Don't teach us Ba Ba Black Sheep, Teach : Vakrathunda maha kaaya........
Western researchers reveal why children who memorize Sanskrit 'mantras' become super intelligent as they grow up.
Neuroscience shows how rigorous memorizing can help the brain. The term 'Sanskrit Effect' was coined by neuroscientist, James Hartzell, who studied 21 professionally qualified Sanskrit pandits. He discovered that memorizing Vedic mantras increases the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function, including short and long-term memory. This finding corroborates the beliefs of the Indian tradition which holds that memorizing and reciting mantras enhances memory and thinking.
Dr Hartzell's recent study raises the question whether this kind of memorization of ancient texts could be helpful in reducing the devastating illness of Alzheimer's and other memory affecting diseases. Apparently, Ayurvedic doctors from India suggest it is the case and future studies will be conducted, along with more research into Sanskrit.
While we all know the benefits of mindfulness and meditation practices, the findings of Dr Hartzell are truly dramatic. In a world of shrinking attention spans, where we are flooded with information daily and children display a range of attention deficit disorders, ancient Indian wisdom has much to teach the West (and their 'modernised' intellectual serfs in the East). Even introducing small amounts of chanting and recitation of the common Sanskrit mantras like 'Gayatri Mantra' daily could have an amazing effect on all our brains.
* * *
A Military Trivia
Who was Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros?
Unfortunately, most of us may not have heard of her........she was
* a Swiss child of a Hungarian father and Russian mother.
* a painter, a dancer, an artist and a student of Hinduism.
* a love struck teenager who eloped to India.
* a polyglot fluent in English, French, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, etc.
* wife of the GOC, Delhi at the first Republic Day parade.
* author of "Saints of Maharashtra" and sadhvi of the Ramakrishna Mutt.
She was born on 20 Jul 1913. Her father fought in the Hungarian army in WW I and was later a
professor of sociology in Geneva. Her mother had been a student of her father and was later a teacher at the Rousseau Institute. As a 16 year old, the precocious Yvonne met a handsome cadet of the Royal Military Academy while holidaying at Chamonix. She followed the cadet to Sandhurst and realised that he was an Indian. Despite parental opposition, she came to Bombay and then to Auranfabad and married Capt (Later Maj Gen) Vikram Khanolkar!
But the reason that Indians should know about Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros (aka Savitri Khanolkar after marriage to Maj Gen Vikram Khanolkar) is because of a task that was given to her by the Adjutant General of the Indian Army - Maj Gen Hira Lal Atal. He had asked her to design gallantry medals for independent India. It was she who designed the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Keerti Chakra, Indian General Service Medal, etc.
Incidentally, Savitri Khanolkar's daughter, Kumudini got married into a much decorated military family. Savitri's son-in-law Lt Gen Surinder Sharma, PVSM, AVSM became the Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army. His younger brother General VN Sharma, PVSM, AVSM was the Chief of Indian Army when Savitri died in 1990. Their eldest brother, Major Somnath Sharma had died in battle while fighting infiltrators at Srinagar airport in 1947. He was the 1st recipient of the Param Vir Chakra designed by his brother's mother-in-law!
Tailpiece.
An uneventful Saturday. Around a half past 6, a tearful Girija, my cousin called up to say that her husband, Venugopal passed into the mist of time in the wee hours of the morning. She'd lost her brother-in-law - differently abled since birth - 50 days back. Venugopal was dull ever since!
Western researchers reveal why children who memorize Sanskrit 'mantras' become super intelligent as they grow up.
Neuroscience shows how rigorous memorizing can help the brain. The term 'Sanskrit Effect' was coined by neuroscientist, James Hartzell, who studied 21 professionally qualified Sanskrit pandits. He discovered that memorizing Vedic mantras increases the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function, including short and long-term memory. This finding corroborates the beliefs of the Indian tradition which holds that memorizing and reciting mantras enhances memory and thinking.
Dr Hartzell's recent study raises the question whether this kind of memorization of ancient texts could be helpful in reducing the devastating illness of Alzheimer's and other memory affecting diseases. Apparently, Ayurvedic doctors from India suggest it is the case and future studies will be conducted, along with more research into Sanskrit.
While we all know the benefits of mindfulness and meditation practices, the findings of Dr Hartzell are truly dramatic. In a world of shrinking attention spans, where we are flooded with information daily and children display a range of attention deficit disorders, ancient Indian wisdom has much to teach the West (and their 'modernised' intellectual serfs in the East). Even introducing small amounts of chanting and recitation of the common Sanskrit mantras like 'Gayatri Mantra' daily could have an amazing effect on all our brains.
* * *
A Military Trivia
Who was Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros?
Unfortunately, most of us may not have heard of her........she was
* a Swiss child of a Hungarian father and Russian mother.
* a painter, a dancer, an artist and a student of Hinduism.
* a love struck teenager who eloped to India.
* a polyglot fluent in English, French, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, etc.
* wife of the GOC, Delhi at the first Republic Day parade.
* author of "Saints of Maharashtra" and sadhvi of the Ramakrishna Mutt.
She was born on 20 Jul 1913. Her father fought in the Hungarian army in WW I and was later a
professor of sociology in Geneva. Her mother had been a student of her father and was later a teacher at the Rousseau Institute. As a 16 year old, the precocious Yvonne met a handsome cadet of the Royal Military Academy while holidaying at Chamonix. She followed the cadet to Sandhurst and realised that he was an Indian. Despite parental opposition, she came to Bombay and then to Auranfabad and married Capt (Later Maj Gen) Vikram Khanolkar!
But the reason that Indians should know about Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros (aka Savitri Khanolkar after marriage to Maj Gen Vikram Khanolkar) is because of a task that was given to her by the Adjutant General of the Indian Army - Maj Gen Hira Lal Atal. He had asked her to design gallantry medals for independent India. It was she who designed the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Keerti Chakra, Indian General Service Medal, etc.
Incidentally, Savitri Khanolkar's daughter, Kumudini got married into a much decorated military family. Savitri's son-in-law Lt Gen Surinder Sharma, PVSM, AVSM became the Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army. His younger brother General VN Sharma, PVSM, AVSM was the Chief of Indian Army when Savitri died in 1990. Their eldest brother, Major Somnath Sharma had died in battle while fighting infiltrators at Srinagar airport in 1947. He was the 1st recipient of the Param Vir Chakra designed by his brother's mother-in-law!
Tailpiece.
An uneventful Saturday. Around a half past 6, a tearful Girija, my cousin called up to say that her husband, Venugopal passed into the mist of time in the wee hours of the morning. She'd lost her brother-in-law - differently abled since birth - 50 days back. Venugopal was dull ever since!
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