Today is World books day..
Love and more love to my dearest friends, the Books..
I am what I am, I am somewhat sane, just because of you..my books
from the little Malayalam magazines like Chilampoli which I read as a boy of five year.. and the stotra books of RS Vadhyar.. ln Malayalam..like Laghustotra Ratanakaram recited daily as a little boy.. then their Vishnu Sahasrnamam.. and innumerable books..
Books on Physics and Chemistry
Books on taxation and law.. specially the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the Incometax Rules 1962, other acts, budgets, finance bills and acts.. they were my holy granthas for about forty years..
The epics and puranams.. first in Malayalam of Tamil.. then parts in Sanskrit.. the books on Ramayanam and Mahabharatham by Rajaji,
Many novels in Malalyalam. Tamil, English..
The journey is long.. and continues..
Now there are not many printed books.. we read from PCs and Tablets.. that is a boon and a bane too..
Boon because of easy accessibility and easy storage.
But then we cannot feel the touch, we cannot enjoy the aroma of print ink on paper..
but still I read some periodicals like Readers Digest or Frontline.. and of course a couple of newspapers..
And Dharmavani and Shrutivani.
The journey goes on..
Cannot sleep without reading about hundred pages of printed matter.. even today.. though it gives strain to the eye after sixty..
But then, a book is sweet, it is sweetness incarnate, whatever be its contents..
Someone said of Kadambari..the classic poetry in prose by the Sankrit master Banabatta..
कादंबरी रसज्ञानां आहारोऽपि न रोचते..
kaadambaree rasajnaanaam aaharopi na rochate
meaning
those who are tasting Kadambari will never have appetite even for gourmet food..
( Incidentally Kadambari also is the name of an intoxicating drink) ..
But for a lover of books I would say.. nothing would taste nice except printed words..
For a genuine lover of word, there is no difference between the word he reads the world he lives in..
Long live my dear friends.. My dear books..
I remember an old post.. where I talked about the anxieties of a book..
Worth a repost..
The book tells its owner
तैलाद् रक्षेत् जलाद् रक्षेत् रक्षेत् शिथिल बन्धनात्।
मूर्खहस्ते न दातव्यं एवं वदति पुस्तकम्॥
tailād rakṣet jalād rakṣet rakṣet śithila bandhanāt|
mūrkhahaste na dātavyaṁ evaṁ vadati pustakam||
तैलाद् रक्षेत् protect from oil
जलाद् रक्षेत् protect from water
शिथिल बन्धनात् weak or soiled stitches रक्षेत् protect
मूर्खहस्ते न दातव्यं should not be handled by a ruffian or idiot |
पुस्तकम् एवं वदति the book says so..
# The book tells its owner
**** Please save me by keeping away from oil
**** Please save me by keeping away from water
**** Please save me by mending the torn and dislodged stitches
And
**** Please, Never, never, hand me over to a ruffian and an idiot..
I love my books.. and the love is unconditional.
regards..
k v ananthanarayanan