Page 8 - Bhagavadgita Flipbook

xvi

Though devotion / bhāva is a key aspect in chanting śloka-s, this must not
be at the cost of correct pronunciation. It is very important for learners to
make efforts to improve their pronunciation, to attain fulfilment through
chanting.

There is a famous verse in Pāṇinīya śikṣā, an important text of Śikṣāśāstra
(science of phonetics), which describes the art of good pronunciation with
a beautiful example -

े
ाघ्री यथा हरत् पुत्रान् दं ्र ा ां न च पीडयेत् ।
भीता पतनभेदा ां त ण न् प्रयोजयेत् ॥ (पा णनीय शक्षा २५)

A tigress carries her cubs by her teeth, taking care to not hurt them,
wary of letting them fall (if the grip is too loose) or piercing them (if
the grip is too tight). One must pronounce the alphabets with a similar
precision (using neither extra force / effort nor less).