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In the preceding three issues we have been discussing the role of food in the maintenance of good health as prescribed in Ayurveda. Now we proceed further with other phases of the daily routine. In particular, in the present article we shall focus upon  what should be the ideal routine since evening till early morning (called ratricharya). The following shlokas provide guidelines on the major aspects and activities pertaining to the ratricharya  including late evening routine, going to bed, sleep, dream, disciplines of chastity, etc.

 Etani Pancakarmani Sandhyayam Varjayed Budhah | Aharam Maithunam Nidram SampaTham Gatimdhwani || Bhojananjayate Vyardhirmaithunadgarbhavaikratih, Nidraya Nihswata Pathayurhanirgaterbhayam | Pradosha Pashcimau Yamau Vedabhyasena Taunayet || Prahardwayam Shayano Brahmbhuyaya Kalpate | Ratrau Ca Bhojanam Kuryatprathamapraharantare| Kincidunam Samashniyad Durjaram Tatra Varjayet ||

 Meaning: Wise men and women avoid the following five activities during the first of the four phases of night eating, sleeping, general reading or studying, sexual activities, and roving away from the house. Eating in this phase causes health disorders or diseases, sleep makes one dull and eventually leads to failure or poverty, conceiving in this period results in defective foetus, general reading (or studying) reduces vitality (due to unnatural mental fatigue along with other factors), roving around in the dark is risky and it also disturbs ones disciplined schedule. As far as possible, one should have dinner before sunset or early in the first phase of ratricharya (The period, say about an hour after sunset to and hour before sunrise is called ratri, which is divided into four phases of equal duration).
The food should be light and easily digestible; the quantity eaten should be less than what one eats in the morning/afternoon. 
One should sleep in a relaxed state of mind and body during the second and the third phases of ratricharya. The first phase of ratricharya since evening should be used for prayers and study of or contemplating on vedic literature, spiritual books etc.
The last phase (i.e. the period about 2-3 hours before sunrise till about an hour after) should also be used for this purpose along with worship, meditation and yoga.

The guidelines given by the rishis in the above shlokas are scientific from the viewpoint of mental and physical health. For example, taking light dinner before sunset or in the first phase of night is found to be ideal for healthy metabolism. It gives sufficient time to the GI tract to distribute the processed food in the various organs of the body. Jainism prescribes the discipline of not eating anything after sunset. Unfortunately the routine adopted by most of us in modern times is unscientific with respect to our natural metabolic system. We sleep late after watching television till 11 or 12 in the night; eat whatever we like as and when we feel like. Get up late; often take breakfast at the time, which according to Ayurveda, is supposed to be the time for lunch. The result is obvious. We hardly enjoy good health and vitality, which nature wants to endow us with.

As we had discussed earlier in this series, the sandhikalas (junctions between evening and night and that between night and morning, say around sunset and sunrise time) are crucial for physical, mental as well as spiritual health. Eating or sleeping at these time periods is strictly prohibited in our scriptures. The rishis, the scientist-sages of yore had advised specific sadhana practices and prayer-meditations during these junctures. The linkage between solar radiations and our biological clocks has also been found to be very distinct during these periods of time in some modern laboratory experiments. Even if we could sit calmly and do a deep breathing pranayama exercise during these time intervals, our physical fatigue and mental stress and tensions would disappear. Practicing meditation (especially on the soothing brilliance of the rising or setting sun) at these junctures bestows added advantage of gradual sharpening of intellect and also deepening of spiritual aspirations.

Sound, dreamless sleep for six hours during the second and third phases of night is sufficient for relaxing, and rejuvenating our mind-body system. Few hours of yoganidra are found to have marvelous effects. It is a pity that we have chosen the other extreme. What we watch on the television in the name of entertainment or enjoy through other audio-visual mediums these days is saturated with obscenity and violence, which perversely affect our mind and emotions. Yognidra is impossible in such circumstances. In fact many of us hardly get sound sleep because of the wrong ratricharya we have adopted. No doubt, we should have some time for healthy entertainment but it should be chosen wisely and discriminately.

Ayurvedic experts always advise that there should be a minimum of three hours gap between the dinner time and the time to go to bed. One must drink substantial amount of water after one hours interval during this period. This helps proper digestion of the meal, good sleep at night and natural cleansing of the bowls after getting up in the morning. Consuming hot drinks (including tea or coffee), especially in the evening or night, is harmful to health, as it disturbs sleep and eventually the mental and bodily health. One does not feel fresh in the morning if one has not slept well in the night. Morning-fatigue, drowsiness and general dullness upset ones work efficiency.

The savants of Ayurveda advise that one should wash the feet (using cold water in summer and warm in the winter) before going to bed. Those still having problems with sleep should massage the soles with ghee (clarified butter) prepared from cows milk or with mustered or other prescribed herbal oil. This also minimizes the chances of catching cold or cough.

Maharshi Vedvyas writes in the Mahabharata  Naktamacaryam Diwaswapnamalasyam Paishunammadama | Atiyogamayogamca Shreyasoarthi Parityajet ||

Meaning: One who cares for his wellbeing should avoid keeping awake at night, sleeping in daytime, lethargy, intoxication, habits of criticizing or complaining about others, extremities in eating and other activities.

What is sleep? "Yogasutra" gives its precise definition as  "Abhava Pratyayavalambana Vratti Nidra"  the state of mind in which its (extrovert) tendency to experience the gross material existence disappears. Acharya Charak regards sleep as one of the three essential prerequisites for the health of physical body Traya Upastambha Ityaharah Swapnau Brahmcharyamiti Proper food (and eating habits), good sleep and continence. We observe none of these three and so it is natural that we largely remain deprived of good health, vital energy and vigor.

The number of patients suffering from acute insomnia is in crores today; much larger is the number of those who somehow sleep with the help of tranquilizers. Many more have troubles of not getting good, sound sleep. Starting with general dullness and drowsiness, the disorders of sleep often result in varieties of other mental or physical ailments. Ayurvedic scriptures have given significant importance to good sleep at proper times in the night and have affirmed it as a sign and source of healthy life. "Kavya Mimansa" quotes  Samyak Swapo Vapushah Paramarogyaya | Here Samyak Swapah implies sound sleep (without any dreams) at right times for proper duration. Paramarogyaya implies  that which ensures a state of enduring good health and immunity against disease. The poet further states the same in other words as Ardharogahari Nidra (Good sleep does at least half the remedial work of natural recovery from sickness).

While talking of sleep, Ayurvedic scriptures further provide some practical guidelines. For instance, putting anjan (collyrium or lamp-black eye-lotion prepared from ghee of cows milk or specific herbal oil) in the eyes before going to bed is said to induce soothing effects on the eyes.

Eyes are sensors and processors of light and related functions and hence regarded as functionally constituted of the agni tatva (one of the five basic elements) and are thus prone to diseases caused by kapha dosha (one of the three tridoshas described in Ayurveda).
As the latter is supposed to mainly manifest as shleshma (origin of phlegm, which grows with chill, moisture and impurities, on the base of jala tatva), it is advisable to protect the eyes from it. The substances like anjan are supposed to be suppressors of the kapha dosha in the eyes and are therefore considered efficacious in protecting the natural health (and radiance) of the eyes and as inducers of sound sleep.

Surama, which seems to have been popularized in the Middle East and India by the Greeks, is also a type of anjan. Putting few drops of rosewater in the eyes also cleans the eyes and gives a soothing sensation and helps in inducing good sleep.
Ayurveda mentions of applying pure honey on the pores (inner edges) of eyes; it gives burning sensations initially, but it is supposed to be a natural preventive medicine against cataract. However it should be used only upon (Ayurvedic) doctors advice, after ensuring the purity of honey.

Ayurvedic scriptures describe several methods of preparing anjans for specific purposes. The most common and suitable for most of us is the following. Lit a lamp of pure caster-oil using a clean cotton wick to get consistent yellow flame. Collect the lamp-black by keeping a clean pot of bronze on the tip of the burning flame while taking care that the flame should remain yellow. Mix ghee of cows milk in appropriate proportion and small quantity of good quality, finely powdered camphor in the lampblack. The anjan is ready to be used as an eye-lotion. In view of the sensitivity of the eyes, it is recommended that one prepares it in the presence of an expert. Quality of the collyrium or lamp-black should also be tested. It should not be used for more than six months. Needless to say that extra care should be taken for the hygiene of fingers while using them to apply this eye-lotion inside the eyes. As most of us are aware, we must clean the eyes (before putting the anjan or even otherwise) and teeth before going to bed. As we had discussed in one of the earlier articles on morning routine, Ayurveda advises the use of natural herbs (especially neem-dataun) for cleansing the teeth.

These are some simple but excellent tips for natural protection of our health. We shall highlight some more points concerning ratricharya in the next issue.

................................................................................................................................................................(To be continued in the next issue)

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