Sloka Raja
I’ve created a system for memorizing Bhagavad-Gita verses called Sloka Raja.
You can go to the Sloka Raja website and see a series of verses hidden by a saffron veil. Each verse number is given in a tab along the top of the window. If you hover the mouse over the veil shrouding a particular verse, then that text’s veil becomes transparent and you can “peek” at a single line of the original Sanskrit or the English translation. You can also click the mouse button and the text becomes permanently uncovered. Clicking again re-hides the verse.
Click the left and right arrows to scroll to other verses you want to memorize. You can also directly select and scroll to the verse you want to review by clicking on the appropriate tab on the top of the window.
Pressing the “change this verse” button on the bottom of the screen puts the verse display into “selection mode”. Using this mode you can change the verse you want to learn to a different one. Simply select a new chapter and verse from the list in the window and that new verse will replace the current one. Press the “accept changes” button to switch back to the memorization view. In this way you can customize the view to learn different sets of verses as you desire.
The system always remembers your personal selection of verses. When you finish using the website simply close the window. There is no need to save. Sloka Raja remembers where you left off automatically. The next time you return the website recreates your personal view exactly as you left it. Everyone can choose their own personal set of verses to memorize on Sloka Raja. It remembers a different custom selection of verses for each and every user of the system.
Sloka Raja is written using pure Javascript / Dynamic-HTML, which means that it can run on every operating system and can be used offline as well as online. You do not have to be connected to the Internet to use the service. If you are using Internet Explorer just go to the website in “offline mode” and it will work as usual. Using Firefox or Safari download the service to your local hard drive using the “download for offline use” link on the bottom of the page and unpack the zip file. You can then run the program by executing the “run” application shortcut included in the download (or simply by opening “index.html” in your web-browser). It works as usual (although a bug/security feature in Safari prevents it from remembering your verse selection when you are offline). It is also worth noting that the Sanskrit won’t look correct if you are using Internet Explorer 6.0 or below (IE doesn’t know how to correctly display unicode). Upgrading to Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox solves the problem (I recommend Firefox).
Sloka Raja is available at the following URL:
If anyone notices any bugs or has any suggestions for improvement please let me know.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
That is seriously cool.. thanks! The concept is really clever and effective.
I have a couple of suggestions:
- ability to add our own verses, ie. non BG ones also
- the “change this verse” button may work better up next to the tabs, easier to reach. It could be styled to fit in . It may also be cool to just double click a tab or something similar to change the verse.
- when changing the verse the containing div seems to be too small, selecting some of the chapters (eg. chapter 1) causes the alignment to be messed up and you can’t see all the text of the verse.
- it would be nice to have the option of unhiding the verse/translation, maybe a “hide/unhide” button?
Well done again, I will definatly be using it.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
I’m working on non-BG, but something like the Bhagavatam requires a different mechanism to what I’m using. It is too big to load all at once. I don’t want the page to take so long to load. So I’m working on a lazy loading mechanism.
I could move the change verse button up, but you are not going to change the verse very often. I wanted to maximize the amount of space for the actual reading and learning of the verses. The change verse button is at the bottom, out of the way, so that when you are memorizing you are not distracted by the button. Less temptation to skip to a new verse before mastering the current one.
I’ve dynamically scaling the divs to fit the exact height of the text. It works fine on my Mac. Which browser and operating system are you using?
And finally: you can already hide and unhide the verse and translation. No need for a button. The whole verse/translation is an invisible button. Just click the mouse button
Thanks for your suggestions.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
I love using it, it is a great help.
Only down side for me is the slow download, but it could just be my very cheap laptop.
Keep up the good work, I appreciate the time you have taken on this as you are already busy serving your Guru Maharage nicely and working on your PhD
And just think on this if I can use it then anyone can
October 18th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
> I don’t want the page to take so long to load. So I’m working on a lazy loading mechanism.
How about storing the verses in a flat file or database? wouldn’t that be quicker than directly in the JS? Then you could have an input for users to enter thier own verses.
> I’ve dynamically scaling the divs to fit the exact height of the text. It works fine on my Mac. Which
> browser and operating system are you using?
Windows XP & Firefox
> And finally: you can already hide and unhide the verse and translation. No need for a button. The
> whole verse/translation is an invisible button. Just click the mouse button
Aha!
November 11th, 2006 at 12:16 am
Haribol,
I like this very much except I do not seem to have the proper font to read it properly. Some of the letters show as a square. What font do i need?
November 11th, 2006 at 1:10 am
Hare Krishna!
I was using Internet explorer 7 and it was not working so I downloaded Firefox and all is well now. Thanks for this great tool!
January 7th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Dear Rukmini,
Are you by any chance the Rukmini that Hayagriva (Howard Wheeler) mentions in the Acknowledgments section of his book Vrindaban Days? I recently found that Hayagriva taught in the same department at Ohio State where I taught and received my Master’s degree. I am interested in Hayagriva’s writings and his unplublished manuscript “Die Before You Die.” Would you be willing to correspond a little about Hayagriva and his life? Please email me at travel2write@gmail.com
Best,
Bill
October 19th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
November 29th, 2007 at 4:55 am
gauranga, vm told me to dl this as i was speculating about programs of types that could be used for krsna. but hmm i dont suppose it works with k-meleon browser? more to the point- i have the offline version but it doesn’t run, interestingly. it opened the .app in notepad and the index.html opens with interesting boxes and an R and a 2…? its really mean though, if only i were online fulltime. unfortunately if i did that vm may have to utilise violent means to get me off. haribol!