Questions And Answers: Sādhanā / Maṅgala-ārati

How to get up at 3.30 am regularly?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-22
Jayapatākā Swami: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
I think the secret of getting up early is going to bed early.
Also, not eating too much at night,
eat light food.
If you eat heavy, then you sleep heavy.
So light food like poha or mūḍi
or something light.
And eat early.
I eat my dinner at 6 pm.
And then by the time I take rest it is digested.
So then I can get up for maṅgala-ārati every day.
Getting up at 3.30am is a bit early.
The brāhma-muhūrta starts one and a half hours before sunrise.
It is recommended that we should get up in the brāhma-muhūrta.
And that is a little later maybe. I don’t know what time the sun rises in Gujarat?
(approximately 6 am).
So 4.30am should be alright, take a bath.
Maṅgala-ārati starts at 4.30 am in Māyāpur.
What time does it start in Gujarat.
(4.30 am or something).
Anyway, the process is go to bed early and not eat too heavy.
And chant.
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Food], [Day-to-day Life / Health], [Sādhanā], [Sādhanā / Maṅgala-ārati], [Sādhanā / Time Management]
I get more joy when chanting after maṅgala-ārati in the morning. But if any other service comes at that moment, which one should be given more importance – chanting or service? While doing that service again what if we think that japa will not be good today. So there is no interest in the service again. What will I do then?
Questioner: Tulasī Līlāmayī devī dāsī
Date: 2022-01-05
Jayapatākā Swami: This is a relative question. 
I don’t know what the service is. 
If there is some emergency service, 
something that has to be done, 
then you have to do it. 
So we cannot, being a gṛhastha, it may not be possible every morning to do our rounds. 
If your child is crying, 
I will do my japa now! 
So I don’t know what the service is. 
So we have to learn to chant all the time. 
Certainly, in the morning, chanting is ideal as it is the brāhma-muhurta hour. 
Sometimes we cannot do our chanting during brāhma-muhurta – 
but it is not always. 
I don’t think there will be much service in the morning. 
But sometimes there might be. 
So in that case you have to learn – actually 16 rounds takes maximum 2 hours. 
So somehow during the day, make up your rounds, 
you have 24 hours. 
Category: [Sādhanā / Maṅgala-ārati]
What is importance of attending maṅgala-ārati?
Questioner: Anonymous
The 9th verse for the Gurvāṣṭaka prayers is: śrīmad-guror aṣṭakam etad uccair brahme muhūrte paṭhati prayatnāt yas tena vrndāvana-nātha-sākśāt sevaiva labhyā januṣo ‘nta eva “At the time of death, direct service to Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Vṛndāvana, is obtained by that person who, with great care and attention, loudly recites this beautiful prayer to the spiritual master in the brāhma-muhūrta.” So everyone can see the importance of attending maṅgala-ārati and chanting the Gurvāṣṭaka prayers. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! [Source: Spiritual Truths from Cyberspace]
Category: [Sādhanā / Maṅgala-ārati]
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