Early morning hours are ideal for exercise, study, practising music and yoga. Early morning hours are just as suited to worship as they are for other things. There is no specific time to think of God. In fact, it is important that our thoughts should always be of Him.
But if a time were to be thought of as the best for worship, if a time had to be named as ideal, it would be the early morning hours. That is why Andal talks of the wee hours of the morning as the time when she has come with her friends to worship Lord Krishna, M.A. Venkatakrishnan said in a lecture.
The early morning hours are perhaps ideal, because they are free from a polluting atmosphere, compared with the rest of the day. When we talk of pollution, there are two kinds: external and internal. The morning hours, when most people are yet to awake, the potential for them to resort to the environmentally polluting activities is less than later in the day.
Internal pollution is the corruption of our minds, by thoughts which we should never entertain. We are prey to several unnecessary thoughts. And often we are prey to sinful thoughts too.
As the day progresses, we may have thoughts of envy, jealousy; we may have a tendency to gossip. All of these pollute our minds. But when we wake up early, after a good night's rest, and then begin the day with worship, we are able to focus our minds on the Lord, and to think of His auspicious qualities, instead of concerning ourselves with matters of the world, which can bring nothing but sorrow. When we begin the day early, and begin it with worship, we begin the day auspiciously.
There is nothing that Andal says without reason. That is why in the temple of Azhvar Tirunagari, when the day of Nammazhvar's moksha is observed, Andal's Thiruppavai is recited, showing that Andal's work leads us to God's feet, as our refuge, and does so in a simple way - gradually, but unfailingly.
It is in our interest to benefit from the simplicity of the Thiruppavai, and surrender at the Lord's feet, which are always described as lotus feet. Andal, through her Thiruppavai, shows us the way to His feet.
