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Brahma_Muhurta_Presentation Ayurvedic Perspective
- 1. BRAHMA MUHŪRTA DR Sudha AsoociateProfessor Govt Ayurveda Colleg Thiruvananthapuram
- 2. BRAHMA MUHŪRTA • IKStraditions unanimously consider this the most auspicious period for spiritual, intellectual, physiological, and psychological harmony. • The Most Auspicious Time for Health, Harmony & Higher Consciousness
- 3. Etymology • 1. Brahma(ब्रह्म) • Derived from the Sanskrit verbal root bṛh ( √ बृह्) meaning: • to grow, to expand, to enlarge, to elevate. • So Brahma means: • the expansive one • the absolute reality • the creative intelligence • the sacred, spiritual, or auspicious principle • It does not refer to Brahmā (the deity) here, but to Brahman — pure consciousness and supreme knowledge.
- 4. Etymology… contd.. • TheTaittirīya Upaniṣad describes Brahman as “सत्यं ” ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म —the absolute reality that is eternal (Satyam), self-luminous consciousness (Jñānam), and infinite (Anantam).
- 5. Etymology… contd.. • 2.Muhūrta (मुहूर्त) • The word Muhūrta comes from: • muhu (मुहु) meaning moment, instant, repeatedly • plus ṛta (ऋत) meaning cosmic order, law, rightness. • Thus Muhūrta means: • a moment in accordance with cosmic order • a fixed measure of time Traditionally, 1 muhūrta = 48 minutes.
- 6. Explanation • “The Muhūrtaaligned with Brahma—pure knowledge, expansion, and spirituality.” • It refers to the period roughly 96 minutes before sunrise when: • Sattva guṇa is naturally predominant • mind is clear • prāṇa is balanced • spiritual practices yield maximum benefit • This is why texts call it: • jñāna-janaka kāla (the time that awakens knowledge) • utthāna-yoga-anukūla kāla (the time suitable for waking up and yoga)
- 7. Definition • Brahma Muhūrtais the last 1/8 of the night (~1 hr 36 min before sunrise). • Most auspicious for spiritual, psychological, physiological harmony.
- 8. Classical Definition (Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya) •“ ” — ब्रह्मे मुहूर्ते उत्तिष्टेत् स्वास्थो रक्षार्थमायुषः AH Su 2/1 • One who is healthy and desires to protect health should wake at Brahma Muhūrta.
- 9. Aruṇadatta’s Explanation • रात्रेश्चतुर्दशोमुहूर्तो ब्राह्मो मुहूर्तः • Night has 15 muhūrtas. • Brahma Muhūrta = 14th muhūrta. • Duration = 2 ghaṭikās (48 minutes). • Begins when 96 minutes of night remain.
- 10. Hemādri’s Clarification • “” रात्रेरुपान्त्यो मुहूर्तः ब्राह्मः। • Upāntya = second-last muhūrta. • Confirms Brahma Muhūrta as 14th muhūrta.
- 11. Brahma Muhurta :Time •One muhurta typically last 48 minutes. . Day and night each have 15 muhurtas. • Eg. from 6 pm to 6 am night has 15 muhurta 15 th muhurta starts from 5.12 am to 6 am. 14 th muhurta starts from 4.24 to 5.12 The fourteenth muhūrta of the night is called Brāhma Muhūrta. At the equinox, when day and night are equal, it lasts for two ghaṭikās (approximately 48 minutes). • Since 1 muhūrta = 2 ghaṭikās.
- 12. Time Summary • 14thmuhūrta. • 48 minutes duration. • Starts ~96 minutes before sunrise. • Approx. 4:24–5:12 AM.
- 13. Who Should Riseat This Time? (kim bhūtaḥ) • Only one who is healthy and free from disease — “ ” स्वस्थोऽनातुरः . • Only the healthy (svastha). • Balanced doṣa, agni, dhātu-mala functions, clear mind.
- 14. Who Should NotWake? • Sick persons should sleep for dhātu restoration.
- 15. Exception — TheSick Should Not Wake Early • “ ” रोगिणस्त्वनियमः — For the sick, there is no fixed rule. “आतुरेण धातु- ” साम्यार्थं स्वप्तव्यमेव। Meaning: A sick person (ātura) should continue to sleep because sleep is necessary for dhātu-sāmyam— restoration and balancing of bodily tissues
- 16. Why Should OneRise? (kimartham uttiṣṭhet) • For the protection of life and longevity — “ ” रक्षार्थम् आयुषो जीवितस्य। • Classical explanation: “ ” तदा ह्युत्तिष्ठतो व्याध्यलक्ष्म्याद्यभाव एव आयुषो रक्षा भवति। Meaning: Rising at this time naturally prevents the onset of diseases; the absence of pathological influences itself protects life.
- 17. Purpose (Hemādri) • BrahmaMuhūrta is suited for: • Study, reflection, meditation, brahma- jñāna.
- 18. Guṇa Avasthā inBrahma Muhūrta • Dominant Guṇas: • Sattva: Purity, clarity, illumination • Laghu: Lightness • Sūkṣma: Subtlety, conducive to meditation • Śīta: Coolness without Kapha heaviness • Viśada: Transparency, unobstructed energy flow • Anuloma: Smooth prāṇa movement
- 19. Guṇa Avasthā • Dominantguṇas: Sattva, laghu, sūkṣma, śīta, viśada, anuloma.
- 20. Why Sattva Dominates •Tamas declines. • Rajas not yet risen. • Pre-sunrise purity. • Environmental stillness. • The mind becomes clear, creative, receptive, and spiritually oriented.
- 21. Suśruta Saṃhitā • Time–season–doṣamapping. • तत्र पूर्वाह्ने वसन्तस्य लिङ्गं मध्याह्ने ग्रीष्मस्य अपराह्ने प्रावृषः प्रदोषे वार्षिकं शारदमर्धरात्रे प्रत्युषसि हैमन्तमुपलक्षयेत् एवमहोरात्रमपि वर्षमिव शीतोष्णवर्षलक्षणं दोषोपचयप्रकोपोपशमैर्जानीयात् १४ • Pre-dawn = Vāta + Sattva.
- 22. Daily Rhythm withSeasonal Doṣa Predominance Time of Day Season Mentioned Doṣa Predominance Explanation Pūrvāhna (Forenoon) Vasanta (Spring) Kapha Morning + Spring both increase Kapha naturally. Madhyāhna (Midday) Grīṣma (Summer) Pitta Midday heat + Summer heat Pitta → becomes dominant. Aparāhna (Afternoon) Pravṛṣa (Rainy season) Vāta Afternoon dryness + Rainy season instability Vāta → increases. Pradoṣa (Twilight, Evening) Vārṣika (Monsoon period) Kapha Dampness + post- sunset heaviness → Kapha rises again. Madhyarātri (Midnight) Śarada (Autumn) Pitta Midnight transformation + post- monsoon climate → Pitta peaks. Pratyūṣa (Early Dawn) Hemanta (Winter) Vāta Early dawn coldness + Winter dryness Vāta → becomes prominent.
- 23. Doṣa in Nature •Predominant Doṣa: Vāta. • Light, mobile, subtle vibrations.
- 24. Doṣa Avasthā inNature • Predominant Doṣa: Vāta • This is the Vāta-kāla of the day. • Environmental qualities include: • Lightness • Mobility • Subtle vibrations • Calm wind movement • Absence of sunrise means Pitta is dormant, and Kapha has not yet begun to accumulate. Thus Vāta expresses its pure, sattvic form.
- 25. Doṣa in Body •Vāta dominant. • Prāṇa alertness. → • Udāna learning. → • Apāna natural elimination. → • वयोहोरात्रिभुक्तानां तेऽन्तमध्यादिगाः क्रमात्| A. H.Su 1/8
- 26. 🌞 Doṣa Predominancein the Day (Diva Kāla) Time Period Duration Predominant Doṣa Reason / Classical Logic Kapha Kāla 6 AM – 10 AM Kapha Heavy, slow, cold qualities of early morning. Pitta Kāla 10 AM – 2 PM Pitta Solar heat at its peak, digestion strongest. Vāta Kāla 2 PM – 6 PM Vāta Light, dry, subtle evening qualities; wind movement increases.
- 27. 🌙 Doṣa Predominancein the Night (Rātri Kāla) Time Period Duration Predominant Doṣa Reason / Classical Logic Kapha Kāla 6 PM – 10 PM Kapha Cooling, heaviness, increased sleepiness. Pitta Kāla 10 PM – 2 AM Pitta Internal metabolic repair; liver functions peak. Vāta Kāla 2 AM – 6 AM Vāta Lightness, subtle mind activity, ideal for Brahma Muhūrta.
- 29. State of Gunas •1. Mental clarity is at its peak • Because Vāta = movement, subtlety, clarity ideal for: → • Meditation • Yoga • Prāṇāyāma • Study & memory work • Spiritual practices • 2. Physiological functions align • Cold + light + subtle qualities stimulate: • Lung capacity • Mindfulness • Nervous system calmness • Enhanced prāṇa flow • 3. Agni (digestive/metabolic fire) is stable • Because the preceding night supports recovery ideal for: → • Japa • Dhyāna • Brahma-vichāra (self-inquiry)
- 30. Loka–Puruṣa Sāmya • CosmicVāta prāṇa ↑ → ↑ • Cosmic Sattva mental purity ↑ → ↑
- 31. Suṣumnā Activation • Lowrajas + high sattva = natural prāṇa flow in Suṣumnā.
- 32. Neuroendocrine Correlates • Modernphysiology supports Ayurvedic insight: • High melatonin inward attention, antioxidant → effect • Rising cortisol (awakening response) alertness → • Highest heart-rate variability calm + wakeful → state • Increased colonic motility optimal Apāna flow →
- 33. Vedic Insight • Dawn(Uṣas) is the opening of the divine portal. Brahma Muhūrta precedes this, making it the time when: • ṛṣis receive mantras • consciousness becomes receptive
- 34. Upaniṣadic Insight • Upaniṣads •Praśna Upaniṣad: "Prāṇa is the inner sun". At Brahma Muhūrta, the inner sun is active before the outer sun rises.
- 35. Tantra Perspective • Tantraand Kundalinī Perspective • Tantric texts identify this time as: • Śānta-bindu (calm point) • Amṛta-bindu (nectar secretion) • period of Suṣumnā-jāgaraṇa • Śānta-bindu, Amṛta-bindu, Suṣumnā-jāgaraṇa. • Deities: Sarasvatī, Uṣas, Brahmī, Gayatrī. • Meditation, mantra, and dhāraṇā are most effective.
- 36. Jyotiṣa Perspective • Guru(Jupiter) hora. • Best for learning, meditation. • Nakṣatra-sandhi enhances mantra potency. • Activities performed now bring long-lasting results.
- 37. Purāṇic View • Mindbecomes serene divine grace. → • Skanda Purāṇa: • Mind becomes serene and auspicious at Brahma Muhūrta. • Dharmaśāstra: • Ideal for sandhyā, brahma-jñāna, svādhyāya. • Considered the daily moment of purification.
- 38. Dharmaśāstra • Pre-dawn idealfor brahma-jñāna, study, tapas, sandhyā.
- 39. Yogic Perspective and ConsciousnessScience • During Brahma Muhūrta: • Iḍā–Piṅgalā balance Suṣumnā activation → • Glial cleansing (brain detox) peaks • Pineal gland activity is highest • Consciousness approaches "turiya-pratibimba" • This is the threshold between dream and wakefulness, allowing intuitive cognition. •
- 40. Meditation perspective • BrahmaMuhūrtam = peak sattva wave in the 24-hr guṇa cycle. • At this juncture: • Tamas collapses • Rajas is dormant • Sattva rises like a tide • This makes meditation effortless.
- 41. Physiological Benefits • Prāṇamovement. • Digestion & elimination. • Doṣa balance. • Ojas uplift.
- 42. Psychological Benefits • Clarity. •Stability. • Intuition. • Creativity.
- 43. Spiritual Benefits • Suṣumnāactivation. • Enhanced mantra śakti. • Deep meditation.
- 44. NEUROENDOCRINE– CIRCADIAN INTERFACE • MelatoninPeak & Sattva • In humans, melatonin remains high until pre-dawn increases: → • inward attention • quietude • parasympathetic tone • anti-oxidative protection (ojas-like function) • This matches Ayurveda’s Sattva-guna dominance.
- 45. Cortisol “awakening response” &Vāta • Approximately 1–2 hours before sunrise, cortisol begins its pre- awakening rise. This enhances: • alertness • cognitive readiness • metabolic activation • Ayurveda interprets this as Physiological Vāta Uddīpana
- 46. Prāṇa–breath coupling • Atthis time: • breathing rhythm stabilizes • variability increases (HRV peak) • vagal tone ↑ • sympathetic drive still low • This corresponds to prāṇa-vṛddhi and udāna-śuddhi
- 47. GUT–BRAIN AXIS &APĀNA- VĀYU • Apāna vāyu reaches maximum responsiveness • Brahma Muhūrtam corresponds with: • increased colonic motility • highest vagal-gut communication • ideal bowel evacuation tendencies • If one wakes after sunrise: • Kapha dominates • Apāna becomes obstructed • leading to chronic constipation, āma formation
- 48. Brahma Muhūrta isthe peak alignment point of: • Sattva-guṇa • Pure Vāta • Prāṇa upliftment • Manas clarity • Buddhi illumination • Suṣumnā activation • Ojas stabilization • Deva-loka proximity • Cosmic and biological synchrony • In Indian systems, Brahma Muhūrta is not merely time—it is a conscious field where the microcosm returns to the cosmic source
- 49. Conclusion • Brahma Muhūrtais traditionally considered the time when the human mind becomes most capable of intuiting or reflecting this very nature of Brahman. • Brahma Muhūrta becomes a daily natural window where the microcosmic mind can align with the macrocosmic Brahman. • • During Brahma Muhūrta, the dominance of Sattva guṇa—clarity, luminosity, and purity—creates a mental environment closest to the Upaniṣadic description of Brahman. • Sattva resembles Jñānam, because it allows knowledge to shine unobstructed. • The withdrawal of Tamas and the minimal presence of Rajas approximate the state of Satyam, the changeless ground of awareness.
- 50. Highest Insight • Nota ‘time’ but a ‘state of alignment.’ • Daily moment of creation, purification, prāṇa expansion, illumination.
- 51. Practical Tips • Sleepearly. • Wake gently. • Meditation, japa, svādhyāya, yoga.
- 52. Summary Chart • Time· Guṇa · Doṣa · Benefits · Scriptural support.
- 53. Reference and acknowledgement • ChatGpt • internet resources • Ashtanga Hridaya esamhita
Editor's Notes
- #35 Tantric cosmology associates Brahma Muhūrta with: Brahmā (creation) Sarasvatī (knowledge) Uṣas (dawn goddess) Gayatrī (light of consciousness