There was a period when narrating stories from Puranas and Itihasas was a great art and service to god too.
( Now too there are Swamijis and Yajna Acharyas but I find more pomp and show than content in the discourses.. The list of naivedyams and presents to be offered on various occasions, the menu for the feast and breakfast in connection with the gnana yajnam take precedence over remembering God in such congregations these days.. Sad to say..)
.I used to listen to such Upanyasams and harikathakalaksehpams even a half century ago ..
The art was almost at its peak when I was just a child..
Those days, the story tellers were respected for their knowledge, way of presentation and their keen sense of humour..
The men sometimes were creative too..Including such funny anecdotes in their discourses with proper timing often used to be great crowd-pullers..
I have found that whenever I posted some ideas in my own words what I heard from such an Upanyasakara decades ago, such posts attracted learned friends everywhere, including the social media..
The credit goes to those pious and innocent souls...
Now the Upanyasakaras don the robe of Sannyasi, or some highbrow Guru, is bombastic, and indulge in many other tricks, but I have found that the innocent and straightforward bhakthi or fun is lacking in comparison..
Now such people can keep themselves afloat in the market only if they complicate all issues, and even exaggerate spirituality .. and they do it too..
I know my understanding of my religion was built up on the foundation laid by listening to such discourses and stories told by old and simple people of our agraharams..
Maybe, when reading the original texts later,and analysing them too,
I have felt that the explanations, and even perception of God in the hands of our seniors was rather too simple but then they had the faith..faith like a solid rock
I find too that whatever perceptions and insights gained later were not of the pure and simply quality as the teachings of those elders..