Subject matter about Krishna is Krishna katha and any other topic which is not related to Krishna is gramya katha. Devotees of Krishna love Krishna katha not gramya katha.
Today we were listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lecture in the temple (Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata) and this is what Srila Prabhupada was explaining.
In the lecture Srila Prabhupada was saying emphatically that we all waste so much time in reading newspapers. This lecture was given by Srila Prabhupada in 1972 and today we are in 2025. In 1972 there was only print newspapers but now we have so many options. There is 24 hours TV and then we have internet from where we consume so much news. And we all have the experience that how much time we spend reading news.
Yes, it is true that we should be aware of what is going around us and for that at the most I think 15 – 20 minutes of news is sufficient. Most of the time, it is the same news which is repeated again and again and we just to kill our time keep hearing it or reading it again and again.
Just pick one week old newspaper and compare it with today’s news. You will hardly find much has changed. Some of the characters of the news may change but the news almost remains the same.
Many times, we also get obsessed with Bollywood news or news about movie actors, TV actors, singers, sports person and so on. We start taking interest in their personal lives like with whom he or she is meeting, dating, marrying and so on. What are we going to get by reading such news? It is just a wastage of time.
Develop taste in Krishna Katha
Instead of that we should take out time in reading those literatures which will help us to uplift our life. We will benefit a lot if we read spiritual subject matters. Great personalities, like Ved Vyasa, Valmiki Muni, Srila Prabhupada has written volumes of literatures for you and me, so that we can absorb ourselves in reading these transcendental literatures.
When we read these holy books then we connect to the Supreme Lord. And this helps us to cleanse our hearts of impurities which becomes the cause of our great misfortune.
These words of God compiled by the devotees of God helps us to develop intelligence by which we can free ourselves from all the sufferings. When we read the pastimes of the Lord given in these books then it brings joy to our heart. But when we read about politicians lives or movie actors or actresses life then it agitates our heart and we do not feel any happiness also.
Srila Prabhupada says, “Fortunately, in our Society there is no newspaper…But you’ll find that these boys, these Americans boys who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have kicked out newspaper. No more newspaper. Because there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā, they don’t like to read it.” Srila Prabhupada, Lecture: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.12, Nov. 12, 1974, Bombay
Once we develop taste in Krishna katha, we will automatically lose taste in reading subject matters which are not related to Krishna. Just like if one gets fresh natural mango juice to drink daily then why will he drink any carbonated drink which is harmful for health?
