Mathematical Formulae
Sometimes in Mathematics exams, we were allowed to carry formula sheets. The idea was that being able to apply the right formulae and solving the problems was the important part, not the rote memorization.
The problem, of course, was that unless you memorized the formulae, you would not be able to find the right one during the test. You couldn’t just brute force your way down the formula sheet; time, after all, was limited.
So the cheat sheet ultimately only prevented ‘silly’ mistakes. You could refer to the sheet to fix a sign, confirm an arrangement, or something similarly minor. The pattern matching had to occur in your brain without the sheet. The initial guess for which formula would be appropriate was entirely up to you.
Some exams would allow no such assistance; in these cases you had to be sharper.
Looking back at the long lists of formulae I had once memorized but have forgotten since evokes a strange sensation. Was I really someone who had learnt all that? Yes, I did, and it was hard work. But now, I cannot get myself to relearn them. I am older, and I have not the motivation to put in the effort. The process did shape my brain for the better, and made me capable of focussing on and learning other matters. I wonder what I am missing on by not exercising my brain to memorize.
Vedic Sukta
It is partly this struggle to find something worth memorizing that brought me to अग्निदेवमंत्र. Language lessons throughout school required memorizing poems. A few painful memorizations of old Hindi shlokas come to mind, but I went through them successfully. Not knowing exactly what each word means, requiring frequent lookup of the meanings, does slow the process down.
Over the last ten days, the memorization has involved a lot of writing the lines down, at a pace of about one verse per day. I have the suktam mostly memorized, but there are parts where I need prompting.
The memorization process itself felt meditative. Perhaps I will meditate on it once I have it committed to memory fully.
I find it amazing how for a long time the vedas were passed down orally. Imagine the effort it took. Hymns helped. They are aiding the process for me now, although I find it hard to believe the pronounciations did not mutate over the years.
Side note: It is interesting how flexible (and perhaps, suited for poetry) Vedic Sanskrit was. Classical Sanskrit (developed later) has stricter grammar. Is this the case with other languages too: The older the language, the diverse the grammar, and hence, more difficult to parse?