6/19/2015

AmericanSanskritInstitute|SanskritandUnlimitedMemory

SanskritandUnlimitedMemory
byVyaasHouston,M.A.
Imagine!Thousandsofyearsago,Sanskritthrivedinanagewheretherewas
nowrittenword.Nobooks,nomagazines,newspapers,nomailletalonejunk
mail,nosigns,noads,nocomputers.Vastamountsofinformationwere
committedtomemorygreatworksofliterature,theVedas,theUpanishads,or
evenentireepics.ToalargeextentitwasthedesignoftheSanskritlanguage
thatmadethispossible.Forexample,thefinalletterofonewordmustbe
blendedeuphonicallywiththefirstletterofthenextword,oftenrequiringone
orbothofthemtochange.Thisallowsforanunbrokenflowofsoundsofluid
thatitentersseamlesslyintomemory.Sanskrit,asmuchlikemusicas
language,bringsthemindintoabeautifulflow.Thisiswhatattractedmefrom
theverybeginning.EvenwithoutknowingwhatIwaschanting,thesoundof
chantedSanskritrelaxedmeandenergizedme.Inspiredbytheexperienceof
mynew"flow",Ibegantostudythelanguageformally,learningits
pronunciationandgrammar.Inordertoremaininthismarvelousflowfor
longerperiodsoftime,Ialsobegantomemorizevariousstotra,collectionsof
versestoShiva,Krishna,Brahmanetc.,andeventuallyentirechaptersof
philosophicaltexts,suchastheBhagavadGita.Ihadneverbeforefound
memorizationparticularlyenjoyable,butbecauseIlovedthesound,anditwas
strungtogethersofluidly,Ifounditeasytolearnbyheart,orastheSanskrit
idiomgoes,haveit"remaininthethroatakanthasthita".
ThefirstlongerpieceoftextthatIwasabletorecitefrommemorywasmost
likelythesecondchapteroftheBhagavadGita,atinysectionoftheworld's
mostvoluminousepic,theMahabharata.Itcontains72shlokas,verses
consistingoffourlinesorquartersknownaspada,witheightsyllablesper
pada.Sanskritversemaybecomposedinanwiderangeofmeters,butthe
vastmajorityofclassicalSanskritliteratureisinshlokas(shlokamaymean
simplyaversebutmoreoftenrefersspecificallytothosewith8syllablesper
pada).Muchlikethe12fluid(previously8)oz.containersforcontemporary
beverages,theshlokadeliveredinformationinthemostmanageableand
easilyconsumablequantitypossible.ThemoreancientofIndia'stwogreat
epics,theRamayanaofValmiki,consistsof32,000shlokas.Originallyitwas
onlyrecitedfrommemory,andeventodaytherearethosewhoknowtheentire
workbyheart.Bycomparison,mymemorizingof72verseshardlyseems
worthmentioning,exceptthatitcontraststheenormousgapbetweenourtime
andanagethousandsofyearsbackwhengreatepicliteraturewassungand
heard,ratherthanwrittenandread.
Tome,72verseswasasignificantincreaseinflowtime.Encouraged,I
plungedintothethirdchapter,butloststeamabouthalfwaythrough.Iputthe
Gitatorest,andwithtimeitfadedfrommymemory.
SeveralyearspassedandagainIfeltinspiredtotakeuptheGita.Thistime,
supportedbyabetterknowledgeofSanskrit,Icoveredthe1stchapter,easily
recoveredthe2ndand3rdandmovedonthroughthe4thandintothe
beginningofthe5th.ImayhavethoughtatsomepointthatIwouldworkmy
waythroughthe18chapters(700shlokas)oftheGita,butthethoughtwasnot
enoughtosustainme.Mymomentumgroundtoahaltinchapterfive.
Manyyearspassed.Iwasabletoobservethesamepatternoflearningand
forgettingwithmanyworksofSanskritliterature.Ofcourseit'salwayseasyto
retrievesomethingyouhavelearnedpreviously,butatonepoint,Idecided
thatIwantedtoactivelyretainanytextthatItookthetimetolearn...
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