inherent pranayam

[Guest guest]

I found this interesting article when I was looking up more info on anushtup

chanda. I thought some of you might find it interesting. Click through to the

Time magazine article.

 

The article doesn't discuss the specific poetry meter of anushtup chanda, but it

does discuss other poetry meters and I would assume each would have its own

benefits, on top of the benefits of chanting and hearing the Sanskrit mantras

themselves.

 

Pramans,

 

Surya

 

 

Vishnu Sahasranaamam

I have been, let us say, 'enjoined' to sit through numerous Vishnu sahasranaamam

gatherings. People recite verses describing the thousand names of Vishnu in

Sanskrit, but most of the people I have seen have no idea of the meanings of

those verses. The apparent pointlessness of the exercise has certainly crossed

my mind. This is pretty contextual in the case of most recitations of the Indian

scriptures by most Hindus, since a lot of people recite the scriptures, often

daily, but with only a vague idea of what the words mean. Does rote recitation

get you anything? Does it bring you closer to God? Especially in this

typo-ridden world.

 

Time magazine has this snippet by David Bjerklie on the recitation of epic Greek

poetry, such as from the Iliad and the Odyssey. While the dactylic hexameter is

probably pretty unpopular these days, it at least serves to abstract away the

religious aspects of the chanting from the cardiorespiratory patterns. Chanting

in the anushtup chanda, the meter for the Vishnu sahasranamam, better turn out

to be good for the heart. Especially since I am also enjoined to avoid red wine.

 

The authors of the study taught healthy volunteers to recite passages from Homer

while walking and lifting their arms with each breath. The result was an

increase in the synchronization of certain cardiorespiratory patterns that are

believed to be favorable to the long-term prognosis of cardiac patients. There

was less of this synchronization with controlled-breathing exercises alone and

almost none during normal, spontaneous breathing.