Travelling was never my thing. Even one hour of travelling to another town was an austerity for me, what to speak of travelling abroad. Sitting in the vehicle and being stuck in traffic is my worst nightmare. Instead, as a young man, I preferred to visit a local library with much better-travelling deals.
For a small monthly subscription, I could travel to any part of the world and beyond. Not only that, but I could also travel to the past, which no other travel agency offers! Of course, travelling into the future was also an option, but never appealed to me.
The library was a place where I felt at home. Once I had picked the book of my choice, I would sit in my favourite spot in the library, put my earphones on, and start my journey.
Allowing the authors to take me on an adventure, I would stay in the library for hours, travelling the world, visiting different universes, meeting hundreds of people and gaining a great wealth of various experiences. The better the author, the richer the travelling experiences were.
Mystery, action, magic and much more I experienced whilst being absorbed in reading the pages of books in the small library. Every page was a new adventure, and every book was another travelling experience.
I would encounter rich people and sometimes impoverished ones. At other times, I met famous people or great mystics, some of whom had supernatural powers, whilst others were ordinary men.
When I came across the book Srimad Bhagavatam, my “travelling” increased even more. Every page of Srimad Bhagavatam is rich with stories, possessing deep spiritual meaning. Many important lessons can be learned simply by sincerely and prayerfully reading this book.
Whilst reading Srimad Bhagavatam, I meet great sages and mystics from different universes. I am also provided the opportunity to meet saints from our spiritual line who have invested a lot of energy to write commentaries on the verses in the book. Besides that, I also get to know more about Lord Krishna and his different incarnations and their pastimes in this universe and above.
No other book has made such an impact on my character as Srimad Bhagavatam. Although I “travelled” to many destinations and met many people, Srimad Bhagavatam changed my life completely. After reading it, my life was never the same. Now, even if I read other books and “travel’ to other planets, I see everything through the lens (philosophy) of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Srimad Bhagavatam, over the years, has become my daily companion. I carry Him wherever I go. With the help of modern gadgets, having the set of Srimad Bhagavatam with me has never been easier. All I need to do is press the button and enter into the world of saints.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.40 purport- One can derive from the study of the Bhāgavatam all benefits that are possible to be derived from the personal presence of the Lord. It carries with it all the transcendental blessings of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa that we can expect from His personal contact.
Ananta Gopal Das
23.01.2024
Bhakti Wisdom 