Why Shlokas are part of my child’s daily routine?

The Good Habit Coach
Thoughts And Ideas
Published in
6 min readOct 30, 2022

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NEUROSCIENCE AND SANSKRIT

Image by Manish Sharma from Pixabay

It is 4 in the morning — and I can hear a faint chant of the pious mantras coming from the room above me. I kept dozing in and out of my sleep — the chants had a peaceful almost mesmerizing ring to them- like a lullaby that rocked me to sleep. And yet as the Vidyarthis (which means students in Sanskrit) modulated their voice — the power of it all — jolted me in my sleep.

I was 10 at that time and summers meant — a visit to my grandparents in Rishikesh, India.

Image by Ashwini Chaudhary from Unsplash

My grandfather was a Sanskrit scholar and was heading our ancestral Veda Vishwa Vidyalaya — Veda University in Rishikesh — the Yoga Capital of the World.

Every day at 4 am — he would teach his disciples at home, in the hall on the first floor. Attached to that hall was his bedroom, the smallest room in this huge house. It had one bed. LOADS of books. And a Copper vessel for his drinking water.

Minimalism was a concept not new to my grandfather.

That morning I decided to join his morning teachings –and walked up to the hall above. I sat by the windowsill — and looked around the hall. Everything in that room tingled the senses. The fragrance of the sandalwood incense stick, the sound of the mantras, and the beautifully lit oil lamp in the center of the hall. However, the most striking feature of the hall was the wall. It was hand-painted with mantras written in perfect harmony and alignment with the vibes of the room.

I was absorbed. Engrossed. Immersed.

The mantras reverberated throughout the entire room. I did not fully understand the Sanskrit language that the shlokas and mantras were in, yet that did not deter me. I continued watching the Vidyarthis sitting cross-legged on the floor moving their hand as they chanted the mantras. Their gestures — synchronized to the last t.

This was where my fascination for mantras and shlokas started. Very early on in life.

Sanskrit and Neuroscience

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Sanskrit is the ancient language of India and is the oldest known language in the world. It is also known as the Dev-Vani the language of the Gods. The mantras and shlokas of Hinduism are written in Sanskrit.

Shloka is a Sanskrit word that broadly means — A verse. The shlokas form the basis of ancient Indian literature like The Bhagavad Gita, the Puranas, The Mahabharata, and The Ramayana, and also scientific Indian literature like the Samhita and Sushruta.

Shlokas comprise two half verses with 16 syllables each, or four quarter verses of 8 syllables each. Thus, a Shloka is composed in a specific meter, with a specific number of lines and a further specific number of words per line. A mantra on the other hand is a syllable or a group of words/phrases in Sanskrit.

Indians have been using the “Science of Sacred Sounds” for generations.

Coming to the scientific evidence of the effect of Shloka chanting on the brain renowned neuroscientist and post-doctoral researcher Dr. James Hartzell conducted a test study at India’s National Brain Research Centre.

Structural MRI of Vedic pandits who practice shloka as part of their daily life was carried out. Numerous regions of their brain were remarkably larger, with over 10% more gray matter across both cerebral hemispheres. An increase in these metrics is indicative of enhanced COGNITIVE functions. Their right hippocampus had more gray matter which indicated a super-strong long-term and short-term memory. Their verbal memory was far more superior, something that Dr. James himself experienced as he studied Sanskrit.

Yes. The science proves that learning and reciting Shlokas is a high-intensity workout for the brain.

Let us do a little exercise.

Following is the first shloka of the Mahabharata,

Narayanam Namaskritya

Naram Chaiva Narottamam

Deveem Sarasvateem Vyaasam

Tato Jayamudeerayet

Try reading out the shloka above - out loud, thrice. Now close your eyes and try recalling the same. You may get the first two-three words correctly, maybe more too. Go through the shloka again and then try the recalling process again. You would get better with practice. Try this for a mere 5 minutes.

Did you notice the mental exercise you had to go through as you recited and recalled the shloka?

Pronouncing these syllables, reciting them, and reproducing the same — are difficult. A thorough workout for the brain muscles. Imagine practicing this daily and perfecting a shloka before moving on to the next one. Even 5 minutes of this exercise would provide a POWERFUL STIMULUS to the brain.

Why are shlokas a part of my child’s daily routine

Image by Dara Nilrothanak from Pixabay

Is it not empowering when you can learn and recite the Shloka perfectly?

Now imagine a young kid of 3 starting early. Learning, and reciting the Sanskrit verses. Thousands of neurons fire in different parts of your child’s brain as he or she tries to pronounce the words correctly.

Consistent regular reciting and learning would strengthen their brain power- manifolds. It is unimaginable how strong their verbal memory would become as a result of learning such difficult Sanskrit words.

Benefits of Chanting Shlokas and Mantras, especially in respect of kids

(a) Develops the power of concentration and memory

(b) Sharpens the brain by providing the right stimulus

(c) Keeps the mind vigilant and shapes their mental intellect

(d) Develop Cognitive Skills

(e) Chanting can even help to still turbulent thoughts and emotions as it can help release emotions. It is like a caress to an overwhelmed heart.

With the stress levels rising in such a competitive world -as a parent, this is the most valuable gift that you can give to your child.

A strong healthy mind. A powerful memory. And a powerful stress management tool.

Image by Rajesh Balouria by Pixabay

They (or you) may not be able to comprehend its benefits now. But as practicing shlokas develops into a daily habit, it would become a part of their very being. Something that would help them tremendously in the future.

I have been fortunate enough to find the perfect teacher for teaching Shlokas to my 3.5-year-old daughter — Mrs. Chitra. My little one looks forward to her classes every week and it truly amazes me how fast and effortlessly she can learn the most difficult of the shlokas.

Just before her bedtime, or early morning when she is up for school — we try to recite whatever she has learned in her class. It is a great bonding time for us too. And once she picks up and learns the shlokas, we proudly send the recordings to Chitra mam 😊

I truly am, A proud mother.

Signing off

The Good Habit Coach

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The Good Habit Coach
Thoughts And Ideas

Good Habits are as addictive as Bad ones. Lets get better. One habit at a time.