Ślōka from Bala Kāṅḍa
1-23-2
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वासन्ध्या प्रवर्तते।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्त्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम्॥
kausalyā
suprajā rāma pūrvāsandhyā pravartatē ।
uttiṣṭha
naraśārdūla karttavyaṁ daivamāhnikam ॥
This is an incantation that was composed by Sage Viśvāmitra, asking Rāma and Lakshmana to arise from the night’s
sleep.
Rāma and Lakṣmana,
as children, in deep sleep in the wee hours of the day is when their Guru Sage Viśvāmitra, awakens them through this melodious, inspirational
verse. What does this mean?
Apparent meaning:
O Kausalyā’s blessed son Rāma, dawn is just round the
corner. Wake up, O my brave ‘lion-man’ (one who stands out among humans as the
best) and perform your morning obeisance and prayers to prepare you for the
day’s duties.
How should we internalize this as prayer when we wake up?
kausalyā suprajā – progeny of those who are capable –
Kausalyā, though not an exact meaning from the lexicon, points to kushala or
‘capable;’ kausalyā can be taken to mean he / she who has gained capability
from a conducive environment – thanks to the forefathers and others too; suprajā
means (su) good, knowledgeable (prajā) - we need to respect our forefathers for
the environment, education and skillsets they have provided to us and what has
shaped us as good and capable beings.
Rāma – happiness, bliss, ānanda; happiness is the first
choice you should make, as you wake up. Tell yourself, today, I choose
happiness as my mental environment. A happy mind, deals with the outside world
better. Happiness is in you, not outside. It is not external factors that give
you happiness or contentment, it is your own mind. Condition it therefore even
as you wake up, to choose happiness at the start of the day.
purvāsandhyā pravartatē – prior to the onset of light in your waking stages. In other words,
before other issues or knowledge of other issues dawns on you.
uttiṣṭha naraśārdūla – wake up, my lion amongst men – the
next quality that the mind needs, is courage. Here lion is a metaphor to
indicate bravado but one has to remember, this is preceded by a happy mind
which is invoked first. So you condition your mind to be happy and courageous,
come what may, during the day you are to encounter, ahead!
karttavyaṁ daivamāhnikam – perform your actions as prayerful
duty to God; be selfless in what you do. How? ‘All work is God’s work, all work
is carried through me by God, all work performed by me is as ordained by God,
for my betterment, no matter what the result is!’ The best results, long term,
accrue to us, when we work selflessly, excellence, not reward, should be our
chief motive in work; reward follows. A reward that is hanging is like a carrot
that dangles in front of a horse!
This is a beautiful incantation which, if understood
properly, motivates you to condition your mind and set it to appreciate your
surroundings, choose happiness, invoke courage, cultivate selflessness and aim
for excellence, just as you wake up to start your day!
Why wake up prior to sun-rise?
It is a well-known fact that light plays a major role in our
thought process. Change of light means change of mind – you may experiment with
your own mind. (‘Evil men plot in the dark!’ Julius Caesar, Shakespeare)
Just as we step out of darkness to light each day, we catch
our mind at that time when light support is absent prior to dawn, so that the
‘seed of ‘bio-feedback’ is watered when the soil is loose’ – we move from a
weak part of the day(dark) to a stronger part (light) by preparing our mind,
before other thoughts take over, before other slumbering souls wake up and take
up our time and energy!
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
In this connection, there is a related ślōka from Ācārya Madhva’s
Dwādaśa Stōtra. (The
Saṁskṛta ślōka is beautifully translated by our Pūjya Ācāryaru and here’s the English version) …
कुरुभुङ्क्ष्वा च कर्म निजं नियतं हरिपाद विनम्र
धिया सततं ।
हरिरेव परो हरिरेव गुरुर्हरिरेव जगत पितृमातृगतिः ॥
Kurubhuṅkṣva
ca karma nijaṁ niyataṁ haripāda vinamra dhiyā satataṁ ।
harirēva
parō harirēva gurur'harirēva jagat pitr̥mātr̥gatiḥ ॥
Perform your ordained actions and accept whatever comes your
way … let not the awareness of Hari’s feet slip from you … it is Hari the
Supreme divinity, Hari is the Guru, refuge, Hari is the Mother & Father of
this world …
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(More : Kannada Version)