Brāhma Muhūrta
Brāhma Muhūrta, “the hour sacred to Brahmā”
Grammar: masculine noun phrase; brāhma (belonging to Brahmā, or to Brahman) and muhūrta (a period of time, a division of the day): “the muhūrta of Brahmā”.
Meaning: the sacred time of early morning, when one rises and first turns the mind to Bhagavān Vishṇu and the devatās.
In the scriptures: the Agni Purāṇa gives the brāhma muhūrta as the first rule of the day. In the rules of conduct (ācāra) which Pushkara teaches Paraśurāma, the very first teaching is this: every day, in the early morning, in the brāhma muhūrta, one should remember Bhagavān Vishṇu and the other devatās. After that come the rules of cleansing, the daily bath (snāna) and the rest of the day’s conduct (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 155).
In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: the brāhma muhūrta, the early dawn, closes the great rāsa līlā. Śuka tells Parīkshit that when the brāhma muhūrta came, Śrī Kṛshṇa, son of Vasudeva, gave leave to his dear gopīs, and though they did not wish it, they went to their homes. Then he gives the phalaśruti: whoever with śraddhā hears in due order or describes this līlā that Śrī Hari did with the gopīs of Gokula at once becomes master of his senses, gains desireless bhakti for Bhagavān Śrī Hari, and at once casts off kāma, the disease of the heart (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 10, Chapter 33).
Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Uddhava that until ajñāna is removed and ātma-sākshātkāra arises, a person should use only what is sāttvika, for the growth of sattva: the nivṛtti-śāstra, the waters of tīrthas, a secluded place, the brāhma muhūrta, nitya-karma and a sāttvika mantra. From that comes dharma, and from dharma jñāna (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 13).
In the Brahma Purāṇa: in his teaching on sadācāra, right conduct, Vyāsa tells the munis that the day begins here. One should wake at the brāhma muhūrta, the early dawn, and reflect on the dharma and artha that are to be done that day. Then one rises, does ācamana, bathes, keeps the niyamas, and, pure, performs the morning sandhyāvandana while the stars are still in the sky (Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 221).
In the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa: the daily rule begins with rising in the brāhma muhūrta, changing from night clothes into fresh clothes, and sitting for the morning rites (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 26). Śaṅkhacūḍa meditated on Śrī Kṛshṇa and rose at the brāhmī muhūrta (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 18). On Ekādaśī one rises in the brāhma muhūrta, which is five ghaṭikās before sunrise, does the morning duties and bathes (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 26). Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa told Brahmā to meditate on him daily in the brāhmī muhūrta and to do only what pertains to him, so that his mind would not stray to the things of others (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 35). Himavān praised Bhagavān Śiva with the stotra that Dharma Ṛshi taught him at Pushkara during a solar eclipse, after the brāhma muhūrta (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 38).
One who makes a swing for Śrī Hari and dies on a pūrṇimā at the brāhma-muhūrta gains mukti and lives a hundred manvantaras in Vaikuṇṭha (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 27).
Related terms: Muhūrta · Ācāra · Smaraṇa · Snāna · Sandhyā
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 155
- Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 10, Chapter 33; Skandha 11, Chapter 13
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 221
- Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 26; Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapters 18, 27; Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapters 26, 35, 38