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HOW TO LEARN VERSES (DRAVIDA DASA) 1. Study the Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide at the back of the Gita, learn how all the letters are pronounced, and what the consonants and the long and short vowels are. 2. Read the English translation of a it. !. Study the word"for"word #. $eter ine the e orable verse and beco e fa iliar with

eanings for the first line of the verse. eter below&.

eter of the first line of the verse % ore on

'. (hant the first line of the verse repeatedly until eaning of each word in ind.

e ori)ed, keeping the

*. Proceed to the second line, then the third, and co plete the verse. SANSKRIT METER +he eter of a verse is the rhyth ic flow of light and heavy syllables that ake up each line. , light syllable is held half as long as a heavy one %like an eighth note versus a -uarter note in usic&. 1. , syllable is a co bination of letters with one vowel sound. 2. , light syllable is one with a short vowel followed by less than two consonants. !. , heavy syllable is one with a long vowel or with a short vowel followed by two or ore consonants. #. .gnore hyphens and spaces between words and focus on the flow of syllables. '. ,spirated consonants %ph !h "h etc.& count as one consonant. *. ,s soon as you see an anusvra %#& or a visarga %$&, the previous syllable is heavy. /. +he last syllable of each line is al ost always heavy, regardless of other considerations.

+he above is su ed up at the end of the Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide as follows0 1+here is no strong accentuation of syllables in Sanskrit, or pausing between words in a line, only a flowing of short and long %twice as long as the short& syllables. , long syllable is one whose vowel is long %% ai au e & o ' (& or whose short vowel is followed by ore than one consonant %including $ and #&. ,spirated consonants %consonants followed by an h& count as single consonants.2 WH) AND HOW TO LEARN VERSES (ROHININANDANA DASA) WHY? 1. +o help us see sastra-caksusa, through the eyes of scripture. a. 3i4ing us in +ranscendence. %5g. 2.''& b. ,bsorbing our inds in 6rsna consciousness always. %5g. *.!7& c. (ontrolling the agitated ind. %5g. 1/.1*& d. 8elping us to discri inate properly. %5g. 1*.2#& e. 8elping us in ti es of need. %5g. 2.1#, '.22, 9.1'"1*: S5 1.1'.29"!7& f. Even if we end up in an ani al;s body %S5 9.!.1& 2. +o help us speak authoritatively. %5g. 1/.1'& a. ,s a lawyer cites lawbooks and legal precedents to convincingly ake his case, so we should be able to fluently cite sruti- and smriti-sastras to ake our case for 6rsna. b. +o silence opposition. Srila Prabhupada would so eti es defeat <ayavada philosophy by -uoting one line fro a verse %e.g. 5g. =.1#& or even one word %e.g. 1ca2 fro 5g. 1!.!& c. +o co and respect and co unicate authority. ,s a police an;s presence co unicates power, authority, and knowledge of the law, so a preacher 1ar ed with slokas2 is confident, respected, and ready for action. !. +o i prove the -uality of our presentation. a. E4pertly citing and applying verses is the basis of a good presentation. %e.g. Prabhupada;s lecture on S5 !.2'.9 given on 9 >ov ;/# in 5o bay& b. 5y helping to hold the interest of the audience. c. 5y helping to ake our presentation ore colorful. d. 5y helping us with ideas to support, pro?ect, and e4pand our the e. e. 5y helping us to reali)e a verse;s eaning and deepen our 6rsna consciousness. #. +o curb the tendency to speculate. a. 1, devotee is as thoughtful as a nondevotee is speculative.2 %S5 #.2#.'= ppt&

b. 5y protecting us fro whi sical, self"destructive behavior. %5g. 1*.2!& c. 5y keeping our footseteps right behind the previous acaryas, like Srila Rupa Goswa i, whose adherence to sastric principles was 1e4actly like the lines on a stone2 %(( ,ntya *.!7=& and Srila 5haktisiddhanta Sarasvati +hakura, who was fa ous for rupanugaviruddhapasiddhanta dhvanta-harine, having )ero tolerance for any teachings even a speck deviant fro the teachings of Srila Rupa Gosva i. d. 1Philosophy without religion %dharma-sastra& is ental speculation.2 %5g. !.! ppt& '. +o help Srila Prabhupada;s .S6(@> branch of the (aitanya tree establish and perpetuate itself as an authentic spiritual culture. a. , culture is established first of all by its language and depth of thought. b. 5esides our books, we ust also have 1book 5hagavatas,2 who know the books 1inside out,2 1threadbare,2 1all"around,2 and live their lives accordingly. %see also pariprasnena, 5g. #.!# ppt& *. +o worship 6rsna with our intelligence. %5g. 19./7& /. +o help us re e ber and love Aord 6rsna. a. Bho is known as 1Ctta asloka.2 %S5 1.'.22, 2.!.1/& b. 5y i ersing ourselves in descriptions of 6rsna;s wonderful -ualities. %e.g. S5 17.2*, 17.=7 selected verses& c. 5y i ersing ourselves in beautiful verses spoken by the Aord. %e.g. Bhagavad-gita& 9. +o learn how to pray by reciting the prayers offered by great devotees %e.g. S5 #.2#./#, #.!7.!, /.=.19& =. +o beco e purified of aterial conta ination. a. 5y associating with spiritual soundDnondifferent fro 6rishna and 8is pure devotees. %S5 1.'.!9, 1.!.#7, 5g. 1'.1'& b. 5y re e bering the Aord 2# hours a day. %smartavyah satatam visnum& 17. 11. +o prepare us for the ti e of death. %5g. 9.'"*, S5 2.1.*, 9.!.2'& Srila Prabhupada wants us to. %see Prabhupada section below&

HOW? 1. Try to learn the daily Srimad-Bhagavatam verse as it is being recited.

2. Try to learn the meaning of some of the Sanskrit words when the English word meanings are being recited to increase your Sanskrit vocabulary. 3. Listen carefully in class for pronunciation conte!t and application whenever a speaker "uotes a verse. #. $egularly listen to the recordings of Srila %rabhupada noticing when and how &is 'ivine (race "uotes verses. ). $egularly review the verses you already know to keep them fresh for use. *. Try to learn verses at a regular time every day. +s the body becomes strong when we feed it regularly so regular recitation of verses strengthens the spirit. ,. -f you.re having trouble learning verses alone it may be easier with another devotee. /. $emember since 0rsna is the source of memory we have a limitless capacity to remember verses1 2. Try to enter the meaning of a verse and allow it to change your life. 13. Think of a topic then immediately think of verses related to the topic. 11. 4hen you come across a verse that you would like to know better or learn by heart make a note of it recite it a few times and note different conte!ts to which it could apply. 12. Learn a few verses thoroughly rather than many verses vaguely. 13. Learn the word5for5word translations so that as you recite a verse you can clearly picture its meaning in your mind. 1#. %ractice "uoting the relevant part of a verse instead of wading through words and lines to reach the part you want to cite. 1). 4hen you "uote a verse do it slowly clearly and think about it instead of "uickly blurting it out while you think about your ne!t point to present. 1*. Try to make thinking about and reciting verses part of your way of life. HOW TO RETAIN VERSES (S*RESVARA DASA) ,s Rohininandana Prabhu points out, we have to regularly review the verses we learn to keep the fresh for use. 5ut there is so ething else we can do to retain verses, and that is to connect the to our feelings.

,s a young brahmacari in the 1=/7s, by Prabhupada;s ercy . was able to e ori)e all of the Gitas /77 verses. $uring the si4 years it took e to do this, . had a syste of learning new verses while regularly reviewing the ones already learned. . was organi)ed and regulated, but what ade the verses stick was how . lived with the . Bhen . would start to learn a new verse, . would write it on an inde4 cardDthe Sanskrit, the word eanings, and the English translation. ,fter studying the verse, . would put the inde4 card in y shirt pocket and ake the verse y otto, y slogan, y philosophy of life. Bhatever happened to e, . would relate it to y new verse until . knew it by heart. Eou know a verse for good when you can recall it no atter what ti e it is or what ood you;re in. +hat usually took e about three days. $uring those three days or so, so uch would happen, so any thoughts and feelings. 5ut the verse was always there for e. . belonged to the verse, and the verse belonged to e. . was eeting y dear ost friend, Aord 6rsna, in sacred sound. .n the >ectar of $evotion chapter 1+echni-ues of 8earing and Re e bering,2 under the heading E+pe,tin! the Lor-.s Mer,/, Srila Prabhupada -uotes a fa ous verse fro the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 17.1#.90 1<y dear Aord, any person who is constantly awaiting your causeless ercy to be bestowed upon hi , and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past isdeeds, offering Eou respectful obeisances fro the core of his heart, is surely eligible to beco e liberated, for it has beco e his rightful clai .2 ,fter citing the verse, Prabhupada re arks that this verse fro the Bhagavatam 1should be the guide of all devotees.2 +hat;s what y Gita verses beca e for e0 y guide and dear ost friends, +hey are 6rsna in sound. Eternal 8e is, cogni)ant 8e is, but ulti ately 8e is sentient %1,bsolute is sentientF2&, capable of the deepest, everlasting feelings. Bhatever we have strong feelings about, we easily re e ber. ,nd when we connect our feelings to Aord 6rsna;s, as 8e e4presses 8i self through sastra, the e4perience of those feelings, called bhakti-rasa, eventually 1turns into eternity.2 %>@$ Preface& Practice the art of connecting the words of the verses to your spirit;s deepest feelings, and you;ll retain those verses forever.

WH) LEARN VERSES (SRILA 0RA1H*0ADA)

So read 5hGgavata , pronounce the verses very nicely. +herefore weHre repeating. Eou hear the records and try to repeat. Si ply by chanting the

antra, youHll be purified. Si ply by chant... Even you do not understand a single word of it, si ply if you chant, this vibration has got such power. IJKvatGL sva"kathGM kJNKaM puKya"OravaKa"kPrtanaM QS5 1.2.1/R. .f you si ply chant and vibrate this verse, these verses, these Olokas, it is puKya"OravaKa" kPrtanaMF@ne who is chanting this verse, and one who is hearing this verse, he is beco ing pious auto atically. Pious. +o beco e pious one has to endeavor so uch, do this, do that, but if you si ply hear these verses of IrP ad" 5hGgavata , 5hagavad"gPtG. +herefore, as a rigid principle, in every te ple there should be class for hearing and chanting. Bithout hearing and chanting, to beco e leader it is i possible. Eou can, you can beco e leader in the aterial world, but not in the spiritual worldF. IravaKaL kPrtanaL viNKoM s araKa QS5 /.'.2!R. S araKa eans re e ber. .f you chant and hear, then re e brance will auto atically co e. IravaKaL kPrtanaL viNKoM s araKaL pGda"sevana . +hen you will be engaged in worshiping 8is lotus feet. ,rcana . +hen youHll be engaged in arcana , the te ple worship: vandana , offering prayers: dGsya , youHll engage yourself as servant: sakhya , youHll beco e friend of 6JNKa: Gt a"nivedana , and surrender everything to 6JNKa. +his is the process. So each and every verse you should chant very perfectly, nicely, editate upon it. +hat is the process of progress, advance ent in spiritual life. Be should get all these verses by heart, and chant, and offer prayer to the Aord, vandana . Sandana . +hese are eant for such purpose. %1# ,pril 1=/2, Aos ,ngeles, during S5 Aecture 1.9.22&