My teacher and father, Yogacarya T Krishnamacharya, emphasized that in order to fully understand the Sastra-s, be it the Veda-s, the Dharmasastra-s, the Darsana-s or the Bhagavad-gita, they must first be memorized. This memorization is achieved through repeated chant. To ensure that this is properly done, traditionally, the teacher recites the syllable, word or section to be learnt and the student repeats it three times, trying to follow exactly pronunciation, expression, emphasis, accent, intonation and the relevant timing.
As the student masters each part, another is added until the whole work is properly known and can be repeated both with and without the teacher. Such knowledge enables the student to study the text in depth, recalling always the words and setting of the particular teaching being studied. This is how I have been taught all the classical texts including the Yogasutra-s of Patanjali, which is the most important treatise on Yoga philosophy.
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