Suprabhatam - The Real Purpose

Spiritually speaking, Suprabhatham is an appeal to the Lord to “awake” to the devotee’s yearning. It is an appeal also to one’s own consciousness to wake up to the truth of His being one’s own innermost reality.

It may sound odd that human beings sing the awakening up song and bid good morning to Bhavawan who is ever awake and ever alert, and is the supreme witness to everything in the universe. Where is the need to waking up the One who knows no “sleep” whatsoever and is ever wakeful? Then, what is all this Suprabatham for, and for whom?

The real purpose behind this musical exercise is to arouse ability to discriminate (vivek) and alertness in all of us, who have woken up from the bosom of sleep that holds us in its embrace like a mother! The inner meaning of Suprabhatham is to remind ourselves “God resides within everyone’s heart”, and also to trim and nurture the flame of awareness (Jnana-Agni) so that it may burn brighter than ever.

Here is a revealing incident. It was the holy night of Siva Ratri (the night marking the birth o Lord Siva in the form of lingam). A scholar named Sri Deepala Pichchayya Sastry was sitting among devotees doing bhajan in Prasanthi Nilayam. Suddenly he had a strange thought. “I would like to see the wonderful grace and beauty of Bhagawan Sai Baba when He is asleep.”


At about 11 p.m. that very night, Swami summoned Sastry into the Interview Room and began talking to him. Sastry did not notice the passage of time. It was more than an hour. He felt drowsy and could not hold back his yawns any more.

Swami then asked him, “Sastry, you wished to see Me asleep but you yourself are dozing.” Sastry suddenly sprang to wakefulness and wondered how Swami knew his innermost thought that had crossed his mind a little while ago.

Baba assumed a tone of serenity and seriousness and said, “Sastry, if I were to sleep, would you be waking up again?” Sastry was startled.

God is perpetually awake and eternally active. We should never overlook this simple truth.

From the book “Tapovanam” by J.V.Sastry