heart-room and one day Krishna will give us his darshan.

Now is a good time to introduce Chanting to children. Give them beads and chant one round with them. Tell them they can take home the beads only if they promise to chant at-least 21 mantras daily.

Vaishnava Bhajan

https://kksongs.org/songs/h/hariharayenamah.html

Just sing the first two verses - repeat. It is basically Krishna's names (by chanting of his names our heart will be purified).

hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ 
yādavāya mādhavāya keśavāya namaḥ

gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana 
giridhārī gopīnātha madana-mohana

Remarks/ Extra Information:

The first verse was originally sung by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TRANSLATION

1) Hari! Obeisances to Lord Hari, unto Krsna, and Yadava. Obeisances to Lord of the Yadus, Madhava, Kesava.

2) Gopala! Govinda! Rama! O vanquisher of Madhu! Giridhari! Lord of the gopis! Bewilderer of cupid!

This Vaishnava song verse lists many of Krishna’s well-known names. Each name reveals a different quality, pastime, or relationship of the Lord. Here’s a breakdown with meanings:

First line

• Hari / Haraye namaḥ – “I offer obeisances to Hari,” the one who takes away all distress, sins, and material attachments.
• Kṛṣṇa – “All-attractive one,” the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who attracts all living beings by His beauty, qualities, and love.
• Yādavāya namaḥ – “I offer obeisances to Yādava,” descendant of the Yadu dynasty, reminding us of Krishna’s family lineage.

Second line

• Mādhava – “Husband of the goddess of fortune (Lakṣmī or Śrī),” also “one born in the Madhu dynasty.”
• Keśava – “Slayer of the demon Keśī,” also “one with beautiful hair.”

Third line

• Gopāla – “Protector of the cows,” Krishna as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana.
• Govinda – “One who gives pleasure to the cows, the senses, and the land.”
• Rāma – “Reservoir of all pleasure,” also referring to Balarāma or Lord Rāmacandra.
• Śrī-Madhusūdana – “Slayer of the Madhu demon,” also meaning “one who sweetly attracts devotees.”

Fourth line

• Giridhārī – “Lifter of Govardhana Hill,” Krishna who protected the residents of Vṛndāvana from Indra’s storm.
• Gopīnātha – “Lord of the gopīs,” the beloved of the cowherd maidens of Vṛndāvana.
• Madana-mohana – “Attractor of Cupid,” Krishna whose beauty enchants even Kāma (the god of love).

Craft (time permitting)

Heart-Room Door Craft

Materials needed

• A4 sheet or chart paper

• One small Krishna sticker/picture

• Colored paper scraps

• Glue, scissors, crayons

Steps

1. On the paper, draw a big heart = “My Heart-Room.”

2. Paste Krishna’s picture in the center of the heart.

3. Cover Krishna with a folded paper flap that says “Dirt.” (like a little door).

4. Around the flap, let children glue/tape “dirt words” (anger, envy, greed, laziness).

5. As part of the activity, children chant Hare Krishna while removing the dirt slips and finally lift the flap to reveal Krishna inside.

6. On top of the heart write:
   “When I chant Hare Krishna, my heart-room becomes clean for Krishna.”

Why this works

• Interactive: kids get to “open the door” of their heart-room.

• Symbolic: Krishna is there, but dirt blocks Him. Chanting = cleaning.

• Take-home: parents will see Krishna’s picture + the message → reinforces at home.