Method of Learning Gita Verses

Glories of Gita are immense. If you desire your salvation, then you must engage in deep inquiry of the Gita. He who reads the Gita by taking refuge in God, and plunges into it, he will by God's grace grasp the finer points and essence of the Gita. Gita is a book of grace. Most wondrous, divine and peace arises by it's sheer recitation or taking its refuge. To learn more about the Glories of Gita please read - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sadhaka/message/1336

Method of Accurately Pronouncing Gita Verse

1. Most Gita verses (shlokas) are 32 syllables long. Thus take every verse and dividing into four lines, with each line broken down into 8-8 syllables. Do not count half syllables.

2. In the beginning when each of the eight syllables is seen separately and written down and read separately, then the pronunciation, as well as, remembering will become easy.

3. Write each of the syllables out separately Just like -

"A jo pi San Nav Ya yaat maa"

4. As the words are formed, do not break them in the middle while reading. Just like "Vasudevasutam" should not be read as "Va Sude Vasu Tam"

5. Read paying close attention to the short and long vowel sounds (maatre), just like "Din" and "Deen"

6. Pay close attention to the differences between "Shah", "sha' and "Sa".
Wherever there is a subtle sound of "A" (uh), there make certain the "A" is pronounced clearly. e.g. "Chaanoor" is chaa noo r + A. Wherever the sound of "A" is not there, do not add "A" e.g. "mardanam" should be pronounced as "mar da nam".

7. Pause at the end of eight syllable. Do not count the half syllables. e.g.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Jan ma kar ma cha may di vya
may vam yo ve ti tat tva tah

8. On first reading read out and pronouce clearly each and every syllable. While reading be attentive to the fact that the syllables are not less or more than eight, ( i.e. they are not being further broken apart or combined or dropped)

9. On second reading read the two syllables together and then complete the line. e.g "janma"

10. On third reading read all four syllables together "janma karma" and on fourth reading read all eight syllables together, "Janma karma cha may divya" counting the eight syllables and at the same time carefully reciting every line.

11. In this manner read all four lines of the verse, five times. Make your teacher listen to you for clear and accurate pronunciations of each word.

Method of Memorizing the Gita

1. Taking eight syllables of each line of a verse and closely, and attentively looking at them, with single-pointed attention, very carefully read them five times. It is essential that before the line is memorized that the student is accurately pronouncing and listening to himself pronouncing, and correcting his pronunciation.

2. To avoid making a mistake, while reading the eight syllables of each line, simultaneously count with your fingures (to assure eight syllables)

3. In this manner, by taking each line and reading it 10 times it will be remembered.

4. Before going to bed those verses that were newly memorized that day, recollect and recite them without looking at the book, and while remembering them go to bed.

5. Immediately on waking up, recollect and recite the newly memorized verses. Very easily these verses will be memorized and remembered.

6. If you develop the practice of recollecting and reciting at time of bed and on waking up then in this manner in a short period of time, these verses will be very easily memorized.

7. Minimallly once a day recollect all memorized verses without looking at the book, to make certain that the memorized verses are not forgotten.