Guest guest Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: The Early Bird “Please, five more minutes!”—this is the standard request I hear from my son and daughter, whenever I wake them up in the morning. And when they say five minutes, you shouldn’t take it literally and expect them to be up and about after three hundred seconds. One block of five minutes naturally leads to another and before the kids actually get up, it is anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes from the time they were woken up. I am sure that my experience is not unique and must be shared by many a parent. Though we expect our children to rise and shine early in the morning, they invariably tend to disagree, reluctant to forego their beauty sleep. When you come to think of it, this disinclination for early rising is not confined to children—many adults too are equally guilty. “Guilty!—is that the correct word to use for merely enjoying a few more minutes or hours of sleep!” I hear you saying. Well, I leave you to decide for yourself, after going through the following. Coming back to getting up early, many of us tend to wake up only when the sunlight falls on our face, forcing us to open our eyes and blink. Yet others wake up when the milkman sounds his bell, while some sleep on, oblivious to the chirping of birds or to the shrill tones of the proverbial cock, heralding the imminent sunrise. (Incidentally, it is quite some time since I heard a cock—the urban environs appear to have taken a toll on this species too, which used to faithfully function as an effective alarm system, waking us up in time). In any case, even if a dutiful alarm clock were to emit loud rings, we are accustomed to snuggling back into the bedcovers after stifling its strident tones. Somehow, the hours and minutes just before our waking appear to be especially precious and we are prone to resent any intrusion into our slumber more at those times than at others. Like the “Maamaan magal” in Tiruppavai, who is loathe to leave her bed of swan feather_-(“Toomani maadatthu suttrum vilakku eria, dhoopam kamazha tuyilanai mel kan valarum maamaan magale!”), we too are deep in slumber in our comfortable beds, with a “Good Knight” battling valiantly to drive away mosquitoes. “Kousalya supraja! Rama! Poorvaa sandhyaa pravartate Uttishtta nara saardoola! Kartavyam daivam aahnikam” This is a slokam from Srimad Ramayanaam, with which all of us are familiar—so much so that in cinemas and TV serials, this couplet finds a place whenever daybreak is depicted. It is Visvaamitra Maharshi who utters this slokam, urging the young Sri Rama, who is sound asleep, to rise and shine, the time for performance of morning prayers being at hand. (My son murmurs with indignation, “So, it appears to be an age-old practice for elders to torment kids, forcing them to get up at unearthly hours!”). The point is that Visvaamitra attaches so much importance to early rising, that he doesn’t mind waking up the obviously tired Sri Rama, whom he (Visvaamitra) had taken by walk all the way from Ayodhya into the inhospitable forests, paying scant attention to the Prince’s tender years and the creature comforts to which He was accustomed. We are faced with a question—Why? Why should the Rishi urge the young Prince to rise early, knowing full well that the latter must have been tired by the long journey by foot? As in everything else, here too, Srimad Ramayanam is a guide book for human conduct, telling us how we ought to live our lives. The Shastras are emphatic that barring invalids, all others ought to be up and about pretty early in the morning. What exactly does “early morning” mean? The day is divided into eight “Yaamaas”, each consisting of 3 hours, four of them accounting for Day and the remaining four constituting the Night. However, half of the first Yaama of the night and the latter half of the fourth Yaama of the night are counted along with the day, which really leaves the Night with just three Yaamas. Thus the last part, of the last Yaaama of the night, roughly corresponding to around 4.30 a.m., is the ideal time prescribed for our rising. This is the auspicious hour known as the “Braahma Muhoortam” --“Yaaminyaa: charamo yaama: Braahma eerita:”. It is at this hour that we should rise, say the Smritis—“Braahme muhoorte utthaaya”. What is so special about this “Braahma Muhoortam”, I hear you enquire. The Smriti Ratnaavali, a comprehensive compendium of rules for good conduct, tells us that this hour belongs to the Deities. Devas and Pitru devataas visit our homes at this auspicious hour, says the Smriti. When we have distinguished visitors, it is only courteous on our part to be up and about. The Smriti is very specific that these celestial visitors deem it a great insult if we remain in bed, with predictable consequences. In fact, the Smriti goes to the extent of terming such a home, where the residents are asleep at the Braahma Muhoortam, as a “Smasaanam” (burial ground). In a rather wholesale condemnation of sound sleepers who know not what sunrise is, the Smriti calls them permanently impure and ineligible to undertake any vaidika karma. We may well slumber on irrespective of sunrise, but we do it at the risk of all our merits (Punyam), accumulated through lifetimes of good deeds, being destroyed. Such inconsiderate slumber is considered not merely a minor misdemeanour, but a veritable sin, warranting atonement or Praayaschittam. One who sleeps on beyond sunrise (known as an “Abhyudita”) can wash off the sin only through Gayatri Japam for the whole day, while remaining on fast. Failure to atone in such a fashion leads to accumulation of great “Paapam”, says Manu. Aapasthamba Maharshi adds to the difficulty of the aforesaid Praayaschittam, by saying that it should be done while on one’s feet—no sitting or lying down is permitted during the entire day, which is to be spent in Gayatri Japam and fasting. Frightening, isn’t it? And all for merely sleeping! Well, we must keep in mind that Shastras are guidebooks fashioned by our kind Lord, indeed His helping hand, extended for lifting us up from the mundane morass—“magnaan uddharate lokaan kaarunyaat Shastra paanina”. Shastras are indeed the voice of the ever-merciful Emperuman, enunciated through venerated seers, to guide us in this world and others. As such, the Shruti and the Smritis have nothing but extreme benevolence towards us-- all that they say are indeed for our good, even if some of their injunctions may sound unpalatable and inconvenient. Remember, medicine may be bitter, but it cures us of our ills. And it is not only what the Smritis lay down, but is also what the Doctor ordered. Ask any doctor, and he will list for you the advantages of early rising. The mind and body are fresh and compliant and the hour is extremely conducive to all good deeds. The Biological Clock which nature has endowed us with at birth, comes with the alarm set to the early morning hours. It is hence natural for us to get up before sunrise. Our body and mind are designed to function at their peak during the early morning hours—if a survey of inventions and discoveries is undertaken, I am sure we would find that many of the sparks, which ignited the ideas, occurred during the wee hours of the morning. And as the day wears on, so do our strength and mind power, till they reach their nadir at night, when rest is prescribed in the form of sleep. With peace and quiet reigning within and without, isn’t the early morning the ideal time for all creative work? Only those who have savoured the pre-dawn serenity would be able to appreciate the beauty of the hour and its conduciveness to all endeavour, especially spiritual. The references in Tiruppavai to early rising are numerous and noteworthy. Of these, the most poignant is “Chittram chiru kaale vandu unnai sevitthu”. The venerated commentators wax eloquent on the auspiciousness of the Braahma Muhoortam, as signified by the words, “Chittram chiru kaale”. They point out that it is this time of the day/ night which is ideally suited for worshipping the Lord, as it is then that all the noble qualities of man come to the fore. Sri Nammazhwar too advocates paying obeisance to Emperuman in the wee hours of the morning—“Kaalai nal gnaanatturai padindu aadi”. With all these in favour of early rising, is it a wonder that all the Smirtis exhort us to be early birds? Admittedly, before it becomes a habit, early rising does tend to torment one, the natural instinct being not to relinquish the comfortable warmth of the bed—however, once we brave the first few days, grit our teeth and get up at the golden hour, once we experience fully what it has to offer in terms of peace, tranquility, productivity and concentration, once we restore our biological clock to its original settings, the elation you experience is a commensurate reward for your efforts. Clarity of thought, creative sparks, good resolutions and spiritual inclination—all these automatically follow, when you rise early. Even black swallows get up early, so why not we human beings, hints Sri Andal— “Kaalai ezhundirundu karia kuruvi kanangal Maalin varavu solli marul paadudal meimmai kolo!” For those who are still loathe to leaving their bed, all that we can do is to despair, along with Sri Kodai Naachiar—“Elle! Ilam Kiliye! Innam urangudiyo!”, stopping short of Her more uncomplimentary epithet, “Pey Penne!”. Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: Dasan, sadagopan Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.5.0 - Release 12/9/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 Dear Swamin Very enjoyable posting. Any book on stress management is not complete without a chapter on good night's sleep. The present day lifestyle (materialistic) seldom affords people a relaxing night's sleep. No wonder, early birds are rare. The final line of "Sitram Sirukaale" probably provides a great clue to this. When "Matrai nam kaamangal" are removed, there is perhaps great freshness after a relaxing few hours of sleep. Regards Balajee Thiruppukkuzhi Narasimhan >sadagopan <sadagopaniyengar >Oppiliappan >, oppiliappan >CC: Tiruvenkatam, ramanuja > The Early Bird >Tue, 09 Aug 2005 15:05:24 +0530 > >Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: > > > >The Early Bird > > > >"Please, five more minutes!"-this is the standard request I hear from my >son and daughter, whenever I wake them up in the morning. And when they say >five minutes, you shouldn't take it literally and expect them to be up and >about after three hundred seconds. One block of five minutes naturally >leads to another and before the kids actually get up, it is anywhere from >25 to 30 minutes from the time they were woken up. I am sure that my >experience is not unique and must be shared by many a parent. Though we >expect our children to rise and shine early in the morning, they invariably >tend to disagree, reluctant to forego their beauty sleep. > > > >When you come to think of it, this disinclination for early rising is not >confined to children-many adults too are equally guilty. "Guilty!-is that >the correct word to use for merely enjoying a few more minutes or hours of >sleep!" I hear you saying. Well, I leave you to decide for yourself, after >going through the following. > > > >Coming back to getting up early, many of us tend to wake up only when the >sunlight falls on our face, forcing us to open our eyes and blink. Yet >others wake up when the milkman sounds his bell, while some sleep on, >oblivious to the chirping of birds or to the shrill tones of the proverbial >cock, heralding the imminent sunrise. (Incidentally, it is quite some time >since I heard a cock-the urban environs appear to have taken a toll on this >species too, which used to faithfully function as an effective alarm >system, waking us up in time). In any case, even if a dutiful alarm clock >were to emit loud rings, we are accustomed to snuggling back into the >bedcovers after stifling its strident tones. Somehow, the hours and minutes >just before our waking appear to be especially precious and we are prone to >resent any intrusion into our slumber more at those times than at others. >Like the "Maamaan magal" in Tiruppavai, who is loathe to leave her bed of >swan feather_-("Toomani maadatthu suttrum vilakku eria, dhoopam kamazha >tuyilanai mel kan valarum maamaan magale!"), we too are deep in slumber in >our comfortable beds, with a "Good Knight" battling valiantly to drive away >mosquitoes. > > > >"Kousalya supraja! Rama! Poorvaa sandhyaa pravartate > > Uttishtta nara saardoola! Kartavyam daivam aahnikam" > > > >This is a slokam from Srimad Ramayanaam, with which all of us are >familiar-so much so that in cinemas and TV serials, this couplet finds a >place whenever daybreak is depicted. It is Visvaamitra Maharshi who utters >this slokam, urging the young Sri Rama, who is sound asleep, to rise and >shine, the time for performance of morning prayers being at hand. (My son >murmurs with indignation, "So, it appears to be an age-old practice for >elders to torment kids, forcing them to get up at unearthly hours!"). The >point is that Visvaamitra attaches so much importance to early rising, that >he doesn't mind waking up the obviously tired Sri Rama, whom he >(Visvaamitra) had taken by walk all the way from Ayodhya into the >inhospitable forests, paying scant attention to the Prince's tender years >and the creature comforts to which He was accustomed. We are faced with a >question-Why? Why should the Rishi urge the young Prince to rise early, >knowing full well that the latter must have been tired by the long journey >by foot? > > > >As in everything else, here too, Srimad Ramayanam is a guide book for human >conduct, telling us how we ought to live our lives. > > > >The Shastras are emphatic that barring invalids, all others ought to be up >and about pretty early in the morning. What exactly does "early morning" >mean? > > > >The day is divided into eight "Yaamaas", each consisting of 3 hours, four >of them accounting for Day and the remaining four constituting the Night. >However, half of the first Yaama of the night and the latter half of the >fourth Yaama of the night are counted along with the day, which really >leaves the Night with just three Yaamas. Thus the last part, of the last >Yaaama of the night, roughly corresponding to around 4.30 a.m., is the >ideal time prescribed for our rising. This is the auspicious hour known as >the "Braahma Muhoortam" --"Yaaminyaa: charamo yaama: Braahma eerita:". It >is at this hour that we should rise, say the Smritis-"Braahme muhoorte >utthaaya". > > > >What is so special about this "Braahma Muhoortam", I hear you enquire. The >Smriti Ratnaavali, a comprehensive compendium of rules for good conduct, >tells us that this hour belongs to the Deities. Devas and Pitru devataas >visit our homes at this auspicious hour, says the Smriti. When we have >distinguished visitors, it is only courteous on our part to be up and >about. The Smriti is very specific that these celestial visitors deem it a >great insult if we remain in bed, with predictable consequences. In fact, >the Smriti goes to the extent of terming such a home, where the residents >are asleep at the Braahma Muhoortam, as a "Smasaanam" (burial ground). In a >rather wholesale condemnation of sound sleepers who know not what sunrise >is, the Smriti calls them permanently impure and ineligible to undertake >any vaidika karma. We may well slumber on irrespective of sunrise, but we >do it at the risk of all our merits (Punyam), accumulated through lifetimes >of good deeds, being destroyed. Such inconsiderate slumber is considered >not merely a minor misdemeanour, but a veritable sin, warranting atonement >or Praayaschittam. One who sleeps on beyond sunrise (known as an >"Abhyudita") can wash off the sin only through Gayatri Japam for the whole >day, while remaining on fast. Failure to atone in such a fashion leads to >accumulation of great "Paapam", says Manu. > > > >Aapasthamba Maharshi adds to the difficulty of the aforesaid >Praayaschittam, by saying that it should be done while on one's feet-no >sitting or lying down is permitted during the entire day, which is to be >spent in Gayatri Japam and fasting. > > > >Frightening, isn't it? And all for merely sleeping! Well, we must keep in >mind that Shastras are guidebooks fashioned by our kind Lord, indeed His >helping hand, extended for lifting us up from the mundane morass-"magnaan >uddharate lokaan kaarunyaat Shastra paanina". Shastras are indeed the voice >of the ever-merciful Emperuman, enunciated through venerated seers, to >guide us in this world and others. As such, the Shruti and the Smritis have >nothing but extreme benevolence towards us-- all that they say are indeed >for our good, even if some of their injunctions may sound unpalatable and >inconvenient. Remember, medicine may be bitter, but it cures us of our >ills. > > > >And it is not only what the Smritis lay down, but is also what the Doctor >ordered. Ask any doctor, and he will list for you the advantages of early >rising. The mind and body are fresh and compliant and the hour is extremely >conducive to all good deeds. The Biological Clock which nature has endowed >us with at birth, comes with the alarm set to the early morning hours. It >is hence natural for us to get up before sunrise. Our body and mind are >designed to function at their peak during the early morning hours-if a >survey of inventions and discoveries is undertaken, I am sure we would find >that many of the sparks, which ignited the ideas, occurred during the wee >hours of the morning. And as the day wears on, so do our strength and mind >power, till they reach their nadir at night, when rest is prescribed in the >form of sleep. With peace and quiet reigning within and without, isn't the >early morning the ideal time for all creative work? Only those who have >savoured the pre-dawn serenity would be able to appreciate the beauty of >the hour and its conduciveness to all endeavour, especially spiritual. > > > >The references in Tiruppavai to early rising are numerous and noteworthy. >Of these, the most poignant is "Chittram chiru kaale vandu unnai sevitthu". >The venerated commentators wax eloquent on the auspiciousness of the >Braahma Muhoortam, as signified by the words, "Chittram chiru kaale". They >point out that it is this time of the day/ night which is ideally suited >for worshipping the Lord, as it is then that all the noble qualities of man >come to the fore. Sri Nammazhwar too advocates paying obeisance to >Emperuman in the wee hours of the morning-"Kaalai nal gnaanatturai padindu >aadi". > > > >With all these in favour of early rising, is it a wonder that all the >Smirtis exhort us to be early birds? Admittedly, before it becomes a habit, >early rising does tend to torment one, the natural instinct being not to >relinquish the comfortable warmth of the bed-however, once we brave the >first few days, grit our teeth and get up at the golden hour, once we >experience fully what it has to offer in terms of peace, tranquility, >productivity and concentration, once we restore our biological clock to its >original settings, the elation you experience is a commensurate reward for >your efforts. Clarity of thought, creative sparks, good resolutions and >spiritual inclination-all these automatically follow, when you rise early. >Even black swallows get up early, so why not we human beings, hints Sri >Andal- > >"Kaalai ezhundirundu karia kuruvi kanangal > >Maalin varavu solli marul paadudal meimmai kolo!" > > > >For those who are still loathe to leaving their bed, all that we can do is >to despair, along with Sri Kodai Naachiar-"Elle! Ilam Kiliye! Innam >urangudiyo!", stopping short of Her more uncomplimentary epithet, "Pey >Penne!". > > > >Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana >Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: > > > >Dasan, sadagopan >Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > >Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.5.0 - Release 12/9/2004 _______________ Logon to MSN Games http://www.msngamez.com/in/gamezone/ Enjoy unlimited action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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