“The man who reads and recites this narration of the Ramayana will be blessed with a long duration of life and after death will be welcomed and respectfully received in the heavenly region, along with sons, grandsons, and relatives.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kand, 1.99)

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एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन्रामायणं नर:
सपुत्रपौत्रस्सगण: प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते

etadākhyānamāyuṣyaṃ paṭhanrāmāyaṇaṃ nara:
saputrapautrassagaṇa: pretya svarge mahīyate

1. Notification to update the software

“Oh my goodness, can you stop already? I am not updating this stupid thing again. Half the time you people end up breaking applications that were working just fine. Your upgrade is nothing more than a reconfiguration reflecting your foolishness. Great, now I forgot why I picked up the phone to begin with. At this point, I am ready to go back to the rotary phone.”

2. Surprise advertisement to buy a product

“Seriously, they will start putting these ads everywhere. I simply opened the reading app so I could continue with the book. I do not want any recommendations on what to buy next. Stop with the pop-ups. There is no way to turn these things off, either.”

3. Adjustment for the lighting

“I am going blind with this thing, I tell you. People say that it is easier on the eyes. They say it is just like reading paper. I believe the word ‘paper’ is even in the name of the device. Well, I think you people are crazy. This screen is impossible to look at. My eyes are blurry after only a few minutes. I am returning this thing right away.”

4. Incoming phone call

“Stop calling me. Please. I am doing something. Right when I finally get time to sit down and live a peaceful existence, you people decide to bother me. And don’t tell me to turn on airplane mode. The last time I did that there was some emergency that people complained about. They said they were unable to reach me during a critical time since my phone was off.”

5. Incoming message

“Okay, can you people send only one message? Why do you divide these up into four and five messages? It is like getting these annoying shocks every few seconds. You don’t know when to expect them. I was using the device for something else, but you people can’t help but bother me at the worst possible times.”

…

Shrimad Bhagavatam declares that remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the end of life, in the very last moments, is the highest achievement. The Sanskrit is “ante narayana-smriti.” The literal translation is, “Remembering Narayana at the end.” Narayana is one of many names to describe God. In this case, it specifically refers to His relationship with the naras, or men. As Narayana, God is the source of men.

एतावान् साङ्ख्य-योगाभ्यां
स्व-धर्म-परिनिष्ठया
जन्म-लाभः परः पुंसाम्
अन्ते नारायण-स्मृतिः

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ
sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā
janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām
ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.1.6)

Shrimad Bhagavatam is a book. It is also a Purana, known as Bhagavata Purana. The book is not in short supply today, though the circulation might not match that of daily newspapers. The origin of Bhagavata Purana is difficult to trace. It lacks a specific date of publication. This is because in the past, the books were not produced from a printing press. They were hand-written by people expert in the craft. This made the books even more special, to add to the uniqueness of the content. The books would generally be kept safely within temples, in houses of worship dedicated to the same Narayana.

“Formerly there were no printing presses or printed books. All books were handwritten. Precious books were kept in manuscript form in temples or important places, and anyone who was interested in a book had to copy it by hand.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 10.65 Purport)

With the rapidly changing landscape of the world, everything that was set and standard for centuries might not be as commonplace today. For instance, who would want to sit down and read a book today? The physical copy held in the hand, with the typesetting already determined. Keeping a marker in place, for resuming the reading at a later time.

A person living today can question the very definition of a publication. Just what exactly constitutes publishing? Previously, it was easy to determine. You held the physical copy of the book in your hand. This was the published version of the words. That version likely began as a manuscript and subsequently had several revisions and edits.

Today, someone can share valuable information through a comment to a social media post. Is that not a publication? Instead of sitting down with a writer and recording the conversation to be used for a published book, two people spend hours in front of microphones and cameras to record a podcast episode. Is that not also a publication?

We see from the above reviewed complaints relating to modern technology that there is still a place for the printed word. If we think about it, reading a book is no different than sitting in front of the author and hearing from them. If the content is transcendental in nature, then the book takes on the same qualities.

This is one of the reasons Bhagavad-gita continues to be studied. It is like a transcript of a conversation that took place long ago, between the greatest bow warrior and the greatest teacher. If we read Bhagavad-gita, presented in a manner aligning with the nature of the two principal participants, it is like we are seated nearby the chariot of Arjuna. If we read Bhagavad-gita, as it is and as it always will be, then there is a kind of meditation that takes place. Shri Krishna even declares that a person studying that conversation essentially worships Him with their intelligence.

अध्येष्यते च य इमं
धर्म्यं संवादम् आवयोः
ज्ञान-यज्ञेन तेनाहम्
इष्टः स्याम् इति मे मतिः

adhyeṣyate ca ya imaṁ
dharmyaṁ saṁvādam āvayoḥ
jñāna-yajñena tenāham
iṣṭaḥ syām iti me matiḥ

“And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation worships Me by his intelligence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.70)

Narada Muni provides similar assurance at the beginning of the Ramayana. Someone who reads, hears, or recites that sacred text will achieve everything desirable in life. The benefits will extend to the afterlife. This means that books of the Vedic tradition which facilitate connection with Narayana are like treasures. If we treat them as such, then there is everything to be gained. No matter how much the world changes, the value of the presentation, preserved for the benefit of future generations, will never diminish.

In Closing:

Within Gita, Ramayana, Puranas found,
Books printed and carefully bound.

Thousands of pages to finish,
But value never to diminish.

Even through passage of time,
Wisdom repeatedly to find.

Preserved like rarest treasure,
Its impact impossible to measure.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, ebooks, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana, reading