Guest guest Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Hare Krishna, Sleeping Taking proper rest in the night enables a devotee to rise early in an enthusiastic mood to serve Lord Krishna. The devotee needs certain regulations regarding sleep. In order to be awakened on time to perform worship of Krishna during the auspicious Brahma-muhurtam ( between 4AM & ,6AM) a reliable alarm clock can be used. The Ayur-veda states that sleep during the hours before midnight is most beneficial. Therefore the earlier a person takes rest, the better for his health. One should avoid eating heavily before sleeping, as this increases dreaming and thus the need for additional sleep. The digestion is slowest at night. For psychological as well as health reasons, before sleeping one should relieve himself, wash hands, and rinse mouth with cool water. Next wash the feet, again with cool water, and then dry them. During the day the devotee might not always consciously offer his service and its results to Lord Krishna . Therefore before taking rest the devotee may consciously dedicate his day's activities to Krishna with a prayer: kayena vaca manasendriyair vabuddhyatmana vanusrta-svabhavatkaromi yad yat sakalam parasmainarayanayeti samarpayami (Whatever I have done with my body, said with my words, thought with my mind, perceived with my senses, or comprehended with my intelligence, I offer unto the Supreme Lord, Narayana.) Resolving to correct all the mistakes you have made that day, meditate on the form of the Lord and chant His names, especially Madhava and Padmanabha(the presiding Deities of the evening and the second and third parts of the night, respectively), and also meditate on the forms of Krishna you worship regularly. Also, reading Krishna book before taking rest, helps one dream of Krishna's pastimes. During sleep the head should point east or south, for sleeping with the head pointing east brings knowledge, and sleeping with it pointing south promotes long life and strength. One should avoid sleeping with the head pointing west or north, for sleeping with the head pointing west brings worries, and sleeping with it pointing north can induce health problems. It is best to sleep on the left side, since this aids digestion; one should never sleep on his stomach. One should try not to sleep too much or too little, or during the daytime (if possible); one should not sleep during the three sandhyas (sunrise, noon, and sunset),as these times are most favorable for meditation and worship. One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person cannot perform yoga [Gita 6.16, purport]. Unless the body is ill, one should not sleep more than six hours at night, or in one stretch. If more rest is required, one can take a nap during the day. To diminish the chances of being influenced by the mode of ignorance, avoid sleeping in a house alone, and never sleep naked. Out of respect do not sleep under a pippal tree during the day or in a cowshed at night. It is unclean to sleep with oil on the head or body. Counteracting Bad Dreams If a person has a bad dream, upon awakening, after chanting Hare Krishna he may also chant the holy names Govinda, Narayana, Sridhara, Purusottama, Vamana,Sarngadhara, Khadgadhari, and Narasimha. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa also recommends several verses that one may chant to counteract bad dreams. Sukadeva Gosvami recommends chanting the narration of Gajendra's liberation "as it is,without deviation, to counteract the troubles of bad dreams" (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.4.15).The Hari-bhakti-vilasa recommends several verses one may chant upon awakening to glorify Lord Krishna and counteract bad dreams. The following verse, spoken by Sage Sukadeva Gosvami, is a favorite of Lord Krishna’s devotees : jayati jana-nivaso devaki-janma-vadoyadu-vara-parisat svair dorbhir asyann adharmamsthira-cara-vrjina-ghnah susmita-sri-mukhenavraja-pura-vanitanam vardhayan kama-devam Lord Sri Krishna is He who is known as Jana-nivasa, the ultimate resort of all living entities, and who is also known as Devaki-nandana or Yasoda-nandana, the son of Devaki and Yasoda. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious, as well as every man who is impious. By His presence He destroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert. His blissful smiling face always increases the desires of the gopis of Vrndavana. May He be all glorious and happy! [srimad - Bhagavatam 10.90.48]. Om Namo Narayanaya!!! Bhaktasevak ----------------------------- NB – Excerpt of an article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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