The Shastras that I have read are my life's greatest mission and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them.
I have read almost 100 shastras and have realized The Greatest Secret in how should one read these thick Granths(shastras).
So let's get on with this secret.
How to Read shastras?
There are 3 ways how to Read them.
1) The First way is to Read these shastras word to word with great detail if you have the time indefinitely. Read and Remember what you have read in each shastra and go on building your gyan book by book and reading everything what is contained in each shastra. A voracious reader or an eager reader's way of reading.
2) The Second way is recommended by the shopkeeper, which is go through each of the shastras by seeing the index completely and Remember what the index contains and continue reading them. This is the way if you want to finish them in a planned schedule.
3) The Third way is how I read them, a combination of Second and third way, which is reading the index and building your gyan as you read them, sentence by sentence, and as though you are reading an encyclopaedia, read as though you are building your gyan by making notes in your mind, remembering the notes as you read them. Think of it like the saints are talking about the gyan and you are building the gyan as you read them. Think of it like reading a never ending thick book which will never end and you build each of the lessons and notes in your mind. It's like the notes become stronger and stronger as they occur over and over again. This doesn't mean that I don't remember what is contained in each of the shastras. Just build your knowledge as you read them like your reading an encyclopaedia. This is just the start what if I tell you that you could increase the number of encyclopaedias. Your gyan is increasing and is building and the notes are evolving in your mind, they repeat and you are coming to the end of your journey with the shastras because the content is repeating and you know that you have to halt and you know that you need to stop reading or read another shastra whose contents don't repeat.
The third way is the way that appeals to me a lot, however all the ways are right but just one way is the best way for each of us. So don't think that the third way is superior. If you can talk about the contents of what the shastras contain, then you are reading the right way.
But don't just stop at just reading them, talk about the shastras, write about them, spread the gyan, live the gyan on a day to day basis. Rejoice the glorification of God.
Then you will see that your life's problems will seem trivial, or something that you will tend to worry less and stay happy.
That's the best benefit one can have after reading them.
So choose the way that suits you best according to the time available to you.
If still you are a person that has another way then as long as you can talk about the shastras, you are on the right track as well.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Har Har Mahadeva.
