On the auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra one has to observe the following:
Wake up early in the morning: It is recommended that one should rise early in the morning, during the brahma-muhurta. The period of one and a half hours before sunrise, is called brahma-muhurta. During this time, spiritual activities are recommended as they have a greater effect than in any other part of the day.
Cleanse yourself and wear fresh clothes: Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal. External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness one has to think of Krishna always and chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind.
Chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra: It is recommended that one should chant a minimum of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra (1 round = 108 times). These names of the Lord are mentioned in many Puranas and Upanishads, and they are described as the Taraka-brahma nama of this age. You can chant as many rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra as possible on this day.
Fasting: It is recommended that one shall fast till sunset on this auspicious day. One who cannot observe a full fast may drink water / take some fruits. You can also relish some Panakam.
Hear the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra: The great epic Ramayana is the narration of Lord Rama’s activities in the world, and the authoritative Ramayana was written by the great poet Valmiki. It is said that Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, underwent austerities for sixty thousand years.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam Shukadeva Gosvami has summarized this in a few verses, excerpts of which can be downloaded.
Chant the Holy Names of Lord Ramachandra
Comments