How do you memorize Sanskrit verses—and how can you actually remember an entire chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā?
In this class, I share the process I use to memorize chapters of the Bhagavad Gītā, combining modern approaches to memorization with traditional techniques used for learning Sanskrit ślokas.
I begin with 6 practical memorization techniques I learned from an educator whose work on memory helped me rethink how I approach learning large amounts of material.
Then I share 5 traditional techniques particularly useful for Sanskrit verse memorization:
• Meter
• Melody
• Pāṭha (recitation patterns)
• Physical movement
• Group recitation and practice
Together, these techniques turn memorization from simply repeating words over and over into a much more embodied process involving sound, rhythm, movement, pattern, and meaning.
For the second half of the class, I demonstrate the result by reciting Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 15 from memory, verse by verse, with a brief explanation of each śloka.
Chapter 15, Puruṣottama Yoga, is only 20 verses long, but it contains some of the Gītā’s most memorable imagery and teachings—including the upside-down aśvattha tree, the relationship between the individual and the Supreme, and the distinction between the kṣara, akṣara, and Puruṣottama.
My hope is that this gives you both a practical method for memorizing Sanskrit verses and a glimpse of what becomes possible when a chapter of the Gītā moves from the page into memory.
Chapters
00:00 — Introduction
05:00 - 13:30 — 6 modern memorization techniques
13:30 - 24:20 — 5 traditional techniques for Sanskrit ślokas
24:20 - 1:35:39 — Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 15
If you’re studying Sanskrit, memorizing the Bhagavad Gītā, or simply interested in developing a deeper relationship with Sanskrit texts, I hope you find this useful.
