Early to rise

Early to rise

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The Hindu rules of Conduct expect us to wake up very early in the morning and to keep awake and do good things during Braahma muhoortam..

Braahma muhoortham is the time period of Ninety minute immediately preceding the sunrise.. that is between 4-30 AM and 6 AM(approximately)

Quotes from Dharma Sastras are given below....

ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते उत्थाय चिन्तयेदात्मनो हितम्

गुरुं विष्णुं नमस्कृत्य मातरं पितरम् तथा।१

ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते देवानां पितॄणां च समागमः

जागरस्तत्र कर्तव्यः पितृसम्मननं हि तत्॥२

य इच्छेत् शाश्वतीं सिद्धिं यमस्यादर्शनं तथा

सततं तेन कर्त्तव्यः ब्राह्मे काले प्रजागरः॥३

ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते या निद्रा सा पुण्यक्षयकारिणी

brāhme muhūrte utthāya cintayedātmano hitam

guruṁ viṣṇuṁ namaskṛtya mātaraṁ pitaram tathā|1

brāhme muhūrte devānāṁ pitṝṇāṁ ca samāgamaḥ

jāgarastatra kartavyaḥ pitṛsammananaṁ hi tat||2

ya icchet śāśvatīṁ siddhiṁ yamasyādarśanaṁ tathā

satataṁ tena karttavyaḥ brāhme kāle prajāgaraḥ||3

brāhme muhūrte yā nidrā sā puṇyakṣayakāriṇī

One should wake up at Braahma muhoortam

and should fill his minds with thoughts which are for his own benefit and the benefit of all..

Immediately on waking up one should offer pranaams to Lord Vishnu,

and to his own father and mother too

The gods and our departed elders meet and stay together during Braahma Muhoortam.

Therefore we should keep ourselves awake during that period as a mark of respect to the departed elders ( and the Gods)

A person who is desirous of welfare and achievement

that would endure for ever

and who is not willing to meet Yama the god of death

should invariably keep himself awake during Braahma Muhoortham

The sleep during Braahma muhoortham is the cause of depletion  Divine Grace (Punyam) already accumulated by him